Gameware Inc. making short move down College Drive

Video game retailer Gameware Inc. will move one of two Baton Rouge locations from the College Creek shopping center at 3151 College Dr. to the former Blockbuster at 3131 College Dr., says owner Steve Bernhard. Renovations are under way on the building, which will also be home to a Verizon Wireless store. “They’re supposed to complete the build-out on February 7, and I’m hoping to be in there by the 14th or 15th,” Bernhard says. Gameware has had a location in the Mall of Louisiana since it opened in 1997, and the College Drive location has been in business for about four years. Bernhard says he’s making the short move—about two blocks down the road—because the former Blockbuster site is more visible and has better access. It will also allow a slight expansion, he says, from the current 1,500 square feet to about 1,700 square feet. Dallas-based developer Walter Salek, who purchased the former Blockbuster site last month, says a Verizon Wireless store will also occupy the building and should be open in March. A deal with Panda Express restaurant is also in the works, Salek says, and the plan is to expand the 5,500-square-foot building by 2,200 square feet to accommodate the restaurant. He notes the deal is still tentative, adding he hopes to complete the expansion by the end of the year if and when plans are finalized. —Steve Sanoski