Banquet hall, entertainment destination proposed for former Sam's Club in Naperville

Owners of Naperville's Mall of India plan to transform an adjacent warehouse building into a multiuse entertainment and recreation destination called The Matrix.

Plans to revitalize the shuttered Sam's Club at 808 S. Route 59 call for creating a 1,200-seat banquet hall, a 250-seat restaurant, a performing arts academy, a 200-seat theater, an art gallery, a recording studio and a sports complex, according to the development proposal.

The 136,446-square-foot facility has been vacant since the retail warehouse store closed in early 2018. In addition to the interior build-out, proposed renovations include parking upgrades, landscaping improvements and an exterior makeover "to give the building some identity," architect Raffi Arzoumanian said during a public hearing Wednesday.

Co-owner Vinoz Chanamolu said the project would support a "synergy of uses" between his two properties in the Fox River Commons Shopping Center at Route 59 and Ogden Avenue. The event and entertainment components of The Matrix are intended to complement the Mall of India, which opened last year at 776 S. Route 59 and offers groceries, kids activities, restaurants, a day care and a blend of other shops and services.

Together, the developments provide a seamless, one-stop shop for customers, Arzoumanian said, while also generating activity for other area businesses.

"This project is very exciting," he said. "It's going to be an opportunity that I think is going to bring in people from different areas, both locally and from outside (the city), and become a destination."

The planning and zoning commission unanimously supported a conditional use for The Matrix's amusement establishments - the banquet hall, theater and sports complex - and a measure allowing 320 fewer parking spaces than required by code. The proposal goes to the city council for final consideration.

In a letter to the city, Chanamolu said he expects parking to be shared between The Matrix and Mall of India, with the combined lot providing an "abundance" of spaces that can accommodate varying hours and intensity of uses. Should any issues arise, property owners agreed to take steps to ensure tenants' parking needs are met.

Commission Chairman Bruce Hanson thanked project leaders for their investment in Naperville, saying he's excited to see the integration of two previously vacant buildings.

The Matrix also received support from city staff members, who said in a memo its "distinct array" of establishments can't be found elsewhere in Naperville.

"The unique mix of tenants proposed at the subject property will add to the interest and success of the project," said Amy Emery, operations manager for the transportation, engineering and development department.