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Gurnee trampoline park renovation to add bowling, arcade and booze

A trampoline park in Gurnee is undergoing renovation to add a 10-lane bowling alley, an arcade, an "American Ninja"-style obstacle course and a bar for those who want to leave the bouncing to someone else.

Launch Gurnee at 880 Lakeside Drive, which was called Jump America under previous owners, shut down for renovations the Tuesday after Labor Day and likely will reopen in mid-November, according to company officials.

The changes will mean fewer trampolines than before, but the business team is betting the additions will more than make up for it.

Gustavo Carreno, the general manager for the Gurnee location, said he recently returned from a training at a different Launch family entertainment center and said he cannot stress enough the amount of energy and fun he found there.

"I can't wait to open the doors and greet families again," Carreno said.

Those worried or amused by the thought of adults imbibing at the bar before jumping on trampolines be advised: anyone who opts to drink at the bar will get a wristband that says "non-jumper" and they will be made to abstain from all activities (except for bowling - a sport long associated with drinking).

Carreno said everyone who intends to jump on trampolines needs to have a waiver on file. The waiver, which can be filled out online, requires potential jumpers to acknowledge the inherent risks one assumes when using a trampoline, such as landing awkwardly, colliding with other participants, overexertion, unexpected equipment failure and judgment errors by staff members.

Plans to renovate the Gurnee location have been in the works since Launch took over in 2019, but the pandemic slowed their progress, Carreno said.

Carreno, who has worked at the Gurnee trampoline park since 2014 as a 17-year-old in the Jump America days, said the facility was shut down for most of 2020. Carreno said the company kept employees on during the stoppage to do some minor renovation tasks such as repainting the space and implementing the new name.

But the work being done now is far more significant.

"We're very excited, it's been three years in the making and we can't wait," Carreno said.

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