Long a sort of wasteland for movie-goers, the Peninsula is finally ready for its close-up.

Redwood City is posed to approve a 20 screen downtown movie theater, becoming the third city in San Mateo County to move forward with a major cinema project. In addition to pleasing movie fans, the new complex is expected to give a significant boost to its city's economy.

The Redwood City Planning Commission and a City Council subcommittee have recently signed off on the project, expected to get full council approval on Dec. 9 or 16. If approved, it would follow in the footsteps of a newly opened 20-screen theater in Daly City and a 12-screen cinema scheduled to open in February in downtown San Mateo.

All of the projects would be run by Century Theatres of San Rafael. The downtown Redwood City cinema would replace the city's Century 12 theater, next to Highway 101, which would eventually close.

Proponents of Redwood City's theater project are hoping it will prove a shot of energy to the city's sleepy downtown. The project will also feature a parking structure and 85,000 square feet of retail space, including a Borders bookstore and Cost Plus World Market.

"The downtown needs a major infusion of retail and foot traffic, and this project will bring major stores and foot traffic to see the movies," said councilman Ira Ruskin, who was mayor when the project was introduced.

The 4,200-seat theater project is expected to attract about 1.5 million visitors annually and generate more than $57 million annual sales for the downtown district, according to a city-commissioned economic study.

Fred Ganjei, president of the Redwood City Downtown Business Group, said the organization's 70 members support the project. While some worry about traffic and parking, he said, most are eager to see the theater project move in.

"We have a pretty downtown, the weather is perfect, but you need a strong anchor like this to bring people down here," said Ganjei.

Redwood City leaders are hoping their project will generate the same sort of excitement as San Mateo's new movie theater complex, which opens Feb. 7. Already, more than a dozen businesses have opened downtown in anticipation of the opening of the 1,800-seat cinema, and another handful are inquiring about moving in, said Diana Whitecar, economic development and business assistance manager for San Mateo.

"I think the businesses are looking to capture a customer base that hasn't been here in a while," said Whitecar.

She said that far from overcrowding the local theater market, the string of new theaters might finally fill a gaping need on the Peninsula. Whitecar said a market survey conducted in 1998 found San Mateo County needed 6,500 more movie theater seats.

Both San Mateo and Redwood City's theater proponents should be encouraged by the successful opening of Daly City's theater in June. The cinema, part of a larger office and restaurant complex, has enjoyed big crowds from its first day.

"The theater has stadium seating and THX sound systems," said Terry Sedik, Daly City's director of economic and community development. "It's the way people want to see movies."

"Sedik said the complex had opened as the eighth-highest-grossing theater nationwide in its first week and consistently ranked among the top 30 grossing cinemas in the country.

"The restaurants have done well. The theater has done extremely well," Sedik said. "The feedback from the community is they're really excited about having some new restaurants and having a convenient place to see a movie."