Skip to main content

Herriman Journal

Herriman City, developers look at alternatives for former “Game Pointe” property

Dec 02, 2022 01:01PM ● By Justin Adams

By Justin Adams | [email protected]

In July of 2019, the South Valley Journal published an article titled, “New Family Entertainment Center Coming to Herriman.” Brothers Aaron and Jared Osmond (of the Osmond family) planned to build a 40,000 square foot building with a 16-lane bowling alley, laser tag, escape rooms, and more. Of course, that was about six months before the world turned upside down.

Like many projects, the Game Pointe development got derailed by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Now with that ordeal mostly in the rear-view mirror, is the project back on the burner? Not quite.

Unfortunately for Herriman residents who were looking forward to having a nearby entertainment center with all those amenities, a similar destination recently opened in West Jordan. With a direct competitor that close by, the Osmonds as well as Herriman City recognized that a pivot may be necessary.

“Honestly I’ve gone back and forth with the idea of a 40,000 square foot entertainment destination building - I still think it would be awesome. I’d love to see something like that, but it is what it is,” said Councilmember Steven Shields.

Instead, the Osmonds have pitched the city on the idea of developing the same plot of land with a few different uses. Their proposal includes two restaurant buildings, three retail buildings and one mixed-use office building.

Still wanting to bring some kind of entertainment attraction to the city, the council requested that the developers try to reserve one of the buildings for such a use. As for what that might be, the Osmonds floated a couple different ideas for chains that make a good fit. One of those, Social Axe Throwing, has five locations in Utah and Arizona. Another, Puttshack is a tech-infused indoor mini-golfing company with 14 locations across the United States but none in Utah.

For the council, getting something like that in Herriman is crucial to the project’s success.

“As a council, we keep using the word ‘destination.’ And I think what we mean by that is something that’s unique, that can’t be found in another area,” said Mayor Lorin Palmer.

That same principle also applies to the potential restaurants.

“There’s just a lack of services and amenities. Anyone who wants to go to a sit-down restaurant, with the exception of a few small restaurants we have here, they have to go to another city for that,” said Shields.

There is one other option available to the city. With the developers no longer pursuing the original plan, the contract between the two allows the city to exercise an option to repurchase the property back. Perhaps if they felt like they could pursue a deal with another developer to come in and build something similar to the original vision. But that doesn’t seem likely to happen.

“That ship has sailed,” Palmer said. “If we were to have a blank slate, I don’t think any of us here would say this isn’t a great project.”

 

 

 

 

NeuroHealth

 

Upcoming Events Near You

No Events in the next 21 days.