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Chattanooga mall owner CBL Properties working with company to open first gaming arena

Contributed photo / A lounge is shown at a location for Belong Gaming Arenas. The company is working with Chattanooga-based CBL Properties to open its first arena in the U.S. outside Houston.
Contributed photo / A lounge is shown at a location for Belong Gaming Arenas. The company is working with Chattanooga-based CBL Properties to open its first arena in the U.S. outside Houston. Contributed photo / A lounge is shown at a location for Belong Gaming Arenas. The company is working with Chattanooga-based CBL Properties to open its first arena in the U.S. outside Houston.

By Mike Pare 3 min read

A New York-based company is opening the first of some 500 planned gaming arenas across the nation in a Houston area shopping center owned by Chattanooga’s CBL Properties.

Belong Gaming Arenas is leasing more than 4,000 square feet in CBL’s Pearland Town Center and has plans for venues in Nashville, Dallas, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.

Stephen Lebovitz, CBL’s chief executive, said Wednesday that Belong Gaming has “a pretty bold expansion plan.”

“We’re excited to have the first one in one of our properties,” he said, adding that CBL is working with Belong Gaming on locations.

Martyn Gibbs, Belong Gaming’s chief executive, said that with the pandemic waning, the time is right to start opening its locations, which will range from about 4,000 to 14,000 square feet in size.