[ad_1]
OKLAHOMA CITY — A 100,000-square-foot family entertainment venue promises to bring racing excitement and hundreds of jobs to town.
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games has selected The Half — a mixed-use development on the Broadway extension and southeast Britton Road — as the site for its first entertainment center in Oklahoma. A grand opening is expected in spring or summer 2025.
Led by racing legend Mario Andretti, the company has offices in Florida, Texas, Georgia and Arizona. Six more are under construction, including one in South Carolina.
“We get calls every week from around the country and around the world,” said Eddie Hamann, a member of the firm’s management. So why choose Oklahoma?
“Oklahoma City is a thriving community. It’s a great neighborhood and one of the safest cities.
“She showed us that this was a solid investment for the Andretti family,” he said.
The investment in the facility is about $40 million, Hamann said, along with the $15 an hour minimum wage paid to 350 to 400 employees. He said the company pays its employees well and expects them to meet the every need of its customers.
“We’re growing so fast, we want the people we hire to know (the company) has a runway to grow,” he said.
The Oklahoma City facility will feature high-speed electric “super karts” on two three-story tracks, featuring multiple elevation changes, banked turns and fast straights.
The entertainment center will also feature state-of-the-art arcade machines, virtual reality experiences, duck bowling, a two-story laser tag arena, 7D Xperience motion theater and racing simulators. Visitors will also find a full restaurant, two bars and over 6,000 square feet of event space.
“Corporate event space is a huge part of our business,” Harman said. “When we moved in, we became a hub for birthday parties.” Andretti’s hosts as many as 70 birthday parties a week at its Orlando, Fla., location and 30 to 40 a week at other locations, he said. .
“There’s something for everyone from ages 8 to 80. It’s all family-oriented,” says Harman. “It’s old fashioned entertainment combined with the future for these kids.”
The electric go-karts — priced at $16,000 each — will ride along layers of tracks like highway interchanges. Sidewalks will allow non-drivers to follow.
He says the speeds are tailored to suit everyone from 4-year-old “mini-Marios” to adults who can race at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
The complex will be located south of Flix Brewhouse, near Chicken N Pickle at The Half. The 52-acre development also includes OneCore Health and the corporate headquarters of Dolese Bros. and American Fidelity Assurance Co.
The Andretti indoor go-karts and games and its parking lot will occupy seven to eight acres, Hamann said. The plan called for Mario Andretti to come to Oklahoma City for the grand opening and meet the fans.
A
[ad_2]
Source link