STATEN ISLAND, NY – Discreetly tucked away on the top floor of Boulevard Shopping Plaza in New Dorp, nestled behind mega-retailers like Old Navy and Party City, is a beautiful booming movie theater oasis. Its quiet construction and massive 44,000-square-foot presence completely betrayed by its unassuming exterior, movie-goer’s paradise is already full of plush recliners and Dolby surround speakers — its interior is about 90% complete. After five years of planning and construction — a process marred by coronavirus (COVID-19)-related delays and mandatory closures — the long-awaited Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas outpost in Staten Island is finally coming to life.

“We are now in the hiring phase, construction is winding down and things are moving very quickly,” noted Alamo field marketing manager Mike Sampson, who gave Advance/SILive a preview- premiered the impressive facility last week, noting that the official launch date is still up in the air, subject to final city inspections. “A lot of time and effort has gone into the design and construction of this location, and we are very excited about its launch. We are ready to go and hope that all stages of this process will be completed very soon. »