The Edge has VR rides and go-karts now, but you’ll have to wait until March

The indoor racetrack at The Edge in Belleville is shaping up, but customers can’t get behind the wheel just yet.

Go-karts and virtual reality rides — also known as VR — for the 35,000-square-foot expansion project arrived last week, putting owner Keith Schell one step closer to welcoming the public.

Schell expects the expansion to open by the first week of March. He had plans to open last month, but construction is taking longer than expected.

“It’s a real game-changer for us,” Schell said during a November interview. “To have so many first-class attractions under one roof is rare in the country, let alone a small market like Belleville.”

Besides indoor electric go-karts, the addition will include bumper cars, VR experiences, a six-lane bowling alley, a banquet facility with party rooms and an adult-friendly arcade with a bar, dart boards, pinball machines and Golden Tee and Big Buck Hunter video games.

Originally, Schell had hoped to complete the $3.6 million addition last summer.

When the 35,000-square-foot addition is completed, The Edge will total 80,000 square feet.

The Edge started in 1998 with a 26,000-square-foot laser tag center called Laser Rock on South Belt West.

This story was originally published February 6, 2018 at 6:30 AM with the headline "The Edge has VR rides and go-karts now, but you’ll have to wait until March."