Crayola Experience includes the opportunity for hands-on creative play, including starring in one's own coloring page and bringing digital art to life on huge projected surfaces, according to the company.
Locations opened in Orlando, Fla. in 2015 and Easton, Pa. — as The Crayola Factory — in 1996. The Crayola Factory was re-imagined in 2013 and now Crayola Experience features 26 hands-on attractions inspired by Crayola products and technologies.
A third location is scheduled to open May 25 at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., just outside Minneapolis.
“We are very excited by the Cincinnati market and will continue to explore this new opportunity at Liberty Center,” said Crayola Experience Director of Operations Dan Aylward, who attended Tuesday’s meeting. “Our mission is to spark a creative fire in children and create colorful memories in the process, and we would love to bring that experience to local families and visitors alike.”
Steiner + Associates founder and CEO Yaromir Steiner acknowledged Tuesday that the deal is not final and that negotiations are continuing, according to township officials.
“We are delighted with the possibility to welcome The Crayola Experience to our diverse list of guest experiences at Liberty Center,” said Kevin Cedik, general manager of Liberty Center. “It reinforces our mission to be a dining, retail and entertainment destination for the whole family.”
If plans move forward, the new 50,432-square-foot attraction would dedicate 25,606 square feet to show/experience; 5,765 to retail; 3,288 to a cafe; 790 to party rooms and the remaining 14,983 square feet to offices, storage, kitchens, bathrooms, lockers and other uses, according to a report from the township’s zoning department to its board of trustees.
Liberty Twp. trustees voted unanimously Tuesday evening to approve a major modification to the center’s zoning, which includes several proposed changes, including:
- Construction of a 40,500-square-foot building addition.
- Occupying 7,725 square feet of two existing retail tenant spaces on the second floor of The Foundry.
- Repurposing 3,675 square feet now used for an access corridor and storage area.
The building, as proposed, would be constructed on piers in order to maintain the use of the parking lot, according to the report. The main entrance for the proposed building would be through existing storefronts on the second floor of the interior of The Foundry building.
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