OPENINGS AROUND THE SOUND
A look at the area's new stores
Posted October 2005
Great Wolf Resorts
Great Wolf Resorts, a purveyor of indoor water park resorts, is teaming up with The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to build a 39-acre, $80-million resort in Great Mound, Wash.
Spaced midway between Seattle and Portland, the theme park will open as Great Wolf Lodge in late 2006. The resort targets families with children under 14 who can easily drive to the resort and then stay at the conveniently located hotel.
The destination will follow the formula established by the five other Great Wolf Lodges in the U.S. and Canada by debuting with a 65,000-square-foot indoor entertainment area, 30,000-square-foot conference center, family restaurants, an arcade and spa. A 317-room, all-suite hotel is on site and presents a wilderness theme.
Beyond Washington, Great Wolf Resorts plans two additional water parks for 2006 in Ontario and Mason, Ohio. The company is actively negotiating expansion deals on locations in six different markets around North America. The tribe and the theme park management company will retain control of the resort.
Nearby but in a separate venture, the tribe is developing Eagle's Landing Hotel, a 69-room hotel and meeting space connected to the existing Lucky Eagle Casino. Both the resort and the hotel are aimed at diversifying the tribe's economic base.
Kent Station
Kent, the largest city in Western Washington without a major mall, is opening Kent Station in November. The four-phase project will eventually tally more than $100 million of private and public dollars, which moves the city decidedly in a direction that can support nightlife, renewed community involvement and enhanced educational opportunities. Tarragon Development broke ground in downtown Kent with a vision of an open-air urban village spread across 18.2 acres of the city located 15 miles south of Seattle.
AMC Theaters serves as a key anchor for the project, featuring a 14-screen multiplex that treats moviegoers with digital surround sound and stadium seating for unobstructed viewing. This new theater is an example of the kind of venues AMC is pursuing since the chain announced in June 2005 its merger with Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp. while retaining the name. The merger of the second and third largest movie theater chains squarely pits the new company against Regal Entertainment Group.
Green River Community College's branch campus opening will coincide with the November launch. Initially set at 22,000 square feet, that space could triple by the time the project is complete. Established in the 1960s, the institution aims to offer core academic transfer courses and programs to complement the school's criminal justice, computer reporting and paralitigator coursework.
Duke's Chowder House is expanding beyond its four Seattle locations with its collection of uniquely Northwest chowders, soups and salads. The new restaurant comes only months after an expansion at the Alki site. Duke's promises only the finest ingredients and wild seafood in its award-winning dishes.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, the taco and burrito restaurant mostly owned by McDonald's, is opening about one eatery every week around the U.S. The Kent-based Chipotle will help the fast-growing chain maintain the pace, though the location may face competition from a Baja Fresh, a similarly themed restaurant owned by Wendy's, which already sports a Kent address.
Zao Noodle Bar is celebrating its second Washington restaurant serving an affordable mix of Asian-style food in November when Kent Station opens for business. Menus feature Vietnamese rice noodles, noodles in broth and a selection of low-carb entrees.