Tech-fueled fun
Virtual reality theme parks set to beam into Dallas-Fort Worth
Coming soon to a vacant retail store near you: an indoor virtual reality “theme park” being planned by a company based in Singapore.
D. Legends Holdings Pte Ltd. has hired a New Jersey real estate brokerage, R.J. Brunelli & Co. LLC, to scout the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas for shuttered retail spaces — like former Toys R Us stores — to house virtual reality entertainment centers.
It’s part of the rollout of the Singapore company’s Legend Heroes Park concept in major U.S. metro areas, the brokerage says in a release. Aside from DFW and Houston, those markets include Boston, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
Capitalizing on technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms, and motion tracking, Legend Heroes Park enables customers to immerse themselves in next-generation attractions such as rides, arcade games, entertainment, and sports like football and archery.
The first Legend Heroes Park opened recently in Macau, a casino and mall mecca off the coast of China.
In the U.S., R.J. Brunelli is focusing on old retail spaces measuring 30,000 to 40,000 square feet — roughly the size of an average Best Buy or Bed Bath & Beyond store — to house the high-tech parks, it says. The overall ceiling height must be at least 16 feet, with 40 percent of the space accommodating rides 32 feet tall or more.
The real estate broker is on the hunt for vacant stores or abandoned floors at regional malls, as well as empty big-box stores outside regional malls or at major retail centers. It’s also considering warehouses close to malls or entertainment complexes.
“At a time when many mall operators are struggling to fill vacant department store spaces, Legend Heroes Park offers a unique entertainment destination … aimed at people of all ages,” Julie Fox, manager of new tenant representation at R.J. Brunelli, says in the release. “In particular, the flexible concept presents a compelling alternative for properties desiring to present new options that can potentially bring back millennials who have shied away from malls in recent years.”
Representatives of R.J. Brunelli couldn’t be reached for comment.
With its Legend Heroes Park venture, D. Legends Holdings is hoping to ride the virtual reality wave. According to one forecast, the global market for virtual and augmented reality is expected to reach $571.4 billion by 2025.
