Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, an Orlando-based company that operates go-karting and arcade facilities named after famed race car driver Mario Andretti, is getting closer to starting construction on its first Valley location.
To be built in Chandler, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games received its latest approval from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday. The commission approved the preliminary development plan for a new 96,000-square-foot indoor karting and entertainment center.
Back in the summer of 2021, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games purchased two parcels on the southwest corner of Cooper Road and the Loop 202 Freeway in Chandler for a combined $4.88 million according to Maricopa County documents.
Besides an indoor racetrack, the company plans on having virtual reality arcade games, bowling, event spaces, multiple restaurants, bars and offices in the space, according to documents filed with the city of Chandler.
According to development plans submitted to the city of Chandler, the majority of the new Andretti facility will be used for its racetrack. In its proposal to Chandler, Andretti said the track will be “one of the best and most challenging indoor karting tracks in the world.”
To complement the racing aspect of the business and its namesake, the company said the design of the building will be centered around the Mario Andretti brand and history.
“The theme of the building architecture is based strongly on feel you might get with European automotive corporate office building concepts you find with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Lamborghini,” Andretti Indoor Karting & Games wrote in its proposal to Chandler. “Andretti strives to create a feel for the customer that creates excitement to explore not only the Andretti Karting and Games, but to experience the Andretti Family history and legacy.”
Inside, the company said there will be “Andretti Racing theming and history with graphic, Andretti IndyCar Series theming and signage.”
Andretti Karting and Games has its own in-house architect – Mark Klinger – who designed the Chandler building. The company is working with Helix Engineering and MLA Associates for civil engineering and landscape architecture, respectively.
Currently, there are six Andretti Indoor Karting & Games spread across Florida, Georgia and Texas. In a statement from last year, the company said it would be “debuting several more of their legendary entertainment centers across the United States soon.”