FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2010
Contact: Maggie Cox, (805)788-4425; mcox@barnettcox.com
Atascadero’s Colony Square Taking Shape
Galaxy Theatres a visible sign of progress

Atascadero, Calif.– It’s been a busy summer so far for the Colony Square project in
Atascadero. The redevelopment effort, which will revitalize an area of downtown Atascadero,
is proceeding at an energetic pace with visible signs of progress.

The mixed use retail, restaurant and entertainment complex is being built on El Camino Real
just a block from the Atascadero Sunken Gardens. The most visible part of the project is
Galaxy Theatres’ ten-screen, all-digital movie theatre, whose exterior construction is nearly
complete, said Thom Jess of Arris Studio Architects, architect and overall construction manager
for the project. The 35-member construction crew is being supervised by San Luis Obispo-based
Specialty Construction, Inc.

Crews have used an innovative, environmentally friendly construction technique to build the
theatres’ 36 foot tall walls. Styrofoam forms laced with rebar are filled with concrete to create a
building-block style construction. In addition to offering a green approach to construction
technology, the method also helps with theatre acoustics.

Galaxy Theatres’ CEO Frank Rimkus says residents have been able to watch the theatres take
shape, but the action moves indoor for the next phase. “When Galaxy Theatres opens, we will
welcome residents to the most technologically sophisticated building in Atascadero,” Rimkus
said. “We spend months engineering our auditoriums for sound and picture application, taking
into account screen angles and line of sight challenges, and using principles of geometry and
cubic acoustics to assure every seat in the theatre delivers an ideal movie experience.
We installand test Galaxy’s proprietary all-digital sound system. Every theatre will have true
stadium seating, and five of our ten theatres will have 3-D capability,” Rimkus said. “Quality
like this takes time to perfect.”

As the project progresses, interest is growing in the retail and restaurant spaces available at the
site. Leading commercial lease agency Pacifica Commercial Realty has been retained as the
listing agent through the firm’s Paso Robles office. Pacifica is a well-known commercial realtor
with offices throughout California and a strong presence on the Central Coast. The firm most
recently managed leases for the Trader Joe’s project in Templeton and the Gateway Center in
Paso Robles, and notes that interest in space at Colony Square currently exceeds the square
footage available.