Work begins on Randhurst's new theater

Construction on Randhurst's new movie theater began Tuesday with groundbreaking of the AMC Randhurst 12.

The 2,000-seat theater will open in a year, replacing the existing 16-plex at Randhurst.

Some of the new theater's features will include lounge-style seating areas in each auditorium, state-of-the-art digital projection, including 3-D screens and live broadcast capabilities, and an expanded concession stand.

The new theater is part of a $200 million redevelopment of Randhurst.

A year-and-a-half ago, crews ripped down the outer portion of the mall after working for months gutting the inside, which once housed about 80 shops. The main anchor stores remain open.

The new Randhurst Village will include a theater, hotel, restaurant and retail and office spaces. The plan also calls for a number of restaurants and 25 smaller buildings scattered around the site, as well as rental units if developer Casto chooses.

Casto, which owns the property with JP Morgan Chase, wants to reinvent the mall to be similar to the The Glen Town Center in Glenview. That open-air mall is part of a 1,100-acre site for retail, offices and homes built on a former naval air station.

Jersey Mike's, Five Guys, Chipotle Mexican Grill and T-Mobile already have opened at the site. The Sports Authority, Pei Wei Asian Diner, PNC Bank, PetSmart and The Hampton Inn have signed leases with plans to open within the year.

"There is a resurgence in the Chicago real estate market and the successful development of Randhurst Village is a perfect example," said Brett Hutchens, president of Casto Southeast Realty Services.