MILL CREEK — A Redmond-based company hopes to open a 98,000-square-foot indoor sports and entertainment center in Mill Creek by the fall of 2017.
Plans for the 6.7-acre site near the intersection of Dumas Road and Bothell-Everett Highway include two indoor soccer fields, a warm-up area, up to 10 bowling lanes, laser tag, an inflatable playground, arcade games, bumper cars, rock-climbing and a ropes course, as well as a kitchen and rooms to host parties.
The $17 million proposal calls for 382 parking stalls and a workforce of 200. The site would be open seven days a week.
Arena Sports considered other locations but Mill Creek topped the list from the beginning because of its growing family population and strong participation in youth and adult sports. Company leaders say they hope to attract about a million visits a year, mainly in off-peak traffic hours on nights and weekends.
Mill Creek would be the fifth and largest indoor sports location for Arena Sports.
Don Crowe, CEO of Arena Sports, not only runs the company but is a consumer as well. These days, he’s on two indoor soccer teams. He started playing soccer while in the third grade in Kent.
In other words, for Crowe, Arena Sports combines business with pleasure.
“It’s a lot more fun than being a CPA, which is what I used to be,” Crowe said.
Soccer-playing customers are as young as 2 and old as 83. One of the company’s indoor co-ed leagues in Seattle has a team with three generations of players from one family. He’s also watched parents learn the sport and join leagues after watching their children from the sidelines.
Crowe likes the Mill Creek location. “The closer you can be to freeway the broader an area you can serve,” he said.
City officials continue to review the project.
“Based upon their schedule, Arena Sports could be in a position to seek building permits by the first of the year,” said Rebecca Polizzotto, Mill Creek’s city manager.
“We are excited to work with the company to develop this new facility for people to work, play and gather,” Polizzotto said.
The Mill Creek site would include men’s, women’s and co-ed adult leagues as well as competitive and recreational youth leagues for ages 5 through high school. Children 18 months old to age 9 would would be able to join the Lil’ Kickers developmental soccer program and there are skill training programs for ages 5 through 12.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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