EVERETT — Industrial land once slated for upscale residential development is now planned for a industrial park.
Cemex sold about 25 acres to a Bellevue-based developer in late December.
The buyers, Underwood Gartland Everett LLC, plan to build as many as four buildings, each up to 450,000 square feet in size, and lease them to companies. They paid $8.5 million.
The land, just off Glenwood Avenue and north of Paine Field, was a sand-and-gravel site for many years. Originally known as Associated Sand and Gravel, the site provided material for building Seattle’s Space Needle, freeways, roads and homes.
In the same area, Campbell subsidiary Stockpot Soups and JanSport provide thousands of jobs for workers.
In 2009, Cemex announced plans to redevelop a larger parcel of land — including this piece — with single-family homes, shops and restaurants.
The project stalled when the city Planning Commission recommended keeping the land industrial.
It’s not easy to create more industrial areas in the city because neighbors are concerned about traffic, noise, dust and air quality, Allan Giffen, the Everett Planning and Community Development Director, said at the time. The city’s comprehensive plan strongly supports keeping existing industrial land.
The city recently approved a subdivision of the bigger parcel, allowing sale of this property by Cemex.
Underwood Gartland Development of Bellevue, the company behind the purchase, is a joint venture of Shannon Underwood, a real estate attorney, and David Gartland, an engineer.
Underwood said they have developed seven industrial and office complexes totaling 850,000 square feet in the area.
“Residential is inappropriate next to industrial,” Underwood said. “The intent with the project is more jobs-centric. This site is best used for companies making things rather than distributing. Our company specialty is industrial.”
Broderick Group, a commercial real estate service, is leasing the property for Underwood Gartland.
Underwood Gartland is in the process of creating a team of architects and contractors. But building won’t get started until interested parties come forward.
“This project will depend on what the market dictates,” Underwood said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.