Owensboro approves $1.5 million incentive for proposed family entertainment center at Frederica Street mall site

The Owensboro City Commission voted on May 6 to approve a municipal order authorizing the city to pay TS Entertainment LLC a total of $1,500,000 as a development incentive for a proposed family entertainment center on roughly 33.111 acres at 5000 Frederica Street and 5105 Back Square Drive.

City staff described the project as a “state‑of‑the‑art family entertainment center” that would include miniature golf, go‑karts, laser tag and bowling. The city presentation said the developer expects the project to represent up to $17,000,000 in private investment and that the development has been approved for Kentucky tourism development tax credits.

The approved municipal order structures the $1,500,000 incentive as four equal payments of $375,000 to be provided at specified points during construction and development. The commission approved the municipal order by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes.

City staff said the incentive package follows earlier discussions in which the commission expressed a desire to re‑activate the mall site and support projects that bring tourism and local activity to the Frederica corridor. The motion to approve received a second and carried by voice vote.

The city did not provide further public-works or contractual detail at the May 6 meeting about conditions, performance milestones tied to each payment, or any clawback provisions; staff indicated the payments would be disbursed “at various points during construction and development.” Those contractual specifics will appear in the underlying municipal agreement or subsequent council materials.

Commissioners offered no substantive public debate during the vote and expressed support for local investment at the site.