Vancouver will welcome the Pacific Northwest’s first Slick City Action Park when the indoor slide center opens this fall in the former Joann Fabrics at 11505 NE Fourth Plain Blvd. Franchise owners say the site, a 35,500-square-foot space, will become an indoor slide park built on the chain’s patented slide technology — a dry alternative to a water park — and is targeting a mid-October opening.
Reuse of a large retail space and a new employer
The Vancouver location will be the first Slick City in Washington or Oregon, according to franchisee Jordan Wade, who co-owns the new park with Matt Lambeth. The pair signed a 10-year lease on the space and have options to extend beyond that term. Wade told local industry outlets he and Lambeth already run a Slick City in Salt Lake City and that Vancouver was chosen because of its family demographics and convenient freeway access.
Wade emphasized the difficulty of finding appropriate real estate for the operation. The slides require both unusually tall ceilings and a large footprint, a combination that limits available sites. The Joann Fabrics vacancy presented an opportunity to repurpose an existing retail shell for entertainment use.
- Address: 11505 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver
- Size: 35,500 square feet
- Lease: 10 years, with extension options
- Target opening: Mid-October
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| First Pacific Northwest location | Yes |
| Existing Slick City locations | Salt Lake City (owned by same franchisees) |
Slick City positions itself as an attraction for more than young children. Wade said the concept is intended to draw families, college groups, school outings and social clubs, noting, "Everyone can slide." He added that he and Lambeth aim to build a local team and be a resource for schools and families in the area.
“We’re excited to become part of the community. We want to build a team and a presence there. We look forward to employing lots of people and just becoming a support to the schools and families in the area.”
Wade’s familiarity with the Portland metro area stems from years in the trampoline-park industry, including work with Sky Zone locations that previously operated in Vancouver, Gresham and Beaverton. He said that experience influenced the decision to pursue a Vancouver location when Slick City began franchising several years after developing its slide technology.
Local impacts and open questions
For Vancouver residents, the opening represents several tangible effects: reuse of a large vacant retail unit, potential new employment opportunities, and an added family entertainment option near major freeway routes. The location’s proximity to Interstate 205 and other arterial roads was cited by the franchisees as a selling point that made Vancouver preferable to other nearby markets.
Details remain sparse on the number of jobs the park will create, exact hours of operation, pricing or the full slate of programming and safety practices. Those operational specifics will be important for area schools and youth organizations considering field trips or partnerships. The lease and redevelopment also raise questions about any required permitting or inspections from city building and fire officials before the mid-October target opening.
As Vancouver continues to adapt former big-box and specialty retail spaces to new uses, the arrival of Slick City underscores a regional trend toward experience-focused businesses filling large footprints. Residents and community groups can expect more information as the franchisees finalize build-out and announce hiring and programming plans in the weeks before opening.
