A new family entertainment center 20 miles to the southeast of downtown El Paso is set to see construction in December.
The project is being spearheaded by the Cinemark movie theater chain, which is headquartered in Dallas, and will see the building of a 67,000 square-foot structure housing a wide variety of entertainment offerings including seven movie theaters, an arcade, restaurant and bar, and up to 18 bowling lanes.
The project, officially called Gamescape, will be built at 13661 Gateway West, and will represent Cinemark’s first foray into the growing family entertainment center market.
“El Paso is a fantastic market, and we’re really excited to bring Gamescape to the local community,” Julia McCarthy, a public relations representative for the company, told the publication El Paso Inc.
The company announced its embrace of the entertainment center concept last spring, but to date has not built any locations.
The center, which will also include space for such activities as laser tag and rock climbing, will be designed by the Beck Group architectural firm, which is based in Dallas.
Launched in 1984, Cinemark today has nearly 600 locations and is known for its multi-screen offerings. The company last year saw revenues in excess of $2.4 billion.
Measuring the company by the number of available screens, the site Statista categorizes Cinemark as third largest cinema operation of its kind in the country, with around 4,400 screens. The largest is AMC Entertainment at just over 7,700 screens.
Cinemark’s entry into the family entertainment center industry comes as that industry is looking at an annual growth rate of around 121%. According too the publication Vending Times, the industry currently comprises a $21 billion market and caters to “younger audiences seeking both physical and social entertainment” beyond the “traditional amusement arcade.”
By Garry Boulard
