A vacant site next to a parking deck and Dave & Buster’s in Rosemont will be transformed into a 25,000-square-foot immersive entertainment experience venue.
Courtesy of Village of Rosemont
Rosemont has inked a deal with a Montreal-based studio to operate an exhibit space for immersive art experiences set to open in a 25,000-square-foot building next year.
Announced by village officials last year under the “Expressions” title, EXP will feature rotating programming of virtual, augmented and mixed-reality experiences in The Pearl District, south of Balmoral Avenue and west of the Tri-State Tollway.
The village board this week approved a licensing agreement with PHI Studio, which will produce the shows and pay $30,000 a month to rent a building the village is constructing for $8.4 million. The village and operator will split revenues generated by the rotating exhibitions, which the village will have approval over, under terms of the deal.
“This type of collaboration helps us create destinations across North America where communities can come together, be entertained, and enjoy moments of wonder and connection,” PHI Studio President Eric Albert said.
The company also has designed, produced and curated immersive art shows in Montreal, Houston and Shanghai.
EXP, an immersive entertainment venue in Rosemont, will be operated by Montreal-based PHI Studio, under a licensing agreement approved this week.
Courtesy of Village of Rosemont
Mayor Brad Stephens said the firm’s reputation, global reach and innovative vision led to its selection. He estimates the new venue could attract 200,000 to 250,000 visitors a year.
The walk-through exhibitions of sound, light and special effects — not unlike the popular Van Gogh and Prince immersive experiences that were held in Chicago — will sometimes require visitors to put on virtual reality glasses to experience settings such as Egypt and outer space, for instance. Each experience is expected to last an hour, Stephens said.
The debut show — to be held starting in September 2025 — will be announced soon, he added.
A rendering shows the interior of the planned 25,000-square-foot building in Rosemont that will host virtual, augmented and mixed-reality experiences starting next year.
Courtesy of Village of Rosemont
Next door, the village will build a 7,500-square-foot restaurant still to be named.
In July, village trustees approved a lease with a Florida-based group for an automobile-inspired, 1920s-themed Ford’s Garage restaurant. But that deal fell apart by September, and officials resumed talks with other restaurateurs.
Now a parking lot next to Dave & Busters and Rosemont’s Metra station, the site has been eyed for development for years. At one point the location was considered for a new village hall.