Cherry Hill, Evesham/Marlton, Medford, Medford Lakes, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees and elsewhere near the iconic state highways of Routes 70 and 73.
One winning reason that a gaming facility was approved for Route 38 in Cherry Hill by the Planning Board last week was simple: A new business will fill an empty building.
Rite Aid shut down its pharmacy in the building 18 months ago. The chain was approved by the Township in 2008 to build the store on the site of a former Italian restaurant in a triangle made by Route 38 and Chapel and Woodland avenues.
"Anytime that we can repurpose the vacant buildings, it's a good thing," said Township Council member Daniel DiRenzo, who is the liaison to the board.
Other board members, who voted unanimously in favor of the application from M&M Partners at Chapel Ave LLC, echoed DiRenzo's statement.
Activate games will open in the former drugstore and gamers will move through interactive challenges in different rooms. One challenge room, for example, features laser beams that players must crawl around to avoid setting off an alarm. Another room has "hot lava" red squares that players try not to step on, representatives of the developer said at the meeting.
About 72 players will be in the game rooms at any one time, the developer's representatives said.
Based on other Activate sites — the only other New Jersey one is in East Rutherford — about 70% of the gamers are family groups. About 90% of the bookings are made online.
The site of the closed Rite Aid, which will be repurposed into an Activate gaming center.
Developer's application to the Cherry Hill Planning Board
