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March 14-20, 2019
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Record & Observer AMERICA’S NO. 1 Record & Observer BEACH BARGAIN Record & Observer
Cinemark announces 14-screen theater
JACKSONVILLE
The movie complex is planned to open in Atlantic North in summer 2020.
Survey finds Jacksonville Beach the most JACKSONVILLE affordable to visit in the U.S., with two other area beaches not far behind.
BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
A day in St. Augustine Beach costs $71.24 and a day in Fernandina Beach costs $90.16. There are 39 U.S. beaches you can enjoy for less than $100, according to HomeToGo. Of course, everyone’s experience is different and your costs can vary. HomeToGo determined the price of parking in Jacksonville Beach is $5, which was the price to park on weekends at four city lots from March to October last year.
Cinemark Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday it will open a 14-screen movie theater in Atlantic North, which will be its third complex in the area. Cinemark intends to open in the second phase of the Atlantic North shopping center at northwest Kernan and Atlantic boulevards in summer 2020. Sleiman Enterprises is developing Atlantic North, with the first phase comprising LA Fitness, Belk, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Earth Fare and other retailers. Plano, Texas-based Cinemark operates the 20-screen Cinemark Tinseltown at 4535 Southside Blvd. and announced in October it will open a 12-screen movie theater at The Pavilion at Durbin Park in St. Johns County in fall 2019. In a news release, Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said the Atlantic North theater will provide “an unparalleled entertainment experience for the eastern communities of the Jacksonville metropolitan area.” In addition to the theater, the second phase of Atlantic North will bring another 300,000 square feet of commercial space to the area. “Cinemark’s exceptional facility will also serve as a catalyst for advancing phase two, bringing Sleiman Enterprises’ development at Atlantic and Kernan to a total of 550,000 square feet,”
SEE BEACH, PAGE 6
SEE CINEMARK, PAGE 6
JACKSONVILLE
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A survey by HomeToGo.com said the low cost of parking, beer, water and accommodations and other factors make Jacksonville Beach the nation’s most affordable beach destination.
BY MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
V
isitors from around the globe are descending on Jacksonville’s beaches this week to attend The Players Championship golf tournament. Most will be prepared to pay premium prices but if they visit restaurants and shops in Jacksonville Beach, they may be pleasantly surprised at what they find. A survey by HomeToGo.com, a vacation rental search engine, determined
that Jacksonville Beach is the nation’s most affordable beach destination. The listing of the 50 most affordable beaches included St. Augustine Beach, ranked fifth, and Fernandina Beach, ranked 30th. HomeToGo tallied the combined cost of parking, sunscreen, water, fish tacos, beer, cocktails and accommodations to come up with its ranking. It determined a day at Jacksonville Beach will cost you $62.92 per person, $1.44 less than a day at the second-ranked location, Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon.
Economy: Job growth is slowing, but unemployment remains low PAGE 3
THE MARBUT REPORT
CSX: ‘Wild ride’ is over PAGE 8
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OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
JBA YLS benefit sets record VOLUME 1, NO. 41 • ONE SECTION