Southwest Plaza is in the process of demolishing its two-level parking structure on the north side, which will result in a new tenant below Dick’s Sporting Goods.
The structure is expected to be down and debris removed by the end of summer, in time for Round One Entertainment to open in the fourth quarter of this year.
Round One is a Japanese amusement chain that includes karaoke, food, games and other family entertainment. The 65,000-square-foot space had been hard to lease because the parking structure blocked it from view.
“That space has always had that issue,” said Greg Sims, general manager of the mall at 8501 W. Bowles Ave.
Sims said the parking structure was old and it was less expensive to tear down the structure than to fix it up. Having a willing tenant for the open space sealed the deal.
“It was a win-win for everyone,” Sims said.
The northeast entrance of JC Penney is closed during construction, but the northwest entrance remains open.
Once the work is done, the area that had the structure will be paved for outdoor parking. The mall will lose some parking spaces, but Sims said it shouldn’t cause issues.
“The mall has an abundance of parking,” he said. “That was also a positive that we could take it down and not be in violation of parking ratios.”
Last year, Southwest Plaza mall that brought in about 20 new stores.