New Virtual Reality Arcade Coming

A NEW VIRTUAL REALITY ARCADE is coming to Caledonia Charter Township, according to the signage put up earlier this week. Elite VR Arcade is the proposed name of the new business that will be located on W. M-21, the former Patsy Lou Fine Used Cars facility, inside the building to the east that runs perpendicular to Short Street.
Kendra Nichols from Elite Early Learning Center on S. Washington Street, Owosso,
is the owner, and the new business will be a sister company to that initial company.
Nichols shared that the virtual reality arcade will serve children and adults, and include cutting-edge technology within a facility that will be one of the largest of its type in the country. Interior construction is ongoing, but there will eventually be nine booths for gaming rental opportunities. The
business should open in early March.
The area in Caledonia Township has remained mostly vacant since Patsy Lou closed its doors in September 2015. Prior, the main building had been constructed as a Honda Powerhouse dealership by the Gregoricka family, with the east building used for Yamaha Sales. Patsy Lou was only open for approximately two years. Going as far back as the 1960s and 1970s, a Zephyr gasoline station had been situated in that area. However, with a neighborhood directly connected to the north, Caledonia Charter Township has been cautious in recent years regarding what the site can be used for, since they do not want to disrupt the privacy of the residents living in the area.
Before Elite VR Arcade can open, the business will first have to apply for special use permit approval through Caledonia Charter Township, and consideration will likely be given regarding parking and related concerns.
(Independent Photo/Karen Mead-Elford)