McMenamins, a company that owns pubs and hotels in Washington and Oregon, plans to open a 70-room hotel in Bothell.
The company has agreed to buy 5.41 acres from the city for $7 million in cash and community benefits.
Plans for the hotel include a restaurant, pub, movie theater, music stage, spa, community garden, pool and community meeting space.
The agreement must be approved by the Bothell City Council at its June 15 meeting. According to a statement from the city, McMenamins would be required to open the hotel for business by June 2013.
The deal comes with some perks for Bothell residents. Community benefits outlined in the agreement include 15 years of free access to the pool, meeting space and garden. The deal will reopen the Northshore pool, which closed more than a year ago.
The hotel will be located at the Anderson School site in downtown Bothell. McMenamins plans to reuse four existing structures, including a 1931 art-deco building.
“The Anderson School building is a premier historic site located within a quickly growing and vibrant city,” McMenamins spokeswoman Renee Rank said.
Bothell bought the building from the Northshore School District last year, part of an 18-acre package. Since then, the city has been working to attract desirable businesses to that area.
Two more properties adjacent to the McMenamins hotel site are still for sale, and the city reports receiving more than 18 inquiries.
Officials said Monday they anticipate the hotel’s presence will make the properties more appealing to prospective buyers.
The city is touting the announcement as a sign of revitalization.
The city has a long-term plan to redevelop its downtown corridor, adding urban residential developments, retail buildings and office space — along with a new city government campus and a larger parks system.
“The downtown revitalization plan was founded on strong economic principals and new urbanism,” Bothell Mayor Mark Lamb said in a prepared statement. “I am thrilled to see that the vision is taking shape so quickly and that a successful business such as McMenamins can see and share in the vision.”
Read Amy Rolph’s small-business blog at www.heraldnet.com/TheStorefront. Contact her at 425-339-3029 or arolph@heraldnet.com.
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