Dive Brief:
- Developer Blue Horseshoe Ventures announced, according to The Columbus Dispatch, that it will build a $2 billion "experiential" sports, recreation and entertainment complex on a 350-acre parcel next to a Tanger Outlet Mall in Sunbury, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.
- Planet Oasis, which will include a 500-seat amphitheater, 70 restaurants, a conference center and hotels, was referred to as the Blue Horseshoe CEO David Glimcher as the "ultimate entertainment experience." The Ohio Department of Tourism said it is hoping that the project will draw in a hefty portion of the 100 million people living within a five-hour car ride.
- Glimcher said construction should start this December, with 40% of the complex opening by late 2019. But Ohio Department of Transportation officials said they have not received a traffic impact study for the development and have only had one meeting with county officials about Planet Oasis. There must also be a public comment period after the study is complete, along with the finalization of financing and scheduling plans.
Dive Insight:
The appeal of experienced-based attractions is also what developers of the American Dream projects in New Jersey and Miami are counting on. Triple Five won zoning approval for its $4 billion, 6-million-square-foot Miami retail and entertainment complex last month and has moved on to the water and environmental permitting processes. The company has openly discussed changing its plans since first making its pitch for the project to Miami officials by increasing the percentage of entertainment space in relation to retail space, highlighting its belief that potential shoppers are more apt to be drawn in by attractions.
Triple Five's 3-million-square-foot American Dream Meadowlands project in New Jersey project will employ the same strategies to lure visitors. Like the Miami project, American Dream Meadowlands will also include hotel and restaurant space.
Also looking for a new retail model are New York-based companies Fisher Brothers and Beneville Studios, which are spearheading AREA15, an art, entertainment and retail development under construction in Las Vegas. The 126,000-square-foot project is just off the Las Vegas Strip and will focus on "immersive experiences, as well as provide space for events like concerts, comic-cons and eSports tournaments.
