Trampolines, arcades, laser tag and maze, golf simulators and more planned

A group of five families with plans to create a string of all-ages entertainment centers is starting in Kennewick, where it is about to break ground on Quake, The EpiCenter of Family Fun, near Cottonwood Elementary School.

Quake is the group of families that will own and operate the business, leasing the space from the developer.

Pasco-based 5D Development at Cottonwood LLC, led by the Detrick family, is expected to break ground at East Detrick PR SE and Wiser Parkway in April on the 40,000-square-foot facility, with a target opening date of October, said Paul Knabe, a spokesman for the Quake group.

The Quake members have backgrounds in fitness, entertainment and construction, he said, and share a common interest in creating an upscale entertainment center packed with activities for all ages, from a dedicated toddler area to laser tag, trampolines, arcades and golf simulators.

The business incorporated in Washington in 2019 as Quake Trampoline Parks LLC with members of the Detrick family listed as owners, along with several other partners. The Detricks are prominent real estate developers and investors with several high-profile local investments, including the former Tri-City Herald building in downtown Kennewick.

All, Knabe said, are parents and wanted to break the franchise-based entertainment mold, which results in venues built around the offerings of a lone manufacturer. Knabe said the diversity of activity will separate it from other entertainment centers.

“The Tri-Cities is underserved for family entertainment. It is a win-win for us,” said Knabe, who attended Kennewick High School as a sophomore and junior. He currently lives in Wasilla, Alaska, but intends to move back for the project.

Knabe called himself a recreation nerd who makes a study of theme parks and other venues.

The group began planning Quake about five years ago. The Kennewick center will be the first in what could be an eventual chain.

Unable to find a local building that met its needs, the Quake group turned to 5D, which owns the Cottonwood site and has an office next door. Though it is not centrally located, the location at the Badger Road exit from Interstate 82 is easy to reach. Knabe said the team is confident Quake will be enough of a draw that guests will drive to it.

The model packs a wide variety of activities into one building, with offerings for toddlers to retirees and everyone in between. The plan contains party areas for families, as well as event and gathering spaces for business groups.

A liquor license is pending, and Knabe said it expects to accommodate corporate gatherings, including meetings and parties.

Knabe said Quake couldn’t answer detailed questions about the business plan behind the project until April, but he fielded questions about the general plan after an inaccurate document filed under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA, led to a misunderstanding about the nature of the project.

The first-floor lineup includes Montana-made trampolines with shock absorption systems for safety, two virtual reality arcades, a laser tag arena, a laser maze where guests navigate Mission Impossible-style laser beams, arcade games, a café and pizza kitchen and multiple party rooms.

Upstairs, Quake will offer a mezzanine where parents can relax and monitor the downstairs doings, as well as meeting and event space, and golf simulators.

Knabe expects to open Quake with at least 25 staff and said the number will go up as the business builds.

Other business details, including admission fees, aren’t yet available, he said. But he pledged they will be competitive and linked to the amenities parents choose. The toddler zone, for instance, has its own reduced price, since toddlers can’t use some of the more sophisticated offerings.

Utilities will be provided by Benton Public Utility District, Cascade Natural Gas, Badger Water and Ziply/Charter. Wastewater will be treated in an onsite sewage system.

The area is part of Benton County’s Interchange Commercial District, which allows recreational facilities with conditions.

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