Amazon Fresh was once set to open a grocery store in Overland Park’s Prairie Fire neighborhood, but no longer has plans to do so.
The currently vacant building at 6001 W. 135th St. will become an indoor play area and children’s entertainment center called Lava Island.
Fred Merrill Jr., president of Prairiefire’s ownership group, Merrill Companies, said the company sold the land several years ago to a Chicago developer who planned to build an Amazon Fresh there.
“It’s not our project, but we’re keeping track of what’s going on with it,” Merrill said.
The talks began in 2021, around the same time that Messenger Coffee was considering opening a rooftop cafe in the area. Amazon Fresh was slated to open near the existing Sprouts at 6821 W. 135th St.
But both plans fell through, and a Messenger spokesperson told The Star last May that the company was no longer pursuing those plans.
Amazon announced that it will temporarily suspend AmazonFresh store openings in February 2023 and close stores that don’t meet expectations, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Associated Press, CEO Andy Jassy said in his annual letter to shareholders that the company is still looking for ways to dominate the grocery market.
The company said in November it would reopen three stores in California, remodel existing stores and phase out its “Just Walk Out” technology, which allows customers to skip lines when entering stores.
Merrill said Amazon subleased the Overland Park space to Lava Island, which has one location in the Denver suburb of Aurora.
Lava Island is scheduled to open before Christmas. The jungle-themed play center will feature trampolines, foam pits and giant slides. The company is building another location in Billings, Montana.
“I went to Denver once and stopped by their store,” Merrill says, “and it’s an incredible large entertainment center for kids.”
Merrill said Prairie Fire is currently about 97 percent occupied, but indicated there could be more occupancy announcements coming soon.
But the mixed-use development continues to struggle to meet sales obligations under Kansas’ STAR bond tax incentive program.
Earlier this year, the developer defaulted on $15 million in STAR bonds. The state issued $65 million to bondholders in 2012.
The 60-acre development between Lamar and Nall streets is home to Prairiefire Museum, Rock & Brews, Chicken & Pickles, AMC Theatres and several other businesses.
Johnson County is home to several family-friendly entertainment centers, including Leawood’s Sandbox VR (4845 W. 117th St.), Game Show Battle Rooms (10520 Metcalf Lane) in Overland Park and Main Event (11950 N. Kansas City Road) in Olathe.
And there’s plenty more planned.
Merriam Cinemark, located at 5500 Antioch Drive, plans to renovate the space into a combined theater and family center.
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, an indoor go-kart and laser tag facility, is under construction in the former Sprint World Headquarters at 11610 Nall Ave. in Overland Park. Another family entertainment facility, The Rush Funplex, recently opened in the former Incredible Pizza at 13110 W. 62nd Terrace in Shawnee.