EDMONDS — Edmonds is in the midst of making the biggest land acquisition in city history.
Off of Highway 99, between 240th and 242nd streets SW, sits a 10-acre plot of land, and the city recently dropped a $100,000 deposit on securing it. Currently, it’s home to a Burlington Coat Factory, the Aurora Antique Pavilion and a few acres of undeveloped land.
Soon, it could welcome a host of civic-minded projects, such as parks, public facilities or recreation centers.
But the sale is not yet finalized.
On June 27, the Edmonds City Council approved the deposit, effectively holding the land for the next 18 months while the city conducts outreach and develops a plan. The deposit is fully refundable for six months, in case the outreach reveals that neighbors don’t want the change.
The entire parcel would be purchased from a single owner, Robert Siew, of Bellevue, with an expected price tag of $37 million. The city is currently assessing funding options, whether that be a tax increase, state partnership or a different option.
Mayor Mike Nelson is excited about the plethora of opportunities the parcel could yield: an aquatic center, multifamily housing, green space — or something else that comes up in the feedback phase.
“We’ve consistently heard from the community about the lack of community amenities along (Highway 99),” Nelson said. “… This is going to be a place for all our entire city and beyond to come, use and enjoy. It’s part of my overall interest in putting more focus and investment in the Highway 99 corridor.”
Named the Highway 99 Landmark Site, this 10-acre purchase “dovetails off” of Nelson’s commitment to develop the “historically underserved community” along Highway 99, he explained.
On June 29, Nelson held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the completion of a $9.3 million investment into the Highway 99 Revitalization project. The investment is projected to reduce vehicle crashes by 37% and pedestrian accidents by 45%, while improving traffic flow, Nelson said. The project also added more than 130 trees and 11,000 plants to the area.
“Whilst this is good progress, some of the most critical needs for neighborhoods in the Highway 99 area are still not met, notably open space and community gathering places (community center/recreation),” city documents explained.
Over the next few months, the city plans to conduct a “significant amount of community engagement” to gauge input and feedback. Environmental factors, such as developing “green” buildings and a stormwater system, will also be a priority in conversations. Nelson said he anticipates meetings to begin in August. Once the dream plan is created and the land is purchased, the city will begin public-private partnerships to develop the property.
“We’re basically doing three things,” Nelson said. “We’re coming up with a community vision for the property, we’re looking into how we’re going to fund the purchase of the property, and, of course, we’re doing our due diligence in making sure that the property itself meets our standards.”
Regardless, the site’s expected closing date is still two years out.
“I think there would be a domino effect of other investments and other opportunities throughout the Highway 99 corridor as we continue to beautify the area and make more infrastructure improvements,” Nelson said. “So this is just part of the ongoing investment.”
Kayla J. Dunn: 425-339-3449; kayla.dunn@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @KaylaJ_Dunn.
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