The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that Marcus Theatres Corporation is considering an alternate location for its replacement of the aging Marcus Eastgate Cinemas in Madison, Wisconsin.

The first location that Marcus is considering is located at Highway 151 and Nelson Road, and the alternate location is just up Highway 151 at the junction with County Highway C, near the Target store that opened earlier this year.

The familiar Marcus sign could appear in Sun Prairie instead of Madison. Photo Copyright 2009 SVJ Designs, LLC All Rights Reserved.

In May 2008, Marcus announced plans to replace the Eastgate Cinemas with an all-new 16-screen location, complete with an UltraScreen (Marcus' term for an extra large screen, upwards of 70' wide) and an entertainment complex. The project has run into some snags, but it was finally approved by the Madison City Council in February.

The new location would be officially located in Sun Prairie, which would be a loss for the city of Madison, and it would not contain the entertainment complex portion of the aforementioned project.

According to the Marcus news release, the Sun Prairie location offers “excellent visibility” without the burden of additional development.

"A final determination has not yet been made, but this site does offer additional options and flexibility … without the added challenge and financial risk of developing the surrounding property ourselves, which would be required with the other site," Bruce Olson, president of Marcus Theatres said in a statement.

None of this is to the point of shovels digging in dirt yet, so things could change considerably, including nothing happening at all. Municipal approvals, market conditions, and corporate direction changes can affect these projects easily. Three years ago, Marcus announced plans to replace the Marcus South Towne in Monona, Wisconsin (Madison's Southeast side) with a new location nearby in the Tradewinds Business Centre, but that project has yet to see the light of day (has dirt ever been moved? Let us know!).

The good news is that when Marcus finally develops a theater location, they tend to do a pretty good job of it. The Marcus Majestic Brookfield in Waukesha, Marcus Renaissance Cinema near Racine, and the recently remodeled Marcus North Shore Cinemas in Mequon (all in Wisconsin) are examples of successful projects that have been well-received by the public. If there is anything negative to be said about these projects, it's that they make some of the older, existing Marcus Theatres locations look dated by comparison.

Click the Read link below to view the full article by the Wisconsin State Journal.