New trampoline park opens in Overland Park

Caleb Braathen, 3, just couldn’t take that first step.

His mother, Lindsay Braathen of Waldo, did a demonstration — stepping out on the trampoline from the floor of the new Urban Air Trampoline Park and bouncing a few times. Caleb still wasn’t convinced.

But as Lindsay stepped off the trampoline to attend to Caleb’s 1-year-old brother Lucas, Caleb made his move. Ten minutes later he was still gleefully bouncing and his mom had to talk him into getting off the trampoline.

The area franchisee for Texas-based Urban Air Trampoline Park opened in a 35,000-square-foot space at 14401 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, in late July. Stein Mart formerly occupied the space in Lionsgate Marketplace.

Urban Air Trampoline Park features more than 10,000-square-feet of trampolines for children and adults, as well as a 3,500-square-foot, three-story play area — for children ages 8and under — with tunnels, slides, punching bags, ball pits, ladders, mini zip line, swing, and obstacles. It also has a dodge ball court, slam dunk track (three basketball lanes), and runway for practicing gymnastic moves. There’s even a 2,000-square-foot Urban Warrior Course, inspired by the popular TV show American Ninja Warrior.

Aimee Mayhew has four children, ages 3 months, 2, 5, and 7. Her sister and business partner, Nicole Tausz, has a 1-year-old and an 11-year-old. The sisters wanted a fun activity their children could do together, but the 10-year age span limited their choices. So they decided to create their own, a trampoline park that also would have a play area so children of all ages could participate.

Tausz’s neighbors had relatives, Adam and Ashley Jones — parents of children ages, 1, 3, and 5 — who also were planning to open a trampoline park in Overland Park, one with a Urban Warrior Course.

“They were on the exact same path for the exact same reasons. They had three kids and didn’t have anywhere to take them,” Mayhew said. “We ended up coming together and being a partnership. It was just sort of fate.”

Each partner also brought a needed skill set to the project based on their career experience — sales, marketing, human resources and project management.

“From the get-go we knew we wanted to have more than a trampoline park. We wanted an all-inclusive park for kids of all ages,” Mayhew said.

The trampolines are level with the floor so children can’t fall off and parents have visual access to all the attractions at the same time, she said.

Each age group also gets its own dedicated days.

For example, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders get the facility to themselves from 9 to 11 p.m. every other Friday, and teenagers have 9 to 11 p.m. every other Saturday. From 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and Fridays, it is only open to children ages 5 and under and their caretakers. It also is available to rent for private events like lock-ins and birthday parties.

On a recent Friday morning, parents, and some grandparents, were watching over as their toddlers went airborne.

Bryan Jenkins of Shawnee brought his 4-year-old, Eva, but also was considering the site for a birthday party for his 6-year-old son, Nick, who is a Ninja Warrior fan.

Shailja Enriquez of Overland Park brought her 2-year-old twins, Naina and Roman.

“They get the energy out before nap time,” she said.

Ticket prices vary. For example, for children ages 5 and under it is $8 an hour, and for ages 6 and above it $13 for the first hour, $8 for each additional hour.

An Overland Park Winstead’s closes

Winstead’s has closed its location at 10313 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.

Signs on the doors of the freestanding building and at the drive-thru say: “This location has been closed. Please visit one of our nearby locations. 435 & Roe. 81st & Metcalf.”

The restaurant had operated in the spot since at least 1987, according to city directories. Officials with parent company Haddad Restaurant Group did not return phone calls.

NAI LaSala-Sonnenberg is leasing broker for the Winstead’s and the Metcalf 103 shopping center. Carl LaSala said the lease for the 4,112-square-foot Winstead’s expired at the end of August. The building is now available for lease, or the land is for lease to a developer who could demolish the building for new construction.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 1:48 PM with the headline "New trampoline park opens in Overland Park."