A drive-in movie theater is on tap soon to bring the big screen to downtown Detroit.
Bedrock, Detroit’s largest real estate company, and Emagine Entertainment, metro Detroit’s theatre business, are joining forces to premiere the Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine movie theater in downtown Detroit. An Opening Night screening of the 1993 Jurassic Park movie will run on January 22 the state-of-the-art outdoor screen will show family-friendly feature films, nearby Campus Martius Park and downtown’s Woodward shopping district.
The Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine is an ongoing part of Bedrock’s multi-million dollar “Decked Out Detroit” initiative in partnership with the Rocket Community Fund, according to a press release.
“Movies have always offered us a couple of hours to unplug and escape, and that has never seemed more important than now,” said Ivy Greaner, Chief Operating Officer at Bedrock. “The drive-in theater is our way of offering the community a way to get out of the house and safely enjoy a night out for the whole family.”
Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine will operate in partnership with Emagine Entertainment, with showtimes every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7 pm, beginning January 22, 2021. The drive-in experience promises to feature all of the amenities guests have come to love about an Emagine showing, including interactive lighting, leading AV technology and a modular concessions pavilion serving traditional movie theater concessions. There will also be warming areas, plantings and public restroom trailers.
“We are thrilled to partner with Bedrock Detroit to bring our operational expertise together for this exciting project in the city of Detroit. We have always taken pride in providing an exceptional viewing experience for our guests and look forward to bringing Emagine’s prowess to this project,” said Anthony LaVerde, CEO of Emagine Entertainment.
“It is an absolute honor to be working with the world-class team of professionals at Bedrock Detroit. Being part of the team to showcase movies once again in this historic theater district of Detroit represents a great opportunity for all involved. Providing guests with an exemplary out-of-home movie-going experience has always been our objective at Emagine and now we can further that mission at the Monroe Street Drive-In.” added Paul Glantz, co-founder/chairman of Emagine Entertainment.
Glantz told the Michigan Chronicle that he is optimistic that once the world, and Detroit opens up, eyes will still be looking to the city when it comes to entertainment.
“We think Detroit is an underserved market. We think there are plenty of wonderful folks who would like to find a theater closer to home,” he said. “I hope folks are thrilled to have another reason to leave their homes to be entertained in a safe and conducive atmosphere.”
He added that drive-ins were “pretty big” when he was young growing up in Redford in the ‘60s.
“As a little kid I would fall asleep in the back seat while they [my parents] were watching the movie,” Glantz told the Michigan Chronicle.
The theater will enforce all of the latest COVID-19 health and safety regulations, including social distancing and mask wearing guidelines while guests are outside of their vehicles.
Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine will feature a 60×32 foot digital projection screen on the site of the future Monroe Blocks development at 32 Monroe Street in Detroit.
All showtimes and programming will be managed by Emagine Entertainment and the site will include parking for up to 65 vehicles including outdoor seating, pedestrian paths, concession pavilions and lighting, and warming areas.
Showtimes will begin at 7 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning January 22 with:
- Friday, January 22: Jurassic Park – 1993
- Saturday, January 23: Shrek – 2001
- Sunday, January 24: Back to the Future – 1985
Tickets will cost $20 per vehicle and will be available in the coming days at emagine-entertainment.com.
Tickets can be purchased in-person at the Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine when gates open at 6 pm starting January 22.
Additional movie and showtimes will be released weekly.
Bedrock is working with the Rocket Community Fund and Emagine Entertainment to ensure that all of Detroit has the opportunity to enjoy the Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine and other “Decked Out Detroit” opportunities at a discounted price.
Initially, Bedrock has reserved January 22, 2021 as a complimentary special pre-screening for local Detroiters at the Monroe Street Drive-In Powered By Emagine.
“Our goal was to create an exciting and new experience for all of Detroit,” said Nadia Sesay, Chief Community Growth and Development Officer at Bedrock. “With the theater located on the site of Detroit’s first theater district, we wanted our local community to be the first to enjoy Monroe Street Drive-In.”
The theater is not only situated in the heart of downtown, but sits on the historic Monroe Block, which was home to Detroit’s first theater district. At its peak in the early 1900s, six movie theaters called Monroe Street home – including the National Theatre, whose 1911 era façade still stands.
Additionally, for one night each month Bedrock will work with local schools, community and neighborhood groups to ensure that they will be able to enjoy a family-friendly screening free-of-charge.
“This past year has encouraged us all to be creative in how we spend time making memories with our loved ones,” Sesay continued. “This drive-in movie theater allows us to partner with our local community to create meaningful opportunities for all Detroiters to come together to safely enjoy a film in the middle of downtown Detroit.”
To date, Bedrock and the Rocket Community Fund have invested more than $200 million into Detroit-based organizations and programming, with team members of the Family of Companies contributing more than 415,000 volunteer hours within the community.
While downtown, movie goers are encouraged to enjoy a variety of dining and shopping experiences at “Decked Out Detroit’s” many other outdoor dining areas.
To make things easy, Monroe Street Drive-In patrons are able to order take out from a variety of downtown restaurants to be delivered to their vehicles. Additionally, patrons can choose to eat before or after the movie at different dining areas – all of which feature their own distinct partially enclosed pergolas, including custom space heaters, tables, chairs and much more!
Click HERE for a map of participating restaurants and retailers.
Now through March 13 Bedrock is offering $10 discounts on all Lyft rides to and from Detroit every Saturday between 10 am – 8 pm. Enter the code BedrockDetroit in the Lyft app to receive the discount.
Click HERE for a map of participating parking decks.
Decked out Detroit is part of Bedrock’s ongoing effort to support Detroit small businesses and the community at large as they grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting government lockdowns.
For more information on Bedrock’s projects, visit bedrockdetroit.com or engage with us on Twitter and Facebook.
Click here to view a complete timeline of Bedrock and the Rock Family of Companies’ engagement within the Detroit community.
For more information visit deckedoutdetroit.com for full information on downtown dining, shopping and entertainment experiences.
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