The complex will offer food and booze alongside go-karting and bowling
Further details have landed on the £10m entertainment venue which will open inside the former Debenhams complex at Liverpool ONE later this year.
Gravity is at the forefront of the trend for more leisure led hospitality experiences.
Gravity Active Entertainment says that its largest venue yet will be an evolution of the popular department store of fun - Gravity Southside, Wandsworth - and will boast a multitude of immersive experiences such as a multi-level GTE-Karting racetrack, augmented reality bowling alley and a modern F&B concept with live entertainment.
Gravity Active Entertainment is a fast-growing leisure and entertainment company based in Yorkshire. “Gravity Liverpool ONE” will utilise around 100,000 sq ft of the old Debenhams which closed in May 2021.
Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster’s property company, got the green light for the planning application from Liverpool City Council in February this year. Spanning two floors, it will boast Gravity’s first outside space in the form of a rooftop.
Michael Harrison, co-founder and chief growth officer at Gravity, said, “Gravity is at the forefront of the trend for more leisure led hospitality experiences, and has become a household name.
"We are particularly excited about Liverpool ONE, as it is our debut in the heart of a city centre. As a company committed to pushing the boundaries of leisure and active entertainment, we can’t wait to integrate other traditional experiences with technology, as we have done with our e-karting experience and AR bowling.”
Gravity says that Liverpool ONE will be the company’s flagship in its portfolio of 18 venues across the UK, with a further 30 flagship sites on the cards in the next two years, both in the UK and abroad.
The new Liverpool offering will span two floors of the 180,000 sq ft building and include a multi-level GTE-karting track designed by racing experts and perfect for thrill seeking adults and children alike. The venue will also be home to an adventure golf experience and a bowling alley using augmented reality to offer a one-of-a-kind experience and fully immerse players in the game.
We haven’t had any further details of the food and booze offering, but it will no doubt be a popular addition to the Liverpool ONE complex, which already features the likes of Nando’s, Wagamama, Turtle Bay, Barburrito, and Pizza Express.
Local press has reported that Marks and Spencer Church Street will close next year and move into the lower levels of the former Debenhams building in 2023.
Last year, Gravity Southside was featured in an ITV report which posed the post-pandemic question “Can your town centre survive?”
The successful entertainment mega-hub in Wandsworth was also repurposed from a former Debenhams store.
Even before COVID-19, high streets and town centres had taken a big hit with closures up and down the country. The leisure sector has been keen to take advantage of former department stores with the large sites proving ideal venues for activities such as bowling, go-karting and mini-golf.
Elsewhere in Liverpool, plans have been submitted to convert part of the former Next store on Church Street into a bingo hall. Jungle Rumble, meanwhile, is hoping to turn the old Lyceum building on Bold Street into an indoor golf course.
Gravity Liverpool ONE is expected to open at the end of this year.
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