× Expand The Up-Down in Kansas City is located in the bustling Crossroads district.

“I can't believe that what ended up being a two and a half year project is finally close to completion,” says Joey Akers, general manager for Up-Down, the entertainment-based bar and restaurant located at 405 N. Euclid, the building that was home to Herbie’s Vintage ’72 and to Balaban’s for decades before that.

After a prolonged court battle, a liquor license was granted last June, as the Riverfront Times reported, which meant construction could begin in earnest. Up-Down, named one of the The 10 Best Arcade Bars In America by Game Informer, has locations in Des Moines, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee.

Akers says the prior building footprint was “perfect for a restaurant but not for an entertainment venue,” so the space was opened up. “But the integrity of the brick-walled space was maintained,” adds Akers. A new HVAC system was also added, and a new copper roof was installed.

Up-Down is a 21-and-older concept that features more than 50 pinball and arcade games, Skee-Ball, and such novelties as giant Jenga. Fifty beers will be on tap, in addition to bottled beer, a robust selection of cans, and a full bar. The menu's straight-forward: a half dozen varieties of New York–style pizza, mostly sold by the slice, ideal for a gaming venue.

Such a limited menu meant some of the prior kitchen space could be reclaimed, Akers adds. An 1,800-square-foot courtyard patio will be added to one side of the building, “just in case you need a change of pace."

Akers is hoping for a late spring or early summer opening, though after more than two years of construction, he’s learned the meaning of a fluid timeline.

“We were supposed to open long before Milwaukee,” he says, “but it’s finally happening.”