A new 12-screen movie theater on Shiloh Road in College Township will draw moviegoers from the entire State College area, now that the College Township Council has approved the United Entertainment Corporation's (UEC) plans for construction.

Although a planning commission recommended against the theater in a 4-3 vote, the council decided to approve the plan after the UEC addressed the concerns the planning commission had over the number of parking spaces, said Chris Price, senior planner of the Centre Regional Planning Agency.

The UEC's plans for the state-of-the-art theater include stadium seating for 1,884 people, digital sound and 513 parking spaces.

After reviewing the plan, the planning commission found it was generally inconsistent with the township's planning policies, Price said.

"We were generally unhappy with the large number of parking spaces. There was too much paved area," Price said.

"The more paved area you have, the less water can infiltrate back into the ground, so it's an environmental concern," he said.

Adam Brumbaugh, township manager, said the plan was revised to include less paved area before it was submitted to the council last fall.

The applicant recently received a 90-day extension to finalize all agreements for water service and to obtain a highway occupancy permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Price said.

The plan was approved in early winter, and ground breaking is anticipated in a few months once land development plans are finalized, he added.

The College Township theater is the third cineplex planned in the State College area. The others -- located in Patton Township at Valley Vista Drive and North Atherton Street, and downtown on Hiester Street -- also will begin construction within the coming months.

Mike Ross, UEC president, said he believes the theater will be a positive addition to the area.

"It will be a much more modern facility," Ross said. "It's going to be a nice theater compared to what's in the area right now."

Ross said the planned I-99 corridor by the Nittany Mall will allow the theater more access for the entire community.

"You want to be off the highway so you can draw from the whole area," Ross said. "We can't just draw from a small area. We've got to draw from families, college kids, everyone."

"We have a pretty good idea of how big of a market it is," he added.

The theater will also have a positive effect on the area's economy, Ross said. It should employ 45 to 50 people, he said.

"It think it will be a new outlet for entertainment for families and college kids," Ross said. "It will be real positive for the entire community. I think people will be really happy with it."