MARYSVILLE — An Idaho development company has purchased the Sands 55 Plus Mobile Home park along 116th Street NE, clearing the way for a large shopping center to take its place.
White-Leasure Development Co. of Boise plans to build a 92,000-square-foot WinCo Foods supermarket and space for other retail businesses on more than 17 acres along the north side of 116th. The project tentatively is called the Gateway Shopping Center.
Prior to completing its purchase of the mobile home park and adjoining property to the east, White-Leasure and WinCo, also based in Boise, had acquired five adjoining lots for more than $3.3 million, according to Snohomish County property records. The Sands 55 property, which includes two 80-year-old houses, sold for an additional $1.75 million.
"We’ve got all the land acquired that we need now," said Ken Lenz, White-Leasure’s planning and development manager.
He said the firm hopes the new WinCo store can be built and opened before the year ends. Demolition of old houses on the properties and other site preparation work could begin soon, Lenz added.
Last summer, White-Leasure and WinCo went through an environmental review with the city of Marysville. Gloria Hirashima, community development director, said the developers still need to undergo a structural review before building permits can be issued.
Remaining residents in the mobile home park also need to move.
Walter Kallmes, 76, is one of the few Sands 55 residents who owns his mobile home. Most of the two dozen or so residents of the park rented their homes and already have moved out.
Kallmes said he was told he has until August to find a new place to live.
"I hope so, because I haven’t moved yet," Kallmes said.
He said he’s had difficulty finding a new location for his older mobile home.
Kallmes said he understands the new shopping center will bring in new sales tax revenue to help the city, but he thinks longtime residents of the park received the short end of the deal.
"It’s like pulling the rug out from under senior citizens," he said.
Kallmes added that he was told the park’s owners felt pressured by White-Leasure and the city to sell the park. The former owners, Clifford and Norma Sands, have moved from the park and could not be reached for comment.
Despite residents’ allegations, Mary Swenson, Marysville’s administrative officer, and Hirashima said the city didn’t discuss using its eminent domain powers to help the proposed shopping center project.
Hirashima said the city did buy part of the land to the east of the mobile home park for use as a storm-water retention pond. That was required for the planned widening of State Avenue at the nearby intersection with 116th Street.
WinCo Foods first entered the Puget Sound market in 2000, when it built one of its warehouse-style stores in Federal Way. Since then, it also has built a store in Kent. Overall, the 37-year-old chain operates 43 stores in five states.
WinCo is not the only new supermarket planned for the Marysville area. Across the freeway, Wal-Mart is adding a supermarket section to its existing store at the Tulalip Tribes’ Quil Ceda Village.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
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