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Owner outlines plans for children’s indoor play zone at 8000 Broadway; council and staff flag public‑safety and parking questions
Summary
The owner of 8000 Broadway told the Maryville Planning Commission he plans to convert the vacant American Freight building into a 32,000‑square‑foot indoor children’s play zone, but commissioners and staff identified parking, occupancy and security issues that must be resolved before a special‑exception hearing.
Eyad Ibrahim, owner of 8000 Broadway LLC, presented a plan to convert the vacant American Freight (formerly Ethan Allen) building at 8000 Broadway into an indoor children’s play zone aimed at ages roughly 2–11. Ibrahim told the commission the building is about 32,000 square feet, the rehabilitation and parking-lot work would cost about $1.5 million, and the operator intends to charge an entrance fee of $29.99 for up to three hours.
Staff said the proposal requires a special exception and will go to the Board of Zoning Appeals for public hearing; if approved there, it would return to the council for any required action. The planning staff noted the application for special exception is on file and advised the petitioner to appear at a council workshop so council members can ask questions before the BZA hearing.
Commissioners and staff raised several concerns for the petitioner to address before formal approvals: parking capacity and expansion (the site currently has about 63 parking spaces and the owner proposed adding about 25 spaces at the west end), on-site food and concessions (the owner said only small snacks would be sold), occupancy controls and check-in (the operator said an 18‑and‑over adult must check in and one adult may accompany up to three children), and security. Several commissioners urged that the applicant contact the police chief to discuss whether a full‑time security guard or off‑duty police officer should be required as a condition of any approval. Staff and commissioners suggested conditions such as 6‑, 12‑ and 18‑month reviews and a threshold of police calls (for example, a specified number of incidents) that could trigger revocation of the special exception.
No formal action was taken; staff confirmed the next steps: refine the application, consult with the police chief on security expectations, attend an upcoming council workshop (third Wednesday of the month) for additional council input, and then pursue the BZA schedule for a special-exception hearing.
