Mars Inc., which has its Petcare Global Innovation Center in Thompson Station, is a main contender to eventually move into the now-shuttered A-Game SportsPlex on 215 Gothic Court in Cool Springs, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The source asked to remain nameless because of the ongoing legal situation between A-Game’s owners and sports groups who were shut out of the complex last week despite having years left on leases.
Mars would make the property, mired for months in a controversy thrown into sharp relief by last week’s sudden closure, its second home in the area after AL Neyer completes its $48 million purchase and redevelopment.
AL Neyer did not confirm or deny this information. Katy Crossen, its marketing manager, said:
“We are in conversations with multiple interested tenants and have not signed an agreement with any party.”
AL Neyer is turning the complex into the Cool Springs Technology Center, which will hold business offices, a parking deck and the potential for up to 1,000 employees. It will be one of the 20 biggest buildings in Williamson County.
Another source, with inside knowledge of AL Neyer but unable to comment on record because the ongoing legal situation, said those who think Mars is potentially going to occupy the space are looking in the right direction.
Rumors of Mars as the potential tenant have been circulating for a few weeks at least among parents of athletes in Alliance Volleyball and MDG Management- the club volleyball and hockey groups named in the lawsuit against A-Game.
AL Neyer and Mars Inc. are uninvolved in the current brouhaha, but the agreed transfer of the property to AL Neyer cannot take place until the suit is settled.
Representatives for Mars Inc., after several attempts, did not return calls or messages asking for comment..
Mars Inc is a global company with numerous divisions; The lion’s share of its sales comes from petcare, with a large chunk from candy and a smaller bite from Wrigley chewing gum. The three make up ore than 90 percent of its sales.
Robert Gage, VP of real estate development for AL Neyer, wrote back in August that the project could be “a possible corporate headquarters. New tenants will be able to take occupancy by mid-2016.”
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