2 billion pounds of dirt destined for Everett riverfront site
Published 11:19 pm Sunday, September 21, 2008
EVERETT — The city’s newest neighborhood hugging a long stretch of the Snohomish River is taking form, one scoop at a time.
A parade of dump trucks working around the clock for three months is moving mountains of dirt — 2.2 billion pounds’ worth — onto the site.
The weight of the dirt is supposed to compress loose landfill debris already buried at the site and limit any future settling. It is just one of the many challenges that come with transforming an old city dump and mill site into an outdoor shopping mall and residential neighborhood.
“I share everyone’s impatience,” said City Councilman Mark Olson, a member of the council’s Riverfront Committee. “I’d like to see a fantastic development open next weekend.”
By 2011, Everett Riverfront is expected to have shops, restaurants, a hotel, a movie theater, homes, parks, a public plaza, preserved wetlands and five miles of walking and bicycle trails.
San Diego developer OliverMcMillan paid the city $8 million earlier this year for 139 acres of industrial land wedged between the river and I-5.
The company, which specializes in mixed-use projects, competed for the project and was ultimately selected by the city to develop the area.
OliverMcMillan’s plans call for as many as 1,400 houses and condos, more than 1 million square feet of retail and hotel space, and a movie theater complex.
With the current financial crisis spreading anxiety and access to credit tightening, Olson and Councilman Arlan Hatloe said they have no indication that OliverMcMillan will not be able to meet its obligations in Everett.
“We all remain very upbeat and optimistic about this project,” Olson said.
Construction on the commercial buildings is expected to begin next year, while the residential piece will be added based on market demand, according to the developer.
Cinetopia, a Vancouver, Wash., company, plans to open a 16-screen movie theater, a wine bar and a restaurant at the site. It was the first tenant to publicly announce intentions to lease space at Everett Riverfront.
Hatloe, also a member of the Riverfront Committee, said other prospective tenants may be announced soon.
The development is the culmination of years of work, including extensive environmental cleanup, engineering studies and legal wrangling. It required Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to agree to allow the city to move mainline tracks through the heart of the project.
It will also require the development of an improved methane gas collection system to trap landfill gas emissions and a separate system to prevent polluted water from the landfill from seeping into Snohomish River.
In all, the city’s tab for its share of the project could reach $100 million. The city expects to recapture the money over time in extra taxes that the development helps generate.
“It’s just like putting together a puzzle,” Hatloe said. “There’s a lot of pieces to place along the way.”
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
