Laserlite, a laser tag and arcade venue on Bloomington’s east side, has closed. Here’s what’s opening in its place.
Where is the former Laserlite location?
The former Laserlite property is at 4505 E. Third St., just west of Bruster’s ice cream shop.
Who has bought the former Laserlite property?
According to local property records, the 0.85-acre property was bought on March 19 for $1.1 million by Lasher Properties, a limited liability company based in Corydon.
What business is moving into the former Laserlite location?
SmallTalk Pediatric Therapy plans to remodel the building and begin to see patients in early May, said CEO Hannah Lasher, a licensed speech language pathologist and Indiana University alumna.
What does SmallTalk Pediatric Therapy offer?
The clinic will offer services including speech language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and mental health services to clients from birth to adolescence.
Lasher said the clinic’s staff will include speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, mental health counselors and social workers to help children with anything from developmental delays to pronunciation, motor skills, coordination, attention, strength, balance and coping skills.
Lasher said the clinic will multiple services under one roof to help children deal with several issues, with the overall goal to help them improve their focus and reduce their anxiety.
Who pays for the services?
The services are often covered by insurance, and Lasher said the clinic is approved by Medicaid and most major private insurers, meaning families can use their insurance there.
Some insurers require a medical referral to bill therapy services, though requirements vary by plan and service.
How long has the company existed?
Lasher said the company started in 2022 and has locations in New Albany and Corydon.
What’s driving growth in the industry?
Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and industry groups say demand for pediatric services is increasing, driven in part by earlier diagnosis and broader insurance coverage. At the same time, families often encounter long wait times while employers are dealing with staffing shortages.
Lasher said the clinic will provide multiple services in one location, helping children address overlapping issues and build focus while easing anxiety.
Where can people can more information about SmallTalk?
Lasher said they can call 812-903-9633 or visit the website: smalltalk-clinic.com.
Why did Laserlite close?
Austin Reed, who owned the business for 25 years, said Laserlite, which included a nearly 3,000-square-foot, two-story laser tag arena, was essentially pushed out by newer competition, including Hoosier Alley Entertainment and Dave & Buster’s. Before those businesses moved in, he said Laserlite was profitable.
Laserlite was open 32 hours per week and had eight part-time employees, most of them high school and college students, Reed said as he stood among arcade games and an air hockey table.
Since Reed announced the business was closing, he said foot traffic and bookings for private events have picked up, but generally since the competitors opened, the business had been losing $1,000 or more per week.
For a while, Reed thought he might be able to weather the losses, figuring that the novelty of the new businesses would wear off.
“There was just no end in sight,” he said.
He put the property up for sale and had an offer within a week.
Reed has a full-time job as a firefighter and plans to move to Spain, where he has family, after his daughter, a freshman, has graduated from high school.
Boris Ladwig can be reached at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.heraldtimesonline.com ’
