The St. Joseph Township Board of Trustees next week will consider a proposal to turn the currently vacant Vineland Center into an indoor recreation and family center. Township Manager Denise Cook tells us the township planning commission held a hearing on the proposal from building owner Joe Giannola on Tuesday night. He is proposing Slacker’s move there and offer laser tag, an arcade, a concessions area, rooms for birthday parties, and a bounce house. Slacker’s currently has all of those at the Orchards Mall in Benton Township. There would be no alcohol allowed at the new facility proposed for Vineland. Now that the planning commission has signed off on the proposal, the final decision on the requested special use permit will be made by the township board. The Vineland Center closed last year. It was previously home of Roger’s Foodland. Cook says it’s always good to see an unoccupied building become occupied.
