Councilors exploring entertainment options

Portales city councilors are looking further into bringing a family entertainment center to the area, a project that many councilors see as having economic and quality of life benefits.

The center proposed for Portales would be a non-smoking facility that would include five theaters, 12 bowling lanes, laser tag, a restaurant, an arcade and other amenities.

Councilors are looking at possible ways to fund the proposed $6 million dollar facility, taxing residents among other options, which would put the proposed center to a public vote.

At Tuesday night's council meeting, councilors heard a presentation on a feasibility study for a family entertainment center presented by Bill Kellen, CEO of American Family Entertainment Centers.

Kellen was paid by the Roosevelt County Community Development Corporation to complete this study after a few councilors took a trip to Deming, a town of a similar size, to see one of AFEC's centers.

"I found Deming's center impressive," said city councilor Keith Thomas, one of the councilors on board for bringing the center to Portales. "It's a big facility and it's well used but I see Portales as a much bigger market area than Deming. We got a bigger draw with Eastern New Mexico University and Cannon Air Force Base."

The highlights of opening a center in Portales according to Kellen's study are:

z Over the course of 25 years, the city would make $59 million in entertainment revenue and about $4 million in sales taxes.

z 40 full-time and part-time jobs would be needed to operate the center.

z A net profit of $109,000 is projected to be made the first year.

Kellen also looked at the money Portales loses to surrounding entertainment venues in other cities such as Clovis' movie theater, saying that the center will stop that outgoing revenue and Thomas agrees.

"I see the financial leakage to other communities coming to a stop," Thomas said.

City attorney Randy Knudson said community members have expressed their support behind the project and he believes that if the project is presented right, more residents will get on board.

"If we present this right, we can do something that will be here are whole lives and benefit the community," Knudson said.

City Manager Tom Howell said the next step councilors will take is thoroughly looking at the study and any possible changes to the numbers in the report.

Thomas feels Kellen was conservative with the numbers used to get results in the report and says there are more places to make money when they look at it.

"I see this thing paying for itself," Thomas said about the possible entertainment center.

The councilors agreed that the last step would be taking this issue to the voters to let the city decide if they want the center here and councilors feel that more than likely, the city will push to bring the center here.

"The folks that I spoke with want something like this because it keeps our youth in town and it keeps money in the town," said city councilor Ronald Jackson. "I would be willing to pursue it."