9,000 Square Foot Indoor Play Concept “Me Land” Opens at Westview Business Park in Frederick, MD
Michelle and Meng Wang traveled internationally to glean ideas for entertainment facility targeting youths ages 12 and younger with different interactive zones and play areas
FREDERICK, MD (January 15, 2020) – With three children under 10 years of age, Frederick couple Michelle and Meng Wang yearned for an innovative indoor play area in the local area that would challenge their kids both physically and mentally. Absent a facility located within easy driving distance from their home that met their needs, the husband-wife team decided to invent one themselves and traveled internationally to glean ideas for their new entertainment concept. Me Land recently opened within 9,000 square feet of space at 5115 Pegasus Court in Westview Business Park. The business community, owned and developed by St. John Properties, contains nine buildings and is situated off Interstate 270 and MD Route 85. Danny Foit of St. John Properties represented the landlord in this lease transaction.
Me Land targets children 12 years of age and younger and features three different interactive zones and five slides within the three-level facility that, according to Michelle Wang, are designed to “motivate kids to get them off their electronic devices and into a stimulating environment where they can burn energy and improve their fine motor skills.” The Tot Zone is suited for children below three years of age and is equipped with a slide, blocks play house, soft rocking ride and play panels. Designed for all ages, the Ball Pit Zone features interactive games that encourages kids to use their hand and eye coordination to play. The “UFO” element in this zone drops balls and tubes on the wall that helps teach kids about physics. The Big Kids Zone, contained in the three-level section of the facility, is equipped with donut, wave and spiral slides and includes several interactive experiences.
“My husband and I became frustrated by the lack of indoor play facilities in the Frederick area that promoted clean fun and principles that we believed were important to the development of our kids including socializing with their peers,” Michelle Wang explained. “We believe it is important for young children to reduce their time watching television, use their electronic devices less frequently and mix with other people their ages in a challenging environment. We visited similar facilities in China and Mexico to bring the best of those ideas to Me Land.”
Approximately 20 full and part-time employees are expected to work at the facility which will be open seven days a week and offer four different party packages that includes food and drink options. Wang added that she expects weekends to be busy with large groups and parties with parents utilizing the facility to entertain their children during the weekdays. “We are encouraged by the fact that we have already received inquiries from many local Mom’s Clubs,” Wang said. “This will be an excellent venue to meet up with a friend for families with preschoolers in the mornings, and also for kids to burn off some energy after school.”
“After looking at many different business communities, we were attracted to Westview Business Park based on the number of nearby restaurants. We believe families will elongate their experience before or after visiting Me Land with a meal,” Wang said. “This location is also extremely easy to access from all parts of Frederick County and features tremendous road visibility. St. John Properties has been extremely helpful throughout the entire leasing and build-out process and their ownership of the building also played a major factor in our final leasing decision.”
5115 Pegasus Court is a single-story, 45,120 square foot Flex/R&D building featuring 16-foot ceiling heights and is now 100% leased and occupied. Surrounded by a free parking field, it is located less than one mile from Interstate 270, two miles from Interstate 70 and approximately 30 miles from Interstate 495.
“Our ability to house this creative use demonstrates the extreme flexibility of our buildings,” stated Matt Holbrook, Regional Partner for St. John Properties. “Me Land brings a highly innovative entertainment concept to the Frederick region and we expect its thoughtful design to strike a chord among families with young children seeking fun and educational experiences. By targeting a younger demographic, we are confident Me Land will carve out a niche in the growing entertainment category in Frederick.”
Wang explains the name of the facility signifies the goal of having youngsters taking ownership of the facility by identifying it as “their personal space to grow and have fun.” The “land” reference reflects the design of the concept as an island with many different exotic creatures woven into the experience.
St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971, owns and has developed more than 20 million square feet of R&D/Flex, Office, Retail and Warehouse space in Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah and Wisconsin. The company was named “2018 Developer of the Year” for the Nation by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.