PSBJ: Century-old MiKen Building secures experiential retail tenant

This story was originally published by the Puget Sound Business Journal on Sept. 24, 2025.

By Egan Ward – Reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal

Choice Escapes, a narrative-driven escape room, is expected to open in one of downtown Seattle’s oldest office buildings by the end of the year.

The historic MiKen Building, located at 1417 Fourth Ave., is an eight-story, nearly 46,800-square-foot office that dates back to 1918. Choice Escapes will fill 3,700 square feet of the ground-floor retail space.

The MiKen, which totals 5,682 square feet of retail space, was built in two phases. The lower half of the skinny, mid-block building was built in 1918, with the rest completed five years later.

It’s the first business venture for owners Sean Aldous and Kelly Sandoval, who are self-described escape room and game enthusiasts. Aldous is a technical artist, using his background in art and programming to conceptualize, design and program the puzzles. He is also a woodworker and will be crafting the physical puzzles for the business. Sandoval is a fiction writer and editor; she will be creating and testing the puzzles and experimenting with methods to expand the storytelling in their escape rooms.

Aldous said they chose this location because of its central downtown location and accessibility to Westlake, a nearby spot for the couple.

“We’re hoping (the location) makes it a convenient place to visit for both tourists and locals,” said Aldous in an email interview.

Sandoval said the required construction work is basic, with the removal of walls and the addition of new walls. According to a construction permit filed yesterday, the estimated project value is $10,000.

Sandoval said Choice Escapes has two escape rooms planned, with plans for a third to come. Those experiences include a room themed around a light-based supervillain, where players will be able to choose where they help or stop the villain. The second room is a ghost story that initially presents as a romance story.

“Escape rooms often offer a narrative when you first enter, but that serves merely as set dressing — there’s rarely a sense of surprise or of a plot line that’s moved forward by players’ actions,” Sandoval said. “We’re seeking to create rooms that make the player feel empowered.”

Choice Escapes adds to a growing list of escape rooms setting up in Seattle.

The country’s second-largest escape room company, The Escape Game, will open its first Seattle location at the Westfield Southcenter Mall on Oct. 10, followed by a second location in South Lake Union in early November.

The country’s biggest escape room company, Escapology, opened at Alderwood Mall in June.

Overall, the experiential trend has taken root across the Puget Sound region in recent years, including the Tomb Raider Experience on the waterfront and downtown’s Museum of Illusions.

For landlords, experiential tenants bring in foot traffic, which spreads to nearby businesses like restaurants.

“New operators investing in downtown and bringing interesting concepts to our vacant retail spaces is terrific news,” said James Sido, director of media relations and issues management for the DSA. “With the prime assets we have like the new Waterfront Park and venerable Pike Place Market, and increasing foot traffic, downtown is primed for more of this activity.”

According to the Downtown Seattle Association’s revitalization dashboard, downtown saw a 6% year-over-year increase in foot traffic, with 430,000 visits per day.