In a press release Tuesday, theater Marketing Director Colby Chilcote said the cinema will open to the public on May 19. She did not say which movies will be featured, but owner Jeff Konczak said the cinema’s website, alpenamovies.com, will be live soon and people will be able to see what movies are showing and purchase tickets.

The cinema also announced tickets will cost $6 for children 11 and younger, $10.50 for adults, with $7.50 matinees and a special $6 bargain rate for all movies on Tuesdays.

Konczak said keeping prices affordable is important because of how much money families have to dole out for things like food, clothes, housing, and other necessary expenses. He said having fair ticket prices will lead to more seats being sold.

“There are a lot of people who have four or five kids, and I don’t know how they can afford to take them out to eat, or buy them shoes,” he said. “Keeping it affordable was important to us, because if we wouldn’t have, it would have been a big mistake.”

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alex Konczak takes a moment from his day to show off the new reclining seats in the new Sanctuary Cinema in Alpena on Tuesday. The seats also have adjustable trays and are heated.

In 2020, the building was purchased by Konczak and his wife Tina ,who oversaw extensive renovation of the property. Every detail of Sanctuary Cinema has been hand-selected to ensure a superior customer experience.

The theaters in the cinema include large reclining, heated seats and have adjustable trays. Konczak said the theater features state-of-the-art movie projectors and sound systems, as well as elegant and unique decor.

Each row of seats offers spacious amounts of room for people to come and go and the old storefront windows have been restored to let in sunlight and provide a panoramic view of downtown Alpena from the lobby.

“I think people are going to be blown away,” Konczak said. “We are trying to create a movie experience that people can’t get unless they travel to the big city.”

Jordan Stancil, director of theater operations, was hired by Konczak. Stancil is the owner of the Rialto Theater in downtown Grayling, which was founded in 1915 by Stancil’s great-grandfather. Stancil grew up in the theater business and looks forward to bringing his decades of experience to Alpena.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Last week, workers were still putting the finishing touches on the lobby of the new Sanctuary Cinema in Alpena. The lobby has an underwater maritime theme. The theater is slated to open on May 19.

He praised the job Konczak and his team have done to revamp the old Royal Knight Theater and the investment he made to provide a modern-day viewing experience for guests.

“Jeff and his team have gone above and beyond with every detail of Sanctuary Cinema,” Stancil said. “It’s about creating a space that the community can be proud of. This is your movie theater and it’s exceptional.”

The building was originally constructed in the mid-1920s. JCPenney moved into the space in 1929. After the department store closed, it became the Royal Knight Cinema which showed its last movie in 2018.

Konczak, who also has other development projects ongoing at The Vaughn and former State Theater in downtown Alpena, said once the theater opens, it should provide a boost to nearby businesses.

He said many people may choose to grab dinner at a downtown restaurant before a movie and maybe a cocktail at a local establishment after the movie. Konczak said he also envisions shops like Downtown Scoops will benefit from the added traffic downtown because families will want to enjoy an ice cream cone after taking in a movie.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Sanctuary Cinema owner Jeff Konczak shows off how wide the aisles are in between rows of seats in the new theater in Alpena. The first movie is expected to play on May 19 and tickets will be on sale on the cinema’s website soon.

He said for afternoon shows, people may also shop at downtown retail shops.

“I think this is going to do as much for the other businesses as it is going to do for us,” he said. “I think some could change their hours to be open later too.”