Walter Travels Upstate to Meet with Regal Executives

Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter traveled upstate Thursday evening after he was invited to attend an open house by Regal Entertainment Group, the nation's largest movie theater chain.

Walter will attend the open house of a new multiplex in Clifton Park, N.Y. just outside Albany to meet with executives from the company. Walter and developer Ron Parr have been in talks with Regal to build a multiplex at the site of in downtown Riverhead for more than a year. 

Both Walter and Parr were invited to the event, but Parr was unable to attend due to a back injury. Walter said he was optimistic that the town, Parr and Regal would reach a deal to bring a theater downtown. 

"I think we're moving in the right direction," Walter said in an interview. "We're talking numbers and my understanding from Ron is that they're going to present this to their board in December and hopefully we'll get an answer soon."

Parr has proposed , the Apollo Group, and erecting a multiplex in its place. The Apollo Group purchased the site in 2006 in order to build its own downtown development project, but the group was forced to cancel its plans when the economy crashed in 2008. 

Recently, Regal representatives took a to gauge interest in the location.