EVERETT – It’s a cinema, a restaurant, a wine bar and a tropical garden all rolled into one.
Place it along the Snohomish River under the backdrop of the Cascade Range, and some might say you’ve found utopia.
More precisely, you’ve found Cinetopia, the first tenant to sign on at the new Everett riverfront development, a 225-acre slice of land once home to a mill and a dump. In February, the city sold the property to a San Diego-based developer, who intends to put up trendy shops and restaurants as well as condos and office space.
“Cinetopia sets the tone for the future development of the riverfront,” said Ray Stephanson, mayor of Everett. “Just like this development, Cinetopia is a distinctive, destination-quality attraction.”
Developer Oliver McMillan paid the city $8 million for the riverfront property. However, the public will pay as much as $100 million to clean up the site and make it accessible via a bridge, a road and a two-lane roundabout. City officials say Everett will reap benefits from the riverfront development in the long run. The development is slated to open in the summer of 2010.
Among other attractions, Cinetopia will feature 16 movie screens and an art gallery. Its wine bar will offer a selection of more than 100 wines, which can be purchased by the bottle, glass or ounce.
The Everett site will serve as the second Cinetopia in the state. Businessman Rudyard Coltman owns and operates a Cinetopia in Vancouver. He says his Vancouver business already receives plenty of visitors from Seattle who will be better served by a Cinetopia closer to home.
“The Everett Riverfront is our perfect location because like Cinetopia it will be a one of a kind destination offering the Seattle area a unique shopping, dining and recreational experience,” Coltman said.
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