![]() Although RCC was confident she would grow with the job, at times Karp was not welcomed as a woman in construction. The owner did not agree and invested time and resources to help her learn the trade, and Karp later became the director of new business development and estimating. In 2001, she became a project manager for RCC Associates and recalls almost immediately feeling as though she was not the right person for the job because of her lack of construction experience. “I wanted to learn every nook and cranny of development and construction.” I love a challenge give one to me, I’ll do it,” Karp says. Though she had no commercial construction experience, Karp was hired as construction coordinator and project manager for the Sunglass Hut and Watch Station retail chain in 1997 and immersed herself in the business. While assisting an architect friend, he helped her discover she could envision building plans and concepts in 3D, which in turn led her to residential construction. A Philadelphia native, Karp came to theater construction and facilities management via a circuitous route after working as a personal trainer. Ready to take chancesĪlthough she never had a chance to visit his theater in Cuba, Karp is carrying on a family tradition-her grandfather owned a theater that mixed movies and live entertainment. IPIC is also expanding internationally-after Karp visited Saudi Arabia in 2018, the company was approved for new luxury theaters there. The theater is expected to open in November and the restaurant in the first quarter of 2021. The pandemic has not slowed construction of the new nine-screen Colony Square theater complex in Atlanta or its restaurant serving northern Italian cuisine. She expects them to be installed at all sites in August. ![]() The hygienic pinnacle is electrostatic cleaners Karp ordered to disinfect theaters with a spray that envelops the entire room. Staff will wear masks and gloves, while guests will be required to wear masks in common areas and when not eating or drinking. IPIC will have hand sanitizers at every entrance and auditorium, as well as thermal readers to take the temperature of all employees and guests. Instead, customers can buy them at theaters to bring on their next visit, Karp says. All are operating on a limited basis, and IPIC has temporarily paused lending blankets and pillows. In early June, three locations in Texas reopened, followed by two in Illinois in early July. The coronavirus pandemic forced IPIC theaters to close spring 2020. At the push of a button, “ninja servers” discretely deliver food and drinks via individual aisles leading to the pods. Seating is set in pods of two recliners with a table in between and dividers between parties. In 14 locations along the East Coast as well as Texas, California and Washington, IPIC Theaters are the single stop for a night on the town-combining upscale dining with movies-in theaters seating 40 to 80 viewers, Karp says. “But we’re also zeroing in on safety and making it our first priority for our guests and employees, to ensure that the experience is one that is safe and sanitary.” A belly and eyeful “We’re providing a unique experience,” Karp explains. Sandy Karp, vice president of construction and development for IPIC Theaters LLC, says the industry will continue to change to keep movie goers safe and comfortable, and her company may ahead of the curve with a boutique floor plan that reduces density by design and accommodates for social distancing. Sandy Karp | Vice President of Construction and Development | IPIC Theaters LLC
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