Walls are up for Reel Theatre in Caldwell

The upper level of geofoam wall construction has started at The Reel Theatre destined for Caldwell.Photo courtesy of Scott Hedrick.

The first 12 feet of gleaming white interior and exterior geofoam walls are up for the 11-screen The Reel Theatre in Caldwell.

A second level of 12-foot walls are being installed in the coming weeks with trusses and roof work hopefully complete before snow sets in, said Eldon Sorensen, business manager at Boise-based Casper Management, which owns The Reel Theatre chain.

Construction on the 36,000-square-foot complex in Caldwell’s Trolley Square redevelopment project started in early September at 10^th and Main streets. Casper Management hopes to be screening movies in early May, Sorenson said.

Trey Hoff Architecture of Boise is the architect. Scott Hedrick Construction of Boise is the general contractor. Gardner Company’s Boise office is the developer.

Eldon Sorensen

Reel Theatre chose geoform block construction because of its acoustic qualities, Sorensen said.

“It’s the only way to go with movie theaters,” Sorensen said. “It’s much better than standard CMU (concrete masonry unit).”

The largest auditorium will have 200 seats, a 30-plus-foot screen, 50 full recliners and 50 luxury rockers. This theater will have Dolby Atmos surround sound, a technology introduced in 2012.

The other auditoriums, with 36 to 110 seats, won’t have Dolby Atmos but each will have some luxury rockers and full recliners, Sorensen said.

Caldwell will be the sixth location for Reel Theatres, which now has 37 screens in Boise, Nampa, Ontario and Anderson, Calif.  Caldwell will screen first-run movies, he said.