In The News
July 30, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAHAM DEVELOPMENT ADVANCES PLAZZIO PROJECT
WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF MULTI-FACETED BOWLING CENTER
Local Bowling Center Developer to Introduce
Innovative, High-Energy Concept Just West of Warren Theater
(Wichita, KS) – The Plazzio, a 347,000-sq.-ft. retail/entertainment complex
being co-developed by Laham Development and Ritchie Development
at 13th & Greenwich Road, has made its second major announcement. JOMA Bowling Company,
a Wichita-based company that owns and operates seven centers in
Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, will break ground soon on a 60,000
sq.-ft. bowling center that will feature an indoor go kart track,
billiards rooms and corporate event facilities. The announcement
was made today by George E. Laham, II, president of Laham Development.
Plazzio was first announced in late 2000 and opened
the first of its venues in May 2002, the Warren Theater, an 88,000
sq.-ft. theater with a luxurious marble, granite and terrazzo lobby,
75-foot screens, and a grand auditorium with food and beverage
service. The JOMA bowling center will be situated just west of
the Warren Theater
and will be equally inventive in its offering, says Laham.
“Plazzio is designed to be an urban entertainment
center with creative leisure options,” he says, “and the JOMA bowling
center will be an ideal complement to the theater. We are confident
that it will raise the area’s recreational offerings to a new level
and bring options that are uncommon even on a national scale.”
Laham noted that the site’s proximity to K-96 highway will enhance
its regional appeal.
Cathy DeSocio, co-owner of JOMA Bowling Company,
says the bowling center will incorporate many features, including
a sports bar with a billiards room, a billiards room for teens
separate from the bar setting, and a video arcade. With a total
of 32 bowling lanes, eight lanes will be situated adjacent to the
go kart track, reserved for special events and corporate parties.
An on-site meeting room will be equipped with Powerpoint and multimedia
capabilities.
Among the center’s most unique features will be
indoor electric go kart tracks, making it the first venue of its
kind in Kansas. Capitalizing on the popularity of NASCAR, the go
karts will offer sponsorships to area businesses with their logos
displayed on the cars. DeSocio says the indoor go kart racing is
popular in Europe and is currently featured in only a few U.S.
cities. To her knowledge, the concept of incorporating electric
go karts into an indoor bowling center is uncommon.
DeSocio is excited about locating next to the
Warren Theater, and says the positioning of a bowling center with
a theater is strategic. “The synergy between theaters and bowling
centers has been proven throughout the country,” says DeSocio.
“Our goal is
to build a center that’s original in its offering and broad in
its consumer appeal.” JOMA has one bowling center in Oklahoma,
one in Missouri and five in Kansas, including Wichita’s Northrock
Lanes, Flight Lanes and West Acres Bowl. JOMA bowling center at
Plazzio is expected to open in spring 2004.
Kevin Mullen, president Ritchie Development who
is co-developer of Plazzio, noted that the Ritchie, Laham and JOMA
organizations all have a personal interest in the project. “What’s
exciting about Plazzio is that it’s been conceived and developed
by Wichita entrepreneurs who have a longstanding interest in our
community,” says Mullen. “We’re happy to be part of this project
that will enhance quality of life and continue to increase the
regional appeal of Wichita.”
Plazzio is a 347,000 sq.-ft. retail/entertainment
complex launched in November 2000 by Laham Development and Ritchie
Development. Upon completion it will include up to 15 stores, restaurants
and entertainment concepts. Situated on a 60-acre site with access
and visibility from K-96 highway, Plazzio will feature Art Deco-inspired
architecture, landscaped green space, and the same attention to
detail for which Laham and Ritchie are both known. The center’s
first venue was Warren Theater, which opened in May 2002. Plazzio
will introduce area entertainment consumers to a hot concept in
retail development: the urban entertainment center.
Once complete, Plazzio will be the second largest
retail and entertainment center in the Northeast quadrant. Regency
Lakes, announced in July 2003, will be the largest shopping center
in Northeast Wichita upon completion, featuring up to 500,000 sq.-ft.
of retail and restaurant space at 21st & Greenwich Road. Bradley Fair, at 21st & Rock
Road, is the third largest center in Northeast Wichita, including
50 stores and restaurants among 255,000 sq. ft. All three are Laham
Development projects.
Laham says plans are under way now for several
additional Plazzio announcements.
Project architect for Plazzio is Shelden Architecture.
Key Construction is the contractor. J. P. Weigand & Sons is the exclusive broker. Fidelity Bank provided financing for the project.
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