The former Bar 145, which closed in August 2017, is soon set to become Basement Barcade.

“It’s a different kind of business than the restaurant that was there before,” Tom Wilke, Kent’s economic development director, said. “It’s obviously both a bar and has a lot of retro arcade machines and pinball machines and some of the earlier Atari-type machines.”

Panini’s Franchise Group, the owners of Panini’s Bar and Grill, plans on renovating the former Bar 145 to bring new decor with the machines.

Renovation plans were submitted earlier this year, laying out space for about 40 arcade games, indoor bar space for around 30 patrons, additional seating inside and an outdoor bar.

“What we like to see is a variety of businesses so that the most number of people can be satisfied, and I think that’s what we appreciate of (Basement Barcade) in that it’s different from any other business in downtown Kent,” Wilke said.

Wilke said the owners want the Basement Barcade to be open as soon as possible, but he believes that it may be open between late September to mid-October.

“It’s great to get different kinds of businesses coming to downtown that will add to the uniqueness of what the experience is in our downtown,” Wilke said.

Madison MacArthur is an assigning editor. Contact her at [email protected].