Entertainment venue to fill former Sears space at Mesquite mall

A new entertainment venue is moving into the long-vacant former Sears space in Town East Mall in Mesquite.

The Mesquite City Council voted unanimously last week to bring Main Event to the site that’s been empty since North Texas’ last Sears store closed in 2021. The national entertainment chain has locations around the country, and nearly two dozen in Texas.

“While other malls may be withering and kind of going away, this mall is adding a really important catalyst, another anchor,” Council Member Jeff Casper said at the May 5 meeting.

He said it would also attract consumers outside of Mesquite.

Main Event would occupy the first floor of the former Sears space, which is 58,000 square feet. It will include things like bowling, laser tag, arcade games, escape rooms, billiards, and meeting and party rooms.

The city expects the new venue will create 200 new jobs, which is something local business owner Teresa Sotelo said would help boost the economy.

“I think a lot of people and youth would go,” she told KERA in Spanish. “And people would also like it because it would help bring jobs. I think it’s a very good option that’s worth the effort.”

Council Member Kenny Green said residents have for years been asking for more entertainment options in their city.

“You know, we used to have a putt-putt. We used to things like that that are no longer here,” Green said. “People are craving something to go do with the family.”

Adding Main Event is part of a larger redevelopment plan, according to Steve Meyer, of SRB Mesquite LLC, the owner of the Sears property at Town East.

The redevelopment includes more green space, reconfiguration of the parking lot, pad site location on street frontages and more restaurants.

“I think with the mix of Main Event and the other restaurants that we're talking to, it'll re-energize that very important intersection in your town,” Meyer told council members.

Daniel Rebensdorf, a representative for Main Event, said construction could take eight to nine months, but there’s not a definite date of when the venue would open.

Earlier this year the council voted to offer a tax incentive to keep the Macy’s anchor store at Town East for at least five more years.

Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org. 

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