New movie theatre slated for Greensborough Village

Greensborough Village is about to get a movie theatre. Malco Theatres Inc. of Memphis is building a VIP Theatre in the 200-acre mixed-use master planned community, according to Halsey Thrasher Harpole Real Estate Group. The project cost was not released by Malco.

The new 12-screen Village Theatre at Greensborough will be the seventh Malco VIP Theatre, joining locations in Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville, and Memphis. The modern lifestyle theatre will feature 80-inch full leather reclining seats, a Cinema Grille with expanded food menu and beverages, and advanced digital sound and laser technology.

“We are excited to announce our new Village Theatre as an anchor attraction in Greensborough Village,” Malco Executive Vice-President Jimmy Tashie said.  “Jonesboro is a ‘Malco town’, and has been a rich part of our company’s success. Our family has spent over a century providing innovative and ground-breaking entertainment experiences all across the southern and midwestern United States. With each and every new facility we open, we strive to make it the best; and the Village Theatre at Greensborough will be no exception. We love what the rest of Greensborough Village will bring to our theatre experience, and we are excited about what we bring to Greensborough Village.”

Malco operates 33 theatres and more than 340 screens in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. The company also has three bowling centers and a family entertainment center in southern Louisiana and a family entertainment center in Oxford, Miss. The Village Theatre at Greensborough joins three other new locations in Memphis now under construction, which will grow the company to 38 total theaters and more than 400 screens. Malco is the 10th largest theatre chain in the United States, according to the company.

Jerry Halsey, Jr., principal broker and managing partner of Halsey Thrasher Harpole, shared in Tashie’s enthusiasm.

“We have been working with Malco on this project for quite some time,” Halsey said.  “This isn’t just the opening of a theatre, it’s the anchor of a much larger entertainment and shopping experience unlike anything Jonesboro has ever seen.”

A site plan has been completed and work has already begun. Grading has been completed, and the utility infrastructure is already installed. Foundation plans will be submitted later this week to the city for approval of a permit so that construction can begin. Construction is expected to take about six months and the theater will open in May 2019.

Malco Theatres was founded in 1915 by M.A. Lightman, Sr and has remained family owned and operated for more than 100 years. It is now being led by the fourth generation of the Lightman family.