Games people play From the cover
The big picture
Development in Metropark Square
1 AMC Theatre • Opened: 2019 • Movie theater with IMAX 2 Brkthrough • Opening: March 2025 • 40 interactive challenge rooms 3 Color Me Mine • Opened: March 2024 • Pottery painting venue 4 Cheeky Monkeys • Opened: March 2024 • Indoor children’s playground 5 Dave and Buster's • Expanded: October • Arcade and gaming 6 Escapology • Opened: November • Escape room 7 Game Show Battle Rooms • Opened: September • Interactive live game show 8 Urban Air Trampoline • Opened: 2019 • Indoor trampoline park
The city of Shenandoah welcomed ve new entertainment venues and several expansions in its boundaries in the past year, said John Mayner, director of the city’s convention and visitors bureau, Visit Shenandoah. The new venues range from game show experiences and virtual gaming to pottery painting and family arcade options. In addition, Main Event Shenandoah expanded on I-45, adding more than 40 new games, General Manager Brandon May said. Arcade and sports bar Dave and Buster’s Shenandoah also renovated in 2024 as part of an e ort to appeal to older populations. Brett Petrovich, general manager for the location, said the $2 million expansion allowed for new shu eboard lanes, darts and a virtual gaming area. Other venues o ering adult activities include Escapology, an escape room, which opened in November. Game Show Battle Rooms opened in September with an interactive game show format. About 60% of the business at Game Show Battle Rooms has been corporate team building, Director Tyler Donges said.
3 4
8
45
SAM MOON DR.
2
5
1
6 7
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5
Dave and Buster's Shenandoah added games like shu eboard in 2024.
JESSICA SHORTEN COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: METROPARK SQUARE BUSINESSES COMMUNITY IMPACT
The impact
Diving in deeper
Shenandoah hotel occupancy tax revenue
Despite the in ux of new entertainment options, the population of Shenandoah itself remains below 4,000 as of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data. In addition, the median age is over 60. Cheeky Monkeys opened its second Houston- area location in Shenandoah not because of the demographics of the city itself but because of its location in a developing area, owner Aftab Hemani said. “We know that there is more development happening towards the north, which would drive people to come in over here,” Hemani said.
Shenandoah anticipates an increase in its sales tax revenues as the new entertainment- based businesses open. Shenandoah Financial Director Lisa Wasner said the entertainment venues have been one of the top producers for the city’s revenue. In turn, this has been used to decrease the city’s need for property tax revenue, o cials said. Since 2019, the city’s property tax rate has dropped from $0.1799 to $0.1421 per $100 assessment in 2024-25, the lowest property tax rate for a city in Montgomery County, according to information from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. “Currently, residential taxes account for only about 25% of the city’s total tax revenue,” Shenandoah council member Jim Pollard said. “The business contributions allow us to invest in infrastructure, public safety and quality-of- life improvements without placing an undue nancial burden on residents.”
+141.56%
$2.5M
$2M
$2.15M
$1.5M
$1M
$0.5M
$889,215
$0
2019- 20
2020- 21
2021- 22
2022- 23
2023- 24
Shenandoah sales tax revenue Shenandoah property tax rate
+44.49%
$5M $6M $7M $9M $8M
Shenandoah population
Median age
$8.22M
45.1
2,289
+57.14%
2013
$5.7M
54
2,817
2018
$0
2019- 20
2020- 21
2021- 22
2022- 23
2023- 24
60.5
3,597
2023
$0.1799
$0.1449 $0.1477
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 5 YEAR ESTIMATES COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: SHENANDOAH COMMUNITY IMPACT
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