Metrocenter Mall dies at age 47 - June 30, 2020

After 47 years, Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix is closing its doors for good, according to a letter from the mall's general manager Kim Ramirez.

The mall was opened for business in October 1973 as the largest shopping center in Arizona and was the first two-level, five-anchor mall in the country.

Charter tenants in the 100 million dollar shopping facility included Dave Cook Sporting Goods, See's Candies, Lerner Shops, Rozenweigs Jewelers, Toys By Roy, Butterfield Station, Judy's ladies' wear, Waldenbooks, Guggy's Coffee Shop, Florsheim Shoes and a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour.

In the Glory Days, Metrocenter was a destination in itself, with an ice skating rink, arcade, and dozens of specialty stores all under one roof.  In 1976, the amusement park Golf 'N Stuff (now Castles-N-Coasters) opened in the southeast corner of the mall's parking lot providing 10 acres of rides and miniature golf.

The Ice Capades Chalet skating rink featured in appeared in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989 Comedy Adventure movie) was closed in 1990.

The Harkins Metro 12 held its grand opening March 19, 1999.

In January 2004, Metrocenter was sold by DVM Co. to Macerich Company and AEW Capital Management who brought back the founding developer, Westcor.

In 2005, several of the mall's retail stores which also appeared in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, such as Oshman's Sporting Goods and Casual Corner, closed in when those chains' went out of business.



Metrocenter's interior was revamped in 2007 with an aim at comfort and technology.

In 2010, Jones Lang LaSalle took over management and 15% ownership of Metrocenter Mall from Westcor.

Since January 2012, the mall has been owned by the Carlyle Development Group based in New York City.

May 2012, a temporary artificial ice rink was opened for the summer at the mall.

In 2016, a massive redevelopment of Metrocenter was approved by the Phoenix City Council to allow office, medical and residential space.

A Walmart opened at the mall in 2017 with hopes that it would revitalize the area.

The property planed to host a monthly “Metro Feastival” starting Saturday, June 15, from 5:30-9 p.m. where 10 to 20 food trucks would park outside the food court near the Harkins Theatre. But with Covid-19, people just are not willing to turn out in crowds.

June 19th, 2020, the announcement of closure. "We hope to see Metrocenter redeveloped and revitalized in the near future so it can once again be the pride of the surrounding community," wrote Ramirez.

June 30th, 2020 will be the death of a place full of memories, but long only sustained by life support.

I spent my teenage years at the mall. Please comment below with your great memories of this hang out.

Go-Karts, VR, & More At Octane Racing In Scottsdale AZ

Octane Raceway is considered one of the best cart-racing places in America. Their 1/3-mile track is impressive, being the only full-time go-kart track in the country that goes both inside and outside. That's not the half of it though, as the place is actually a full entertainment complex featuring a fun VR experience, all kinds of arcade and party games, food and drink service, and more.

Great for Birthdays or Corporate events, there's plenty for everyone to do. Almost all their activities are well-suited for group activities and parties, making it an excellent place for a family day trip or a full-on get together with friends or colleagues.

Entertainment Options For Everyone

• High-Speed Kart Racing - Strap in for an intense racing experience with carts that can reach up to 45 miles per hour! The track itself is pretty exciting, starting indoors and winding around outside before leading you back in. Adult races are 14 laps while junior races are 10, which is definitely enough time racing to get your money's worth. There's no age limit to the carts, however, they do require everyone to be at least 4"8, and anyone under 18 must have their parent or guardian sign a waiver.
• Velocity VR - Imagine a cross between a laser tag arena and a video game, and this is what you'll get. The Virtual Reality experience at Octane is totally immersive. You can walk, run, peer around corners, make plans with your group, and more while feeling just like you're inside a video game. They have three games to choose from, somewhere it's player vs player and others where you need to work together to survive. Oh, and you'll be fighting against zombies, aliens, robots, and more.
• Full Arcade - There's also plenty of traditional video games in the arcade, featuring all classics from Big Buck Hunt to Jurassic Park. Plus, there are the play-to-win games that could send you home with a prize. A great place to hang out while waiting for your race or VR game to start.
• Mini Bowling - A truly fun game for all ages. It's bowling on a smaller scale with ten miniature pins on a slimmed-down alley. A great experience for younger players, since the smaller size does a lot to even the odds.
• Patio & Outdoor Games - A nice and comfortable place to relax outside. There's plenty of space to sit and even more activities like a giant Jenga game and Cornhole area.
• The Backyard Grill - A great spot for burgers, sandwiches, tasty snacks and appetizers, and a great selection of drinks. Definitely worth eating at while you're here, especially after a few hours of racing, gaming, and everything else.

The facilities in Scottsdale are really sleek, clean, and enjoyable to be in. There's really never a dull moment between all there is to do. You can sign up for races right as you walk in, and they'll fit you into the soonest race available. While you're waiting, there's plenty of games to keep you busy, but you can also watch the races happening before you and see the results coming in on their huge TV displays. Doing a high-speed race and a virtual-reality shootout is an exhilarating way to spend the afternoon no matter who you are. Plus, they're open year-round 365 days a year.

Be sure to check out Octane Racing's website for me info.
Address: 9119 E Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Phone: (602) 302-7223



Stay tuned for my review of Undead Arena Velocity VR, powered by Zero Latency.

Also, be sure to get in touch with us here. We're always interested in hearing about the best entertainment, attractions, and other fun stuff across the Southwest.

2020 Season of The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor officially cancelled

2020 Halloween Season of The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor has officially been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

Dark Harbor normally runs in September, October and November at the The Queen Mary in Southern California. Dark Harbor is a terrifying haunted attraction based around the history of the haunted ship. The Queen Mary was named one of the top 10 most haunted places on Earth by Time Magazine in 2008.  Among the ghosts reportedly still haunting, are a sailor who died in the engine room, a "lady in white", and children who drowned in the pool. The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor brings the true haunted tales of The Queen Mary to life.

Epic Entertainment Group, the production company behind Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach, CA announced today that both Halloween attractions (Dark Harbor in Long Beach, CA and Dark Horizon in Orlando, FL) have been canceled for the 2020 season due to COVID-19.

In a statement released on Facebook the company shared the following:

"It is with heavy hearts that we can now confirm the 2020 seasons of The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor (Long Beach, CA) and Dark Horizon: Point of No Return (Orlando, FL) have officially been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in line with federal, state and local guidelines.

As always, maintaining the safety and security of our guests, actors and crew is of the utmost importance.

With the uncertainty that lies ahead in the coming months, these unfortunate decisions could not be avoided.

We look forward to the 2021 haunt season and will share more about the future when we are able.

In the meantime, please stay safe and be well."

The suspension of the ship’s hotel operation was effective May 7th. Prior to that the bars, restaurants and events on the ship had already shut down on March 16. So though sad, not really surprising that Dark Harbor Halloween Event was sunk amid coronavirus pandemic

 

Is Demolition in the Cards for MGM's Luxor Resort and Casino?

I personally like the themed nature of the Casino Resorts in Las Vegas. I Like Circus Circus  and the Live Circus acts. I miss Treasure Island and the nightly battle of pirates and Sirens. New York New York, Paris, Excalibur and Luxor all attract me for the themed entertainment and decor.

So anytime I hear a major casino resort in Las Vegas may have plans to revamp and de-theme like Monte Carlo which is now Park MGM, Treasure Island which is now TI, Imperial Palace which is now Linq and MGM Grand forgoing its “Wizard of Oz” roots; It saddens me.

I do understand the need for remodels and updates and even them changes, but would prefer Vegas keep resorts and casinos themed.

Enough Whining... On to the rumors.

While no official announcement has been made by MGM Resorts, the iconic Las Vegas Luxor Resort and Casino could be facing demolition if the gossip is to be believed. The consideration is believed to be based on the distinctive and limiting design, which does not allow for much in the way of change. There is also some possible issues regarding inability to repair structure and talk of a MLB ballpark looking for a spot on the strip.

The same face-lift dilemma is rumored to be a topic possibly being discussed regarding the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as well.

Luxor opened 26 years ago, on October 15, 1993. During a time when Las Vegas was much more focused on attracting families. In recent years it has tried to return to its Sin City roots. Las Vegas spent the 1990s trying to attract families by transforming into a kid friendly entertainment destination, but children don't gamble and neither do parents who are entertaining children.

Some de-theming of casinos in Las Vegas began earlier this decade and many changes have already been made at Luxor and other casinos to move away from the original themes. However, it’s nearly impossible to re-image a massive pyramid.

Sources say MGM company officials have discussed the demolition of both Luxor and Excalibur for the last five years and perhaps the COVID-19 shutdowns may contribute to rumors.

MGM Resorts’ real estate investment trust MGM Growth Properties (NYSE: MGP) owns the physical assets of Luxor.

MGM Las Vegas Casino and Resort Opening Announcements

Las Vegas Casino and Resorts were shut down back in March as part of Governor Steve Sisolak’s mandatory closure of non-essential Nevada businesses.

MGM Resorts has since announced return of some of it's Las Vegas hotel-casino operations:

Starting on June 4 with the reopening of the Bellagio, MGM Grand and New York-New York.

Excalibur is set to open on June 11

The Luxor will reopen on June 25th.

Followed by Aria, Mandalay Bay and Four Seasons Las Vegas on July 1.

The upcoming reopenings will come with several new safety protocols to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. These include screenings and temperature checks for employees, who will be required to wear masks. Social distancing also will be implemented, with plexiglass barriers to be installed where distancing restrictions are more difficult.

MGM Resorts will also offer free parking when it's properties reopen.