BY LUCIE KRISMAN
Bowling, laser tag, axe throwing and mini golf will be part of a new entertainment center coming next year to Eudora.
The Eudora City Commission approved a real estate purchase agreement at its meeting Monday for the entertainment center to occupy part of the southern end of the Nottingham Center.
The entertainment center will occupy part of the southern end of the Nottingham Center. It will include a 30,000-square-foot indoor component for bowling and other activities. In addition to mini golf, the 25,000-square-foot outdoor component will offer a village green for additional outdoor activity.
City staff entered a real estate agreement for the entertainment center with High 5, an Austin-based entertainment company, as the buyers. The company will purchase the space for $750,000 and the agreement is anticipated to close on April 7. The center is anticipated to open to the public in early 2022, along with other potential Nottingham tenants Casey’s General Store and Wendy’s.
Michael Comparato of Vieste LLC. told commissioners the High 5 company selected Eudora as one of several new locations as it expands across the country.
“High 5 entertainment desires to grow extensively on a national scale,” Comparato said. “We've been fortunate to be identified as one of the locations in their new national platform.”
In other business, commissioners approved a Safe Routes to School Plan to improve the city’s infrastructure and provide safe ways for children to get to and from school.
The city partnered with the Eudora School District, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, the Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability Office and the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization to complete the project. The plan maps out Eudora’s current infrastructure and makes recommendations for future needs, such as traffic control, constructing and maintaining routes, and developing a walking and biking culture.
Ashley Bryers, transportation planner with the Metropolitan Planning Organization, told commissioners this plan could help prioritize Eudora as a recipient for KDOT and other state agency infrastructure grants in the future, as well as keep kids active.
“The main thing really is to encourage kids to walk and bike to school to have physical activity and to develop a love for it,” Bryers said.
The City Commission will next meet Jan 25. Instructions on how to attend remotely will be posted to the city's website.
Reach reporter Lucie Krisman at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
To donate to support our community journalism, please go to this link: tinyurl.com/y4u7stxj