It may only be a year before east-side Casper residents will have a new-release movie theater on their side of town.

The Movie Palaces Inc. group, who currently own Casper's five movie theaters, is planning to build a multiplex theater on Second Street east of Home Depot.

"I compare it to Wal-Mart building a new location on the west side," said Randy Pride, co-owner of locally-owned Movie Palaces Inc.

Pride said the downtown theaters need to expand and can't, because of their building size and parking spaces.

"We react to the market and try to anticipate things," Pride said, and right now, growth is on the east side. "Our need is now."

He said their downtown theaters are landlocked. Those include the eight-screen Iris Stadium and Theatres, on 230 W. Yellowstone Highway, the Fox Movie Palace on 150 W. 2nd St., the two single-screen theaters, the American Theatre on 119 S. Center St. and the Rialto Theatre on 100 E. 2nd. St.

The new theater will have 10 screens with the capability to add four more. There will also be a 3.3-acre parking lot.

Unlike the other east-side theatre in the Eastridge Mall, this one will show new releases. Seven screens will show movies that will also be shown downtown and the other three will show different films.

Pride said when the group purchased the downtown theaters, it anticipated a level of growth that happened much sooner than expected.

"The first question everyone asks is, 'Will you close the theaters downtown?'" Pride said. "We just invested $250,000 in the Iris with paint and carpet, we certainly have a long-term commitment to our theaters downtown. We think everything can coexist."

Most theater companies, he said, typically own their theaters for 15 years. The Movie Palaces Inc. will have its 20-year anniversary this summer with the downtown theaters.

Tina Wulf, director of the Downtown Development Authority, hopes the new multiplex won't negatively affect downtown, but it remains to be seen.

The new theater will attract attention at the beginning, but she predicted once the novelty wears off, Casperites, especially those living on in the west and central parts of Casper, will still go downtown to watch movies.

Botticelli Italian Ristorante manager Ric Basil doesn't think a theater on the east side will effect his downtown restaurant's business, which is across from the Fox.

"We have a reputation of having good service and great food," he said. "I don't think it will hurt us, not the way the economy is going right now."

Pride said if the plans for the theater are approved, construction will begin in the spring and take 11 to 12 months.

Contact Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com