Soon there could be more to experience in St. Johns Town Center.
The city issued a permit July 15 for Activate, a Canada-based global immersive live-action game center, for a space next to Sandbox VR, itself an “immersive virtual reality experience,” that was approved for build-out in June.
The two are opening in storefronts between Nordstrom and Dillard’s.
The city issued a permit for Activate Games – Jacksonville at 10275 Buckhead Branch Drive, Suite 101, at a project cost of $1.6 million. That is the former site of Ballard Designs, which moved in 2022 nearby to 4840 Big Island Drive.
ARCO/Murray National Construction Co. Inc. of Downers Grove, Illinois, is the contractor to build-out 8,700 square feet of space for Activate and its 12 interactive game rooms.
PlayActivate.com says it is “coming soon.”
“We’re almost ready for you, Jacksonville,” the site says.
A spokesperson said by email April 21 the company will open this year. While Activate franchises, the Jacksonville center will be a company location.
Enovative Technologies Inc., led by Joe McClure, was the agent. GMA Architecture of Downer’s Grove was the architect.
Participants can move among rooms such as control, grid, grip, hide, hoops, laser, mega grid, mega laser, pipes, press, scan and strike.
They can choose among rooms offering such challenges as laser mazes, an interactive rock wall, a version of dodgeball that involves hitting lighted targets instead of other players and a game of hide-and-seek that involves avoiding electronic “eyes.”
Activate said it has more than 75 locations worldwide, including 64 across North America, and is expanding across Europe and the Middle East.
A March 12 release said the company was on track to open 30 more centers in 2026.
In the U.S., the website shows 46 locations in 23 states. There are two open in Florida in Atlamonte Springs and Orlando, with two coming soon to Jacksonville and Miami.
Individual pricing at Altamonte Springs is $27 for 60 minutes and $35 for 90 minutes, with pricing available for groups and parties.
There, hours start at 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. Friday through Sunday. The last activities start at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Activate’s site said walk-ins are welcome, but the company recommends that customers book ahead online or by phone.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted, although participants can bring water that can be stored in lockers at the facility.
“Each Activate location is beaming with a selection of interactive light-up game rooms designed to test your physical and mental agility,” says the website.
“Enter the game where you become the player in the world’s first active gaming facility. Jump, climb, problem-solve and laugh, as you and your friends move between challenges. Each dynamic game room has interactive technology that reacts in real time, ensuring an adrenaline-filled adventure,” the website says.
Activate says that while the minimum age to participate is 6 years old, its games are designed for adults and may be challenging for children under 10 years old.
For children ages 6 through 13 years old, an adult must be present at the facility throughout the entire gaming experience, the site says.
The site explains that participants choose their “micro-arena” and can stay there or try all of the rooms.
Each room has high-tech games that last 1-3 minutes each. Difficulty levels are 1 to 10, “unlocking as you beat them. The more you play, the better you’ll get.”
The company was founded in 2019 in Canada.
For Sandbox VR, the city issued a permit June 15 for Brothers Group Construction Co. of Jacksonville to renovate 4,518 square feet of space at 10275 Buckhead Branch Drive, No. 119, at a project cost of $450,000.
Sandbox VR’s space was a nail bar salon behind Garage, MAC Cosmetics and Chanel Fragrance and Beauty. It is opposite Lilly Pulitzer on Buckhead Branch Drive.
Based in Pleasanton, California, and operated as a franchise, Sandbox VR operates worldwide. The U.S. locations include three in Florida in Fort Myers, Orlando and St. Petersburg.
The locations include virtual reality rooms and space for birthday parties, corporate events, team building and social gatherings.
“Sandbox is a futuristic VR experience for groups of up to six where you can see and physically interact with everyone inside, just like the real world,” according to sandboxvr.com.
“Inspired by Star Trek’s holodeck, our exclusive worlds let you feel like you’re living inside a game or movie, and are built by EA, Sony and Ubisoft veterans. See why Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Kevin Durant and Will Smith support us. In here, it’s possible.”
Holedecks are holographic simulation rooms. Best-seller experiences, called “full-body VR with friends,” include Deadwood Phobia and Squid Game Virtuals. A new offering is Stranger Things: Catalyst. The company calls The Age of Dinosaurs “great for families.”
Sandbox VR calls the experience “the closest thing to the ‘holodeck’ that exists.”
As an example of the scenarios, Sandbox VR says Curse of Davy Jones involves a hunt for lost treasure and a “battle on the high seas against a variety of spooky supernatural creatures.”
“We combine motion capture with the latest in VR hardware to create the best VR experience on the planet,” according to Sandbox VR. “It’s very different from VR experiences you might have tried at home or at other places. That makes it a real challenge to explain. The only way to truly understand it is to try it for yourself.”
The Jacksonville plans show 2,076 square feet for the experience area, including four “holodecks,” 1,905 square feet for the lobby and waiting area, and 537 square feet for restrooms and storage. Frederick J. Goglia of St. Louis is the architect.
Landlord Simon Property Group has at least two more experiential tenants at St. Johns Town Center with Game Show Battle Rooms and The Escape Game.
St. Johns Town Center landed a permit May 4 to split space to make way for Activate Games and Sandbox VR.
The city issued a permit for Kaneco Construction LLC to add walls to separate 13,455 square feet of space at 10275 Buckhead Branch for the two tenants at a project cost of $346,138.