Amid falling movie attendance, Johnson County theater could pivot to arcade, laser tag
Big changes (and fewer screens) could be on the horizon for a longtime Johnson County theater.
Merriam’s Cinemark may soon transform into an entertainment destination with laser tag, bowling lanes and arcade games, according to city documents.
Texas-based Cinemark filed an application with the city of Merriam to remodel the 109,000-square-foot building at 5500 Antioch Drive for several entertainment amenities.
Only about half of the building (10 auditoriums) would still function as a theater, according to development plans.
The city planning commission unanimously approved Cinemark’s plan Wednesday evening. Now it must get final approval from the City Council, which is scheduled to discuss the proposal on Jan. 22.
The plan “increases the options that residents have for family entertainment … in the area,” said Bryan Dyer, Merriam’s community development director.
The change is driven by plummeting theater attendance, Cinemark wrote in its application.
“In the aftermath of the pandemic, theaters nationwide have struggled to return to pre-pandemic attendance levels,” the application reads. “Cinemark’s initiative represents a pioneering trend in the industry, signaling a proactive approach to giving its business the best opportunity to thrive in a changing landscape.”
Development plans depict multiple arcade areas, a bar and restaurant, 18 bowling lanes, party rooms, and a 2,079-square foot laser tag arena.
The entertainment center would be called Gamescape by Cinemark, according to development plans.
The Merriam spot is Cinemark’s last in the Kansas City area, and in Kansas. None remain in Missouri.
When Cinemark opened in Merriam in 1998, it boasted 20 film auditoriums, cushy seats and space to stretch out.
“Cinemark stands poised to establish itself in this market,” The Star’s former film critic, Robert W. Butler, wrote at the time after walking through the “huge lobby” and sitting in the theater seats (“a whopping 48 inches” of leg room, he wrote).
Cinemark Palace on the Plaza, opened the next year with 14 auditoriums each seating 82 to 377 customers, plus a small 38-seat VIP Room offering extra amenities.
The theater closed in 2019, making way for a Nordstrom store that never materialized.
A similar entertainment complex is in the works in Overland Park. Last summer, Florida-based Andretti Indoor Karting & Games announced it would bring go-karts, virtual reality, laser tag and bowling to a portion of the old Sprint World Headquarters.
But a planned 90,000-square-foot Cinergy Entertainment complex not far from Cinemark has stalled along with the moribund Mission Gateway development.
