The Bellingham Business Journal

For about a year now, the empty lot across from Barkley Village Haggen owned by Barkley Company has been a topic of speculation. Rumors circulated that a theater might go in, and those rumors are true.

Regal Cinemas just announced it will build a 68,000-square-foot, 16-screen theater on that plot with stadium seating and RealD 3D viewing.

The new cinema, which is scheduled to open in 2012, will be located west of Barkley Haggen in the southwest corner of Barkley Village. Phase one construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2011 and will include the theater and three additional buildings for restaurants and retail. Barkley Boulevard will be widened and a new traffic signal installed at Howe Place as part of that phase, too.

“This project will be a significant addition to our urban village plan,”Barkley Company President Jeff Kochman said in a press release. “The theater is an incredible complement to the other activities here at Barkley and is the absolute best entertainment component we could have asked for in our ‘live, work, play’ efforts.”

A second phase of construction will include retail, residential, restaurants and parking garages. Other possible amenities for the cinema block include parks, trails and pond upgrades. Phase two construction will begin when future market conditions are favorable.

Stowe Talbot, Barkley Company owner, said the theater adds an entertainment component to Barkley that was previously missing.

“We feel the project will bring a lot of new energy to the existing restaurants and businesses here, and we hope in time it will also attract more entertainment venues to the area as well,” Talbot said in a press release.

Barkley Village has created a project webpage to provide updates at barkleyvillage.com. For leasing information contact John Arrigoni at (360) 671-6450.