Adrenalin pursuits change and grow
Property demand is growing from trampoline parks, laser-strike battle zones, indoor minigolf courses and escape rooms.
Recreation
Ninja courses, indoor mini-putts, and escape rooms are seeking more space, driving growth in a niche sector of New Zealand’s commercial and industrial property markets.
Bayleys commercial and industrial director Ryan Johnson said demand from recreational and leisure activity-based businesses stemmed from their need to operate outside of highrent malls and downtown retail strips.
These types of businesses wanted to expand their offering to meet demand from customers, who were seeking a greater choice of activity options, he said.
It all began with gaming arcades, which mainly leased space in retail areas in the cities, in the 1970s.
Soon after, 10-pin bowling alleys became more prevalent, demanding space in suburban locations close to cinemas and malls.
Then came indoor pre-school play centres crammed full of colourful ball-pits, climbing frames, and bouncy castles.
Johnson said a growing sophistication in consumer habits, combined with new technology, was fuelling a push in the leisure and recreational sector of the property market.
‘‘The evolution has been in recreational or entertainment facilities, [where] you’d take a group of youngsters for a birthday celebration, for example, or when it’s raining outside and the kids are fizzing with energy but you can’t kick a ball around . . .
‘‘We have also noted an increase in the number of sites tenanted by businesses whose target market is teenagers and adults, as the diversity of attractions within the sector has grown to encompass both physical and mental activities beyond the scope of children.’’
Among the adrenalin-fuelled activities now leasing industrial and commercial premises were trampoline parks, laser-strike battle-zones, indoor mini-golf courses, escape rooms and go-cart race tracks, Johnson said.
For the more physical side of the leisure and recreational market, the businesses were looking for warehouses or former manufacturing premises, generally located in light industrial precincts.
The needs of indoor trampolining operations had changed over the years, and much larger spaces were now required.
‘‘While the first generation of trampoline parks was comprised mainly of open jump mats, trampoline parks now embrace other recreational challenges like ninja courses, foam pits, rope courses and basketball slam dunk courts.’’
Trampoline parks need a ceiling height of at least
8.5 metres.
Meanwhile, escape rooms, which offered a physical and mental adventure game requiring players to solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints and strategy within the confines of a single room, needed smaller spaces, he said.
They were usually found in overlooked alleyways, derelict warehouses, tucked away in underperforming shopping malls, or in underground spaces in the centre of cities.
In the basement of a Wellington office building, Escape Mate operates an escape room business in 60 square metres of space, using props such as a genuine bank vault from the 1930s.