WEST HAVEN — A 12-screen movie theater is among the plans for a 225-acre development in West Haven known as The Destination.

"There's nothing like this west of I-15," said West Haven Mayor Brian Melaney.

The Destination, one of the largest projects undertaken by developer-investor John Thomas, will combine the theater, owned by Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Theaters, with various retailers, some of which have been waiting for the theater contract to be finalized.

"Now we're going back to everyone," Thomas said.

Metropolitan operates 104 screens in four states and Canada. Its other Utah theater is Park City's Redstone 8 Cinemas.

Melaney said the movie theater, which is expected to open in late 2010, can make the facility a regional draw.

That means that people from the project's target areas — which include a dozen surrounding communities and a population of about 135,000 people — could be expected to shop and dine and go to the movies. But Thomas said The Destination could draw from as many as 20 communities, with a population of almost 200,000.

Melaney said up to 65 retailers, many of them household names, have expressed interest in the project, though it's too early to name names. He said one of the ways West Haven has managed to lure the project is because the city doesn't charge a property tax.

The Destination, which has been in the works since Thomas began acquiring land in 1998, will be located on property at the intersection of 4000 South and Midland Drive. Utilities and infrastructure have already been constructed, and Thomas' group has sold 225 nearby housing lots to developers, he said.

Though West Haven's population is still small at 7,500, it is expected to reach 35,000 at build-out.

"We're excited to be part of it," Thomas said.

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