CANNONSBURG, Ky. — Inside three weeks of taking possession of the previous KYOVA Tri-State Mall property alongside U.S. 60 in Cannonsburg close to Ashland in japanese Kentucky, Camp Touchdown Leisure District opened a newly reworked cinema.
“We wished to be very aggressive and wished to make a press release with this $200,000 rework for the cinema,” mentioned Jason Camp, president and CEO of Camp Touchdown Leisure District. “We wished to point out that we’re doing precisely what we mentioned we have been going to do.”
Camp and fellow co-owners, together with Boyd County Fiscal Court docket, are reworking 500,000 sq. toes of indoor area that was residence to a mall into an leisure advanced that will even have a brand new lodge and conference heart. It’s positioned about an hour and half from Williamson.
Camp is utilizing his sports activities background to create one thing you normally see in bigger cities.
“I used to be in sports activities for 17 years,” he mentioned. “I labored in Main League Baseball, the NFL and the NHL. I’ve additionally run tournaments and live shows.”
Camp mentioned after he retired from the sports activities aspect of his enterprise profession, he opened his personal restaurant and an occasion agency.
“I began producing neighborhood occasions in Southwest Florida,” he mentioned. “I’m initially from Miami, Florida, and was dwelling in Naples for 13 years earlier than I moved to the Ashland space with my household.”
Camp mentioned he acquired a name to come back to have a look at opening an institution to feed building staff for the Braidy Industries’ proposed mill venture on the EastPark Industrial Heart in Ashland.
“My spouse, children and I simply fell in love with the neighborhood,” he mentioned. “We made the transfer, however the Braidy venture by no means occurred, so we opened our Smokin’ J’s restaurant and began searching for different alternatives.”
Camp mentioned he acquired the thought to construct a sports activities advanced about two years in the past.
“I assumed there was actually an absence of sports activities amenities right here for the neighborhood, and even now it’s arduous to get basketball or volleyball area and locations for our youngsters to apply and play,” he mentioned. “Since that was my preliminary background I wished to do one thing like I’ve seen in bigger cities proper right here within the Ashland space. I regarded for 2 years to seek out the fitting place.”
Camp mentioned Boyd County officers saved citing the previous KYOVA Mall web site.
“I instructed them I didn’t need to purchase a useless mall,” he mentioned. “However, one morning I awakened and thought possibly this can be a good match. It’s positioned close to Interstate 64 and in a excessive visitors space and has loads of area.”
Camp Touchdown Leisure District is repurposing an previous mall into one thing households from throughout the area can take pleasure in, in addition to attracting plenty of out of city guests to the world, Camp mentioned.
“We’re repurposing it into one thing completely completely different,” he mentioned. “It is going to be a real leisure district with a movie show, bars and eating places, reside leisure and music, a sports activities advanced and different household enjoyable locations and actions.”
The newly renovated cinema is open, in addition to an artwork stroll showcasing native expertise. Additionally, Malibu Jack’s just lately opened in what was once Elder-Beerman and is constant to construct out extra within the mall space with a brand new bowling alley, interactive go-cart observe, mini golf course, carnival fashion rides, arcade video games, laser tag, cabaña areas for events and extra.
“Individuals are so excited to have one thing like this domestically,” mentioned Mark Ogden, who’s on the enlargement workforce with Malibu Jack’s. “Malibu Jack’s is geared towards household leisure and household enjoyable collectively. Should you go searching you see children of all ages having enjoyable with their mothers and dads. Now we have created an setting for households to really feel secure and have a good time.”
Ogden mentioned a bounce space isn’t full and there are nonetheless different enjoyable issues coming inside the subsequent few weeks.
“The bowling alley will even be accomplished quickly,” he mentioned.
Missy Bowen of Wayne, W.Va., introduced her husband and two younger sons try the brand new Malibu Jack’s final Tuesday.
“This place is wonderful,” Bowen mentioned. “There may be actually nothing like this anyplace round this area. We went to the one in Lexington (Kentucky), however this one seems even larger. We’re excited to have this so near residence.”
Camp mentioned Smokin J’s Rib & Brewhouse is a barbecue and ribeye restaurant that may relocate contained in the restaurant area that was beforehand Callihan’s. He hopes will probably be open by February.
“Now we have skilled such progress at our location in Boyd County that it simply is sensible to maneuver right into a a lot bigger area to accommodate that progress,” Camp mentioned. “We can be bringing the identical nice style that our prospects count on however including some new flavors as effectively. We consider that is going to be an ideal marriage right here at Camp Touchdown, giving our patrons the choice of seeing a film earlier than or after dinner and all the opposite points of interest right here on the leisure district. We couldn’t be happier to have Malibu Jack’s as our new neighbor.”
Camp mentioned the present Smokin’ J’s location can be open each day till the week of relocation.
Additionally, Yard Pizza & Uncooked Bar, which has a location in downtown Huntington, introduced it should construct a second location at Camp Touchdown within the former RJ Kahunas’ area. Homeowners Drew and Megan Hetzer mentioned they’re thrilled in regards to the enlargement.
“The area is an ideal spot for Yard,” Drew Hetzer mentioned. “Now we have a big buyer base from this space that involves eat at our Huntington location.”
“This may carry us nearer to them and provides us patio area for outdoor eating,” Megan Hetzer mentioned.
Drew Hetzer mentioned they are going to give the area a significant overhaul and rework that he says lives up the usual set by his different institutions.
“You’ll be able to count on the wood-fired connoisseur pizzas to be hitting tables someday within the early spring,” he mentioned.
Guests to Camp Touchdown will even discover a newly paved car parking zone and different enhancements.
In the meantime, Boyd County is transferring ahead with plans of a conference heart and farmers market. It is going to be housed in what was beforehand a division retailer.
“It’ll be round 80,000 sq. toes. We’re at present engaged on finalizing the ground plan for the ability itself. We’re gonna begin work right here within the subsequent couple weeks portray, after which the bid can be out and building will begin inside the first quarter of 2022,” mentioned Eric Chaney, Boyd County decide govt, “There’ll be a lodge that’s on the property hooked up to the conference heart and a 120,000-square foot sports activities advanced hooked up to the bottom. So that is actually going to create a completely new setting for Boyd County.”
Officers say the Camp Touchdown Leisure District isn’t solely offering a whole lot of jobs, however it should even have a huge impact on the area’s economic system.
“Each customer goes to be between $100 and $200 affect that involves Camp Touchdown,” Camp mentioned. “This place goes to have an enormous financial affect on this area.”
Camp added that his workforce has had present conversations with round 20 new potential tenants in simply the final month and can be making one other main announcement quickly.
“I can’t announce it but, however I can promise it’s going to be massive and thrilling,” he mentioned.
Camp pressured that Camp Touchdown Leisure District isn’t a mall.
“We’re not within the mall enterprise,” Camp mentioned. “We’re not in competitors with the Ashland mall or the Huntington Mall. You’ll by no means discover a Hole right here. The one retail one can find right here can be sure area of interest companies or native specialty companies which might be completely different and slot in our leisure district idea. Individuals are coming right here for date evening or spending good household time. We’re pleased with our first steps right here within the first 5 months and are excited to see what occurs within the subsequent couple of years.”
For now, Smokin J’s and Yard Pizza be part of Malibu Jack’s, The Cinema at Camp Touchdown, Boyd County Conference Heart, Sports activities Plex, Farmer’s Market and a number of other different points of interest coming to the Camp Touchdown Leisure District, Camp added.
For extra details about Camp Touchdown Leisure District, go to camplanding.com. For extra details about Malibu Jack’s go to malibujacks.web.
