Crabtree Valley Mall is getting a serious jolt of adrenaline. Level99 is set to carve out roughly 40,000 square feet inside the former Belk anchor, turning a traditional department store box into a challenge-packed gaming and dining playground. The project would mark the company’s North Carolina debut and follows a months-long effort to rework Crabtree’s anchor spaces. Instead of racks of clothes, shoppers can expect dozens of short, scored rooms and head-to-head duels built for groups that want more action than a quick lap around the mall.
The move was first reported by the Triangle Business Journal, which notes that Level99 will occupy about 40,000 square feet in the vacated Belk space. According to the Triangle Business Journal, the deal is part of a fresh wave of leasing under the mall’s new owner, with build-out details and opening timing still being hammered out behind the scenes.
What Level99 Brings
Level99 bills itself as a challenge-based social entertainment venue that mixes dozens of compact, scored rooms and physical or mental duels with a central bar and kitchen. Level99 highlights its tech-enabled scoring and focus on replay value, so groups can keep coming back to chase higher scores. The Disney Food Blog has pointed to signature attractions such as the “Axe Run” and other immersive mini-games that lean more toward team adventure than passive arcade time. Industry research from JLL notes that Level99 typically runs 40,000 to 45,000 square foot venues with more than 50 challenges, which makes big-box department store spaces a natural fit.
Macerich Is Reworking Crabtree
Macerich, which bought Crabtree in June 2025, has said it plans to pour roughly $60 million into updating the center and repurposing its large anchors for new concepts. Public statements from Macerich and local coverage show the landlord is actively targeting entertainment and hospitality operators as part of that push. WRAL reported on the 2025 sale and the planned renovation campaign when the acquisition was first announced.
Space Freed By Belk Remodel
The former Belk men’s store did not stay a standalone space for long. It was folded back into the main Belk during a recent remodel, which opened up an anchor-sized footprint for a new tenant, according to the mall’s timeline on Wikipedia. Real estate analysts have pointed out that these vacant department store boxes are some of the hottest targets for experiential users, a trend documented in research from JLL.
Timeline And Local Reaction
The exact opening date is still a mystery. The Triangle Business Journal reports that there is no public timeline yet and that build-out remains tied to permitting and tenant construction. According to the Triangle Business Journal, mall representatives and Level99 are still finalizing lease terms and schedule details. Local officials and many merchants have welcomed the promise of extra foot traffic, while some smaller vendors displaced during recent renovation work have raised concerns about short notice and the cost of moving, as reported by WRAL.
What’s Next
If Level99 does move into Crabtree, it would plug Raleigh directly into a broader national shift in how malls survive the post-department-store era. Owners are increasingly trading sleepy anchors for high-energy, experience-focused tenants that keep visitors on site longer and encourage group visits. Commercial Observer and other analysts note that Macerich has been explicitly chasing these kinds of deals to revive traffic and diversify revenue. For Raleigh’s midtown corridor, the Level99 deal would layer a late-night, group-friendly destination onto a shopping district that has been looking for fresh reasons to pull people back inside the mall.
