ust days after the Tulalip Casino laid off more than 200 workers, the Tulalip Tribes followed up with good news announcing the arrival of a long-planned outlet mall. And not just any outlet mall. A premium outlet mall. Seattle Premium Outlets, according to the developer, the Chelsea Property Group.
With more than 120 big-name stores, locals won’t have to travel south of Snohomish County — or north, for that matter — to find upscale sales. But it’s more than a matter of convenience for local shoppers. It’s also a matter of several hundred construction jobs in the next year and another 800 permanent and part-time jobs when the mall opens.
It’s a smart move by the tribes, who despite having over-estimated casino revenues, are once again diversifying their economy. It benefits the rest of us, too, and is happening at a time when our friends up north are preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which will bring plenty of tourists here.
Ten to 12 percent of the people who visit the Marysville-Tulalip area come across the Canadian border first, said Kathleen Baron, information service coordinator for the Marysville-Tulalip Chamber of Commerce. Chamber officials are focusing hard on the three-day tourism crowd, a wise approach that other officials in their area say they’re taking, too.
Snohomish County will probably never be a destination point all its own, but it should be a must-see for those touring the Puget Sound area. Three-day tourism stints could tie in the Everett Events Center, the Tulalip Casino, golfing and retail, Baron pointed out. With so many other exciting project possibilities in this area — some already in the works, some just peeking out from under wraps and some still being kept quiet — the options available to visitors, along with the natural beauty and outdoor activities, should change the financial landscape and reputation of our county.
It appears we’ve finally learned that nobody ever makes it big in business or politics by waiting for others to come to them. We have sharp leaders, entrepreneurs and citizen activists in place to bring new business ventures into our county while still maintaining the beauty and enhancing our diversity.
Now, about that name … Seattle Premium Outlets. Can we do away with the S-word?
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