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The race to secure a new cinema at Dubbo has begun.
A proponent of a $6.8 million retail centre yesterday said a large cinema complex had been "successfully engaged" and was "excited about coming to Dubbo".
The company was new to the city but could not yet be named, Nino Patriarca's Victoria Park Centre estate agent Laagan Whalan said.
It was not yet a done deal but "most things had been put in place for a lease to be signed" after the proposed Talbragar Street development gained approval, Mr Whalan said.
The announcement came a week after Reading Entertainment Australia - the operator of Dubbo's only movie house - confirmed it was leaving the Riverdale shopping centre after lease negotiations stalled.
The company present at Dubbo for the past 15 years said it was seeking alternative premises in the city but acknowledged the process "does take some time".
Within hours Dubbo City Council had received two separate inquiries from developers wanting to know where a cinema could be built.
Mayor Mathew Dickerson said last week he was confident Dubbo would not be left without a cinema and the Dubbo Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2011 had expanded areas suitable for the activity.
Yesterday the first details of a fresh player on a newly-open field emerged.
"I can't say the name at the moment, purely and simply because once the DA (development application) is officially approved we can announce everything," Mr Whalan said. "I can say they haven't been in Dubbo before - which gives you an idea it's not Reading.
"But at the same time this cinema complex doesn't want to go into competition against Reading, but Reading have made it very clear they're not interested in Dubbo at this point in time."
Mr Whalan confirmed a cinema had not been on the radar when the Victoria Park Centre DA was lodged with Dubbo City Council in October last year but said he had been in talks "for a few months".
He said the cinema was looking for 2000 square metres of floor space within the centre and that "it would mean that another tenant that was going to go in there is no longer going to be going in there".
The Victoria Park Centre, together with the approved ALDI food store on the neighbouring site, would transform disused rail land and Mr Whalan said the centre would not disappoint.
"The main thing is we have the cinemas under control for Dubbo which is fantastic," he said.
"We have another three major tenants which I'm just not allowed to disclose at the moment until we have the DA approved that have signed heads of agreement.
" All I can say is Dubbo will be very happy with the tenants and who they are going to be."