STANWOOD — A local developer hopes to break ground in March on Village Commons, a $14 million complex that includes dozens of upscale condominiums and retail space.
Sol Baron, president of Lindstrom Development Group, said financing and regulatory approvals for the project are in place. He also has chosen a general contractor, Seattle-based Compass Construction Management. Lindstrom Development just needs the final building permits from the city to proceed.
Groundbreaking "will probably be toward the end of March, I would guess," Baron said. "We’re still setting the date."
Getting to the construction phase has taken nearly two years.
While mixed-use buildings that combine residential units and commercial space have become more common in south Snohomish County, they were virtually unknown in Stanwood when Lindstrom Development first presented its proposal.
Before getting approval for the project itself, Baron had to wait until the Stanwood City Council passed a change to the city’s comprehensive plan to allow mixed-use buildings in the Village Commons area. That happened in March 2003.
Since then, Lindstrom Development has worked with Designs Northwest of Stanwood and others on the building’s exterior design. Baron said Village Commons will have a European look that includes a large, landscaped courtyard with a fountain, gardens, hot tub and an outdoor fireplace. H2K, an interior design firm in Stanwood, is helping to design the interiors of the condos.
Overall, Village Commons will have 54 condos, 16,000 square feet of retail and office space, and a covered garage with 82 parking spaces for residents.
The building will be built south of the Haggen supermarket and not far from the movie theater at Stanwood-Camano Village. The 55-acre property on Stanwood’s east end, first developed by Lindstrom Development in the mid-1990s, already has about 50 businesses and an assisted-living center.
If Village Commons proves to be a success, there are tentative plans to add two other mixed-use building.
As of this week, Baron had 18 reservations for condos in the new development. Prices range from $162,500 for a one-bedroom unit to more than $250,000 for a 1,500-square-foot unit with two bedrooms and a den.
Seniors and empty-nesters are the primary market for the units, especially since shopping, doctor’s offices and other services are close by, Baron said.
If construction runs on schedule, the units could be ready for residents by spring 2005. More information on the project is available at www.villagecommons.info.
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