Published April 2002
Redevelopment
projects around county expected
to bring economic benefits
By
Mike Benbow
Herald Business Editor
Individually, a handful
of retail and civic redevelopment projects in the pipeline in Snohomish
County are still subject to debate and far from a certainty.
But they represent
a staggering investment, and construction of just a few could have a big
impact on the local economy.
In Lynnwood alone,
the private owner of Alderwood Mall, the city and a public facilities
district are all planning major projects during the next few years.
“We’re planning a
$100 million investment in the city of Lynnwood,” city Economic Development
Director David Kleisch said. “It’s been booked. Over the next couple of
years, you’ll see that construction start to occur.”
Kleisch was one of
several speakers at Snohomish County’s quarterly tourism forum in March
who talked about major projects under way in the Lynnwood, Edmonds and
Everett areas and on the Tulalip Tribes reservation.
A planned expansion
of Alderwood Mall alone is about a $50 million project, Kleisch said,
followed by the city’s redevelopment of an area it would like to turn
into its downtown and a conference center planned by the facilities district.
He said the work
at Alderwood is likely to create “the biggest mall in the state of Washington.”
John McCoy of the
Tulalip Tribes didn’t release any cost estimates, but he did talk about
the continuing development under way on the reservation.
Construction is going
strong on the tribes’ new casino, a Burger King is planning to open at
the tribal business park, and negotiations are in progress with a number
of other fast-food outlets and some high-end retail stores.
The casino should
be complete about this time next year and will be followed by a 250-room
hotel and a child-care center, McCoy said, noting the tribes are also
discussing a proposal for development of a theme park at the site.
Asked where the money
is coming from for the development, McCoy said, “This all comes from our
own resources, and we’re quite proud of that.”
Terry Vehrs of the
Edmonds Public Facilities District talked about his community’s plan for
“a humble” $7.5 million event center, achieved through renovation of a
former Puget Sound Christian College building.
If completed, the
project would provide a facility for a variety of business conferences
and community events, Vehrs said.
The project is by
no means certain and is competing for public facility district funding.
Dave Waggoner of
Paine Field Airport talked about a proposed National Flight and Interpretive
Center at the airport to house a new Boeing Co. tour center and an additional
building in Snohomish County for Seattle’s Museum of Flight. The county
would own the facility, which would cost $16.2 million for the first phase
and $27 million in total.
Waggoner said the
project would mostly pay for itself through lease revenue and would be
something that “sends the right signal to Boeing” as it looks for a place
to build its new Sonic Cruiser jetliner.
“We want to be a
supportive partner and an innovative partner with them,” he said.
The Snohomish County
Council will make the final decision on the project, which Waggoner said
should produce a dramatic increase in tourism because it would double
the size of the tour center for Boeing, already the county’s biggest tourist
attraction.
In late March, however,
efforts to build the project were dealt a blow when the County Council
blocked promoters from seeking $2.6 million from county Public Facilities
District coffers.
The largest project
by far — a $62.5 million arena — is in Everett.
While opponents have
filed a lawsuit in an effort to halt the project, officials are proceeding
and began roping off the area for land clearing in March.
Fred Safstrom, assistant
to the director of the Everett Public Facilities District, said completion
is planned for September of next year on a facility that can host a minor-league
hockey team and 150 or so events each year.
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