A dark corner on the 16th Street Mall could be lit up with interactive mirror mazes and immersive golf simulators.
Immersive Empire, which will soon open in Lafayette, is exploring adding a second spot on the ground floor of the Tabor Center, at 1147 16th St.
The business requested $450,000 in funding from the Denver Downtown Development Authority for the $2.3 million project in January, public records show. The DDDA board has yet to publicly discuss the matter.
“The venue will feature Colorado’s first permanent mirror maze with an infinity room, a premium glass golf simulator, a six-sided immersive metaverse theater, a horror-themed experiential photo booth, and robotic vending with streetside activation and seating,” the application reads.
“The attraction mix is intentionally designed to support short-form, high-impact visits that encourage repeat visitation from residents, office workers, families, and tourists.”
The business is run by brothers Luke and James Hay-Arthur along with Bradley Roulier, founder of the now-defunct Beta nightclub.
A company spokesman declined to comment on the specifics, saying the business has yet to sign a lease for the space. The most recent tenant in the 5,500-square-foot spot was Corner Bakery Cafe, which closed its doors in 2021.
At the Lafayette location, Immersive Empire will be a stand-alone area within a larger, 50,000-square-foot inflatable “amusement park” called Bounce Empire.
Bounce Empire launched three years ago. Immersive Empire, which is set to open later this month, is home to five attractions with over 30 games within them. Admission is $24, which lets customers access each attraction once.
Immersive Empire is one of a host of groups seeking money from the DDDA. The University of Colorado Foundation recently asked for $35 million in its bid to purchase a downtown office tower. And the ownership group of a Michelin-starred restaurant in RiNo requested $240,000 from the authority to open a downtown eatery.
Read more from our partner, .
