Jordan Commons official grand opening is Nov. 1

The Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, scheduled to open scheduled to open 1 November 1999, cost $107 million - at least 30 percent more expensive than similar theaters. The 46,000-square-foot Mayan restaurant was 75 days behind on its construction schedule and twice as expensive as planned. The 8-acre site also includes a 10-story office building and 4 independently managed restaurants. The west entrance was designed to look like the front of Jordan High School, the building that was demolished to make way for the project. The lobby, which cost 6 to 10 million dollars, is 90 feet wide from north to south and was designed to look like Salt Lake City's Main Street, circa 1870. Concessions include pizza, ice cream, a juice bar, pretzels and gourmet coffee. "It's a gamble by pure economic standards," ower Larry H. Miller said. "I've seen how it doesn't make sense on paper right now. But it will make money. I know it will. At least I don't have to worry about it being replicated. No one else is stupid enough to do this . . . I've been warned that I've overbuilt this. I mean, this is so much more than a ticket lobby. It's a little city."