Portage -
Some pretty interesting news for The Crossroads mall, specifically, the vacant Sears store, which has been vacant since 2019 -
Quote:
Go-karts, skating rink, laser tag and bar coming to shuttered Portage Sears
Audrey Whitaker | MLive
January 4, 2025
PORTAGE, MI — Zap Zone XL is moving into the former home of Sears at The Crossroads mall in Portage. The entertainment company purchased 6780 S. Westnedge Ave. for $2.78 million in October 2024, public records show. The project will require a $12 to $15 million investment, President Mike Hafez said in a liquor license application. It’ll take about 100 contractors to build and create 150 new jobs once open. The 158,186 square-foot entertainment facility will cater to families as well as adult and corporate outings, Hafez said. Plans include “state-of-the-art” attractions including bowling, go-karts, an adventure park, a skating rink, laser tag, mini golf and an arcade across two floors. Zap Zone was one of three applicants for Portage’s liquor license in December 2024, city records show...
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The exact address is
6780 S Westnedge Ave. (south end of the mall). I think it will do well, at least initially. There is some nearby competition from similar entertainment venues like Airway Fun Center and Revel & Roll, but not on this scale. And even if it only makes it a few years, this is the kind of development I think will help redirect the mall's longer-term future - from a precipitous decline to a more stable and inventive future as an entertainment destination (vs. purely a shopping one).
Here's a similar venue, opened in Ypsilanit in 2022. This one will reportedly be ~2x the size -
Source:
Annie Barker | Detroit Free Press
Now, if they could just secure a Lego store and an aquarium...