Portland Night Out: Ground Kontrol

People wait in line to get into Ground Kontrol, August 15, 2015. Classic video games and pinball are the focus at Portland's Ground Kontrol which was founded in 1999. The arcade opens to the 21+ crowd after 5 p.m., with live DJs keeping the jams pumping and a full-service bar.

(Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

More than one year after it announced an expansion of its Northwest Portland digs, Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade is pulling the trigger on a soft launch of the building's newly renovated area.

The doors at 115 N.W. Fifth Ave. will open for the first time on Wednesday, April 12.

However, the current entrance — 511 N.W. Couch St. — will close Monday and the Ground Kontrol arcade Portlanders have known since 2003 will become a construction zone as renovations begin in that wing.

Ground Kontrol staff plans to finish work in the old section of the building by the end of the summer. Once finished, a hallway will connect the two spaces.

"We'll have two fully operational bars, twice the square footage, and nearly twice the number of games, giving you even more Ground Kontrol while maintaining our commitment to being the best arcade and lounge you can experience," the company announced in a Facebook post Saturday.

The hybrid bar/arcade first opened in 1999, according to a post on the company's page. It moved to its current location four years later and has been there ever since.

It's been a popular destination for Portlanders looking to get their retro gaming fix and performers touring the area. (The Roseland Theater is just across the street.)

In late January, Louis C.K. stopped by the arcade after his show at the Moda Center to perform a standup routine. The cover charge was $3.

Wednesday's soft opening starts at 5 p.m. and is limited to those 21 and over. There's no cover charge.

Here's the original Facebook post:

ATTENTION GROUND KONTROL CUSTOMERS: TL;DR version: We are excited to announce the soft opening of our expansion at 115... Posted by Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade on Saturday, April 8, 2017

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com