Construction starts on $4M children's activity center at mall

Serfass Construction Co. of North Whitehall Township has begun building the new Kids Quest and Cyber Quest tenant fit-out at The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem inside Sands Casino Resort.

The project consists of fitting out about 16,000 square feet of space on the lower level of the shopping complex at the end of the retail mall, said Matthias Fenstermacher, vice president of Serfass.

"This area was carved out and never finished," Fenstermacher said. "We have to put an entire concrete slab inside the middle of a completed building. There is a lot of coordination that takes place."

This, of course, presents challenges since the building is an operational facility, he added. More than 15 local trades will work together on the construction, and as many as 50 workers will be on-site daily during the three-month project. The projected opening is mid-June, Fenstermacher said.

RSP Architects of Minneapolis, Minn., is the architect.

Serfass completed several construction projects for The Outlets at Sands, including Joli Bakery and Café, European Body Concepts Spa & Wellness, Limited Editions Eccoci Collection and the Event Center, adjacent to the mall.

Laura Roehl, vice president of marketing for Kids Quest/ Cyber Quest, Plymouth, Minn., said this is the company's first Pennsylvania location.

"The Sands for us was a great opportunity; we think it's a great location," Roehl said. Kids Quest has been operating for 22 years and Cyber Quest for 19 years, Roehl said. Kids Quest and Cyber Quest, two separate companies, have joined forces to locate these facilities at 20 casino resort locations around the nation, she said.

The project, which should cost nearly $4 million to build, will feature one side for Kids Quest and another for Cyber Quest, Roehl said.

Kids Quest is a supervised hourly play facility that offers entertainment for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years. The center will offer a variety of activities, including a multipurpose gym, rock climbing wall, Apple iPad stations, karaoke stage, arts and crafts and a multilevel play piece to explore.

The café and movie watching areas are in Kids Quest. Kids Quest has staff to supervise the areas, initiate games and oversee children during their play activities, Roehl said.

Cyber Quest is the family-friendly arcade that features nonviolent game content for all ages. The arcade has staff on hand to supervise, help with selecting arcade games and answer questions.

This area has about 96 video games, she added.

Kids Quest and Cyber Quest also provide venues for children's birthday parties and special events.

The indoor shopping mall is at 77 Sands Blvd. in Bethlehem.

Source: LVB.com