Federal Way/Auburn/Kent Development News - Page 3

NW Mike · July 19th, 2007, 05:17 PM

Maybe he is surprised by this like me because city officials seem to screw things up so often...That the vision never gets realized. That to many hands in the cookie jar(Politicians) want in on the project, making rules and deciding what is best, when often times the Architects and Developers know much more than these politicians will ever know. This is great for Fed way and now we can hope this will influence other citys to move forward.(Lynnwood,Everett,Renton,Shoreline,Bothell and so on...) I do hope Tacoma starts building larger urban projects in the core.

mhays · July 19th, 2007, 05:27 PM

The City still has plenty of time to screw it up. All they did was choose a developer to negotiate with.

Even after negotiations are done, the project needs to be designed, go through land use approval...

CrazyAboutCities · July 20th, 2007, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW Mike

Maybe he is surprised by this like me because city officials seem to screw things up so often...That the vision never gets realized. That to many hands in the cookie jar(Politicians) want in on the project, making rules and deciding what is best, when often times the Architects and Developers know much more than these politicians will ever know. This is great for Fed way and now we can hope this will influence other citys to move forward.(Lynnwood,Everett,Renton,Shoreline,Bothell and so on...) I do hope Tacoma starts building larger urban projects in the core.

That's right. Thanks for answered Mhay's question.

Fedwayer · July 20th, 2007, 02:59 PM

The City actually has a really good city council -- they all are professionals and have been uniformly pretty aggressive about trying to get development downtown. There's one council member in particular who has been pushing all of this and he's been pretty successful in getting changes made that will likely lead to more projects like this being built.

The overall downtown plan is very similar to Bellevue's, with taller buildings in the center, surrounded by slightly lower buildings, and a new smaller block street grid, but with lower overall height limits.

The City has already completed the downtown-wide environmental review (which definitely helps speed things up) and I think they hired a staff person dedicated to coordinate major downtown developments. Even though there was some disagreement as to which of the two proposals to go with, and there remains some negotiations to be completed, I would expect things to go relatively smoothly to get the project built quickly.

uwhuskies · August 26th, 2007, 03:19 PM

Federal Way's future sky-high?
By Cara Solomon

Seattle Times South King County reporter

More Southeast King County News
Federal Way's future sky-high?

Walking group cruises the streets of Kent

Sergeant cleared in investigation

Prep football season kicks off

Devoting her life to dancing

Back to the routine of nagging, whining
First came the families, pushed out by Seattle's high housing prices. Then came the subdivisions, spreading out where fields used to be. Now the ultimate symbol of growth is coming to South King County: skyscrapers.

Federal Way is planning to create a 4-acre urban village downtown, with residential towers up to 24 stories tall. The city is negotiating with United Properties, of Vancouver, B.C., which has proposed the $300 million project, a 1-acre park surrounded by a mix of residential, retail and office space.

The towers would be a stark departure from what other cities in South King County have done to draw more people downtown. The tallest buildings at Kent Station, a mix of retail and, eventually, residential, will be four stories, though the city hasn't imposed a height limit downtown. Burien's Town Square will limit its residential buildings to seven stories.

United Properties President Victor Setton said going vertical allows more space for a park — the first of any size in downtown Federal Way. And then, of course, height adds the value of views. The towers are expected to rise between 16 and 24 stories high, dominating the city's skyline.

The tallest building in Federal Way now is nine stories.

"Anything you build that's over four floors in Federal Way is not in character with the area," Setton said. "But I think you have to look to the future, and I think vertical is the way to go."

City officials say there is good reason for going higher: Its residential neighborhoods are built out. The only way to accommodate more growth, city officials say, is to build upward. The idea of being the first to do so also has some appeal. The city of 86,500 has been searching for its signature style ever since it incorporated in 1990.

"We've been in that awkward adolescent phase," said City Manager Neal Beets. "But I think this demonstrates that we're blossoming into our 20s quite nicely."

Outsiders may know Federal Way for its office parks and shopping complexes, but a residential community has thrived for several decades, drawing families to waterfront properties and dozens of parks. Since incorporation, some residents have gotten even more vocal, pushing for change they say will improve the city's quality of life.

Hence, the 72,000-square-foot community center that opened this spring. A grass-roots effort for a performing-arts center also seems to be gaining ground. And now, after years of discussion, the city is moving to revitalize its downtown core.

"I think that's been the missing piece," said Patrick Doherty, the city's economic-development director.

The goal is to create a more dense, pedestrian-friendly downtown. The city has worked on that for years, doing an environmental study of the area to reduce costs for developers and advising area owners how best to redevelop their properties.

But it had not bought property until an owner offered last autumn to sell land west of the transit center, where a former movie theater stood. The city purchased the land in January for $4.1 million, then set it aside for development.

This winter it took the critical step of raising the height limit in a specific zone downtown from 85 feet to 200 feet, with some flexibility to go higher.

Des Moines recently raised height limits in its Pacific Ridge neighborhood, a struggling area that borders Highway 99. The move came at the suggestion of developers, who said they were more likely to build if they could offer views.

In Federal Way, there has been little public resistance to skyscrapers. But the council voted 4-3 on this project, which the developer says would include about 900 condominiums, of varying prices; up to 85,000 square feet of retail area; and space for the local campus of Highline Community College.

United Properties has offered the city $6.1 million for the land; the city would have no other financial investment in the project.

Critics are concerned about increased traffic and the number of residential units proposed. Deputy Mayor Jim Ferrell said he would support the project but preferred another proposal that provided three times the retail space.

"I was much more interested in creating more economic-development dollars, rather than trying to bring in more people," Ferrell said.

Barbara Barney, a resident of more than 20 years, said the project doesn't sound like Federal Way, a mix of working-class and wealthy, with increasing ethnic diversity.

"I feel like what the City Council is trying to do is create another Bellevue," Barney said. "I don't think that's us."

But Mayor Michael Park said he was gratified to see the city's vision for downtown take a major step forward. He sees the project as a catalyst for other development downtown.

Pending negotiations, the first tower could open in 2009.

Cara Solomon: 206-464-2024 or csolomon@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

samsonyuen · August 26th, 2007, 06:08 PM

Sounds Vancouver-ish. Any renderings?

CityView Jim · August 26th, 2007, 06:37 PM

Find more on this at Federal Way News string.

***Bond James Bond*** · August 27th, 2007, 03:19 AM

I merged uwhuskies' thread into the existing Federal Way thread.

Fedwayer · December 17th, 2007, 05:18 AM

The City has sold the property and the developer expects to begin construction next Spring:
---------------
High-rise development in downtown Federal Way one step closer to reality.

The City of Federal Way stepped closer to the reality of a high-rise mixed use development in its downtown core last week. On Dec. 7, the Federal Way City Council unanimously approved an agreement with United Properties of Vancouver, BC, for $6.2 million to purchase and develop the former AMC Theaters property at the southeast corner of 20th Avenue South and South 316th Street.

The City purchased the property in January of this year for $4.1 million and has been in negotiations with United Properties since selecting its development proposal in July. Since the selection, the council has worked with United Properties to enhance the original proposal.

The development, called “Symphony,” spans a four-acre site and calls for four towers ranging from 16 to 24 stories in height—the tallest towers of any city between southern Seattle and Portland (except for the Wells Fargo Building in Tacoma). The development features approximately 60,000 square-feet of retail, office and commercial space on the lower levels with about 900 condos and apartments taking the upper floors. Responding to council concerns in July about the large number of apartments, United Properties intends to provide at least three-quarters of the units as condos as dictated by the marketplace.

Another key concern of the City’s was to include space for Highline Community College’s Federal Way facilities, negotiations for which are currently underway. Lastly, the project includes an approximately one-acre public park that will most likely include a water feature, outdoor fireplace, areas for outdoor cafés and casual seating, a small band shell, and areas for both active and passive activities. In 2008, there will be opportunities for the public to participate in shaping the park’s development.

Federal Way Economic Development Director Patrick Doherty calls the development a “transformational project” that will become a landmark in Federal Way’s city center and serve as “a catalyst to additional investment in the area.”

The total cost of the project is estimated at about $225 to $250 million, with construction likely to span four phases. United Properties intends to break ground on the first 16-story building in late spring 2008 and finish by the end of 2009. United Properties also will be establishing a sales center near the development in early 2008. Residential units will range in cost from under $200,000 for a junior suite to approximately $800,000 for a top-floor penthouse. A large majority of the upper floors will boast commanding views of Mt. Rainier, and the Olympic and Cascade mountains.

Learn more at www.symphonyliving.com.
----------------

***Bond James Bond*** · December 17th, 2007, 06:20 AM

Yay!

USAPatriot · December 18th, 2007, 05:37 AM

Thats good to hear.

Fedwayer · December 18th, 2007, 08:01 AM

The pictures on their website are the old ones. They presented newer ones at the city council meeting that were better -- greater variation in height and more glass.

citruspastels · December 18th, 2007, 10:09 PM

this is great news. i hope it works well for them and that other cities the size of federal way take note. if towns down there keep increasing density like that there may be a good case for south link light rail after all.

seapug · December 18th, 2007, 11:09 PM

there already is a good case. pierce county has over 800,000 people why would you not want to connect to that.

citruspastels · December 18th, 2007, 11:14 PM

because king county has 1.8 million in a more dense area who need to be connected first.

im not saying light rail shouldnt go there. i cant wait for the day light rail goes to tacoma. im just saying if tax payers are going to be stingy we need priorities.

Fedwayer · December 19th, 2007, 07:00 PM

Most populous cities in King County:
1. Seattle - 586k
2. Bellevue - 118k
3. Federal Way - 87k
4. Kent - 86k
5. Renton - 77k (including recent annexation)
6. Auburn - 65k (including recent annexation)
7. Shoreline - 53k
8. Redmond - 50k
9. Kirkland - 47k
10. Sammamish - 40k

The most densely populated cities in King County:
1. Seattle
2. Des Moines
3. Shoreline
4. Kirkland
5. Federal Way

Of the 10 largest cities in the state (Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Spokane Valley, Federal Way, Kent, Yakima), Federal Way is the second most densely populated.

seapug · December 19th, 2007, 09:31 PM

redmond actually passed kirkland and is up to 50,000 now also tacoma is only 5 miles further then everett everet has 101,000 with a density of 2980/square mile, tacoma has 201,000 with a density of 4056/square mile. in my opinion north seattle and pierce county are the two most important lines. then i'd say bellevue and snoco are next. i read somewhere that pierce county has plans to build lightrail to gig harbor and to federalway but i can't find anything about it anymore

citruspastels · December 19th, 2007, 10:01 PM

interesting stats. i could see the voters going for a line to federal way, i think people just cringe though when they see that tacoma is served by sounder AND light rail. not that a line to tacoma is a bad idea, i'm just not sure it's very viable if we are going to have a vote this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by seapug

i read somewhere that pierce county has plans to build lightrail to gig harbor and to federalway but i can't find anything about it anymore

if there is anything that would get king county voters out for light rail it would be pierce building one first

a line to gig harbor and federal way would be pretty amazing.

Fedwayer · December 20th, 2007, 03:53 AM

I fixed the typo on Redmond.

I don't think Gig Harbor is in Sound Transit's district, and if that's the case, I think it would be a long shot to get light rail there.

I think light rail solely between Tacoma and Federal Way wouldn't be very cost effective given that it's a reverse commute -- most people in Federal Way drive north. Despite its proximity to Tacoma, Federal Way is still a suburb of Seattle.

I know there are other factors that go into deciding where light rail should go, but I thought the statistics are interesting, especially related to arguments on density and light rail in South King County.

mhays · December 20th, 2007, 04:00 AM

Jobs and housing will cluster around light rail even more than they do bus centers. I'd expect Federal Way to leap forward as a new downtown with light rail...far faster than it would otherwise.

August 26th, 2007, 03:19 PM	#45
uwhuskies Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 648 Likes (Received): 3	Federal Way Skyscrapers Federal Way's future sky-high? By Cara Solomon Seattle Times South King County reporter More Southeast King County News Federal Way's future sky-high? Walking group cruises the streets of Kent Sergeant cleared in investigation Prep football season kicks off Devoting her life to dancing Back to the routine of nagging, whining First came the families, pushed out by Seattle's high housing prices. Then came the subdivisions, spreading out where fields used to be. Now the ultimate symbol of growth is coming to South King County: skyscrapers. Federal Way is planning to create a 4-acre urban village downtown, with residential towers up to 24 stories tall. The city is negotiating with United Properties, of Vancouver, B.C., which has proposed the $300 million project, a 1-acre park surrounded by a mix of residential, retail and office space. The towers would be a stark departure from what other cities in South King County have done to draw more people downtown. The tallest buildings at Kent Station, a mix of retail and, eventually, residential, will be four stories, though the city hasn't imposed a height limit downtown. Burien's Town Square will limit its residential buildings to seven stories. United Properties President Victor Setton said going vertical allows more space for a park — the first of any size in downtown Federal Way. And then, of course, height adds the value of views. The towers are expected to rise between 16 and 24 stories high, dominating the city's skyline. The tallest building in Federal Way now is nine stories. "Anything you build that's over four floors in Federal Way is not in character with the area," Setton said. "But I think you have to look to the future, and I think vertical is the way to go." City officials say there is good reason for going higher: Its residential neighborhoods are built out. The only way to accommodate more growth, city officials say, is to build upward. The idea of being the first to do so also has some appeal. The city of 86,500 has been searching for its signature style ever since it incorporated in 1990. "We've been in that awkward adolescent phase," said City Manager Neal Beets. "But I think this demonstrates that we're blossoming into our 20s quite nicely." Outsiders may know Federal Way for its office parks and shopping complexes, but a residential community has thrived for several decades, drawing families to waterfront properties and dozens of parks. Since incorporation, some residents have gotten even more vocal, pushing for change they say will improve the city's quality of life. Hence, the 72,000-square-foot community center that opened this spring. A grass-roots effort for a performing-arts center also seems to be gaining ground. And now, after years of discussion, the city is moving to revitalize its downtown core. "I think that's been the missing piece," said Patrick Doherty, the city's economic-development director. The goal is to create a more dense, pedestrian-friendly downtown. The city has worked on that for years, doing an environmental study of the area to reduce costs for developers and advising area owners how best to redevelop their properties. But it had not bought property until an owner offered last autumn to sell land west of the transit center, where a former movie theater stood. The city purchased the land in January for $4.1 million, then set it aside for development. This winter it took the critical step of raising the height limit in a specific zone downtown from 85 feet to 200 feet, with some flexibility to go higher. Des Moines recently raised height limits in its Pacific Ridge neighborhood, a struggling area that borders Highway 99. The move came at the suggestion of developers, who said they were more likely to build if they could offer views. In Federal Way, there has been little public resistance to skyscrapers. But the council voted 4-3 on this project, which the developer says would include about 900 condominiums, of varying prices; up to 85,000 square feet of retail area; and space for the local campus of Highline Community College. United Properties has offered the city $6.1 million for the land; the city would have no other financial investment in the project. Critics are concerned about increased traffic and the number of residential units proposed. Deputy Mayor Jim Ferrell said he would support the project but preferred another proposal that provided three times the retail space. "I was much more interested in creating more economic-development dollars, rather than trying to bring in more people," Ferrell said. Barbara Barney, a resident of more than 20 years, said the project doesn't sound like Federal Way, a mix of working-class and wealthy, with increasing ethnic diversity. "I feel like what the City Council is trying to do is create another Bellevue," Barney said. "I don't think that's us." But Mayor Michael Park said he was gratified to see the city's vision for downtown take a major step forward. He sees the project as a catalyst for other development downtown. Pending negotiations, the first tower could open in 2009. Cara Solomon: 206-464-2024 or csolomon@seattletimes.com Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

August 27th, 2007, 03:19 AM	#48
*Bond James Bond* Licence to kill. Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Apple Maggot Quarantine Area Posts: 6,982	I merged uwhuskies' thread into the existing Federal Way thread. __________________ Please DO NOT "like" any of my posts or request "friend" status. I don't care if you like me, or my posts. Thank you. - If you do either of these more than once you will be put on my ignore list.

December 17th, 2007, 05:18 AM	#49
Fedwayer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 28 Likes (Received): 0	Hi-rises in downtown Federal Way The City has sold the property and the developer expects to begin construction next Spring: --------------- High-rise development in downtown Federal Way one step closer to reality. The City of Federal Way stepped closer to the reality of a high-rise mixed use development in its downtown core last week. On Dec. 7, the Federal Way City Council unanimously approved an agreement with United Properties of Vancouver, BC, for $6.2 million to purchase and develop the former AMC Theaters property at the southeast corner of 20th Avenue South and South 316th Street. The City purchased the property in January of this year for $4.1 million and has been in negotiations with United Properties since selecting its development proposal in July. Since the selection, the council has worked with United Properties to enhance the original proposal. The development, called “Symphony,” spans a four-acre site and calls for four towers ranging from 16 to 24 stories in height—the tallest towers of any city between southern Seattle and Portland (except for the Wells Fargo Building in Tacoma). The development features approximately 60,000 square-feet of retail, office and commercial space on the lower levels with about 900 condos and apartments taking the upper floors. Responding to council concerns in July about the large number of apartments, United Properties intends to provide at least three-quarters of the units as condos as dictated by the marketplace. Another key concern of the City’s was to include space for Highline Community College’s Federal Way facilities, negotiations for which are currently underway. Lastly, the project includes an approximately one-acre public park that will most likely include a water feature, outdoor fireplace, areas for outdoor cafés and casual seating, a small band shell, and areas for both active and passive activities. In 2008, there will be opportunities for the public to participate in shaping the park’s development. Federal Way Economic Development Director Patrick Doherty calls the development a “transformational project” that will become a landmark in Federal Way’s city center and serve as “a catalyst to additional investment in the area.” The total cost of the project is estimated at about $225 to $250 million, with construction likely to span four phases. United Properties intends to break ground on the first 16-story building in late spring 2008 and finish by the end of 2009. United Properties also will be establishing a sales center near the development in early 2008. Residential units will range in cost from under $200,000 for a junior suite to approximately $800,000 for a top-floor penthouse. A large majority of the upper floors will boast commanding views of Mt. Rainier, and the Olympic and Cascade mountains. Learn more at www.symphonyliving.com. ----------------

December 17th, 2007, 06:20 AM	#50
*Bond James Bond* Licence to kill. Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Apple Maggot Quarantine Area Posts: 6,982	Yay! __________________ Please DO NOT "like" any of my posts or request "friend" status. I don't care if you like me, or my posts. Thank you. - If you do either of these more than once you will be put on my ignore list.

December 18th, 2007, 05:37 AM	#51
USAPatriot Northwest Photo King Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,245 Likes (Received): 3	Thats good to hear. __________________ Washington State Forum Visit today!

July 19th, 2007, 05:17 PM	#41
NW Mike Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle,Bellevue,Everett Posts: 969 Likes (Received): 43	Maybe he is surprised by this like me because city officials seem to screw things up so often...That the vision never gets realized. That to many hands in the cookie jar(Politicians) want in on the project, making rules and deciding what is best, when often times the Architects and Developers know much more than these politicians will ever know. This is great for Fed way and now we can hope this will influence other citys to move forward.(Lynnwood,Everett,Renton,Shoreline,Bothell and so on...) I do hope Tacoma starts building larger urban projects in the core.

July 19th, 2007, 05:27 PM	#42
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,465 Likes (Received): 125	The City still has plenty of time to screw it up. All they did was choose a developer to negotiate with. Even after negotiations are done, the project needs to be designed, go through land use approval...

July 20th, 2007, 02:59 PM	#44
Fedwayer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 28 Likes (Received): 0	The City actually has a really good city council -- they all are professionals and have been uniformly pretty aggressive about trying to get development downtown. There's one council member in particular who has been pushing all of this and he's been pretty successful in getting changes made that will likely lead to more projects like this being built. The overall downtown plan is very similar to Bellevue's, with taller buildings in the center, surrounded by slightly lower buildings, and a new smaller block street grid, but with lower overall height limits. The City has already completed the downtown-wide environmental review (which definitely helps speed things up) and I think they hired a staff person dedicated to coordinate major downtown developments. Even though there was some disagreement as to which of the two proposals to go with, and there remains some negotiations to be completed, I would expect things to go relatively smoothly to get the project built quickly.

August 26th, 2007, 06:08 PM	#46
samsonyuen SSLL Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Canary Wharf > CityPlace Posts: 8,505 Likes (Received): 0	Sounds Vancouver-ish. Any renderings?

August 26th, 2007, 06:37 PM	#47
CityView Jim Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 4,039 Likes (Received): 79	Find more on this at Federal Way News string.

December 18th, 2007, 08:01 AM	#52
Fedwayer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 28 Likes (Received): 0	The pictures on their website are the old ones. They presented newer ones at the city council meeting that were better -- greater variation in height and more glass.

December 18th, 2007, 10:09 PM	#53
citruspastels Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 690 Likes (Received): 3	this is great news. i hope it works well for them and that other cities the size of federal way take note. if towns down there keep increasing density like that there may be a good case for south link light rail after all.

December 18th, 2007, 11:09 PM	#54
seapug Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: seattle Posts: 534 Likes (Received): 34	.... there already is a good case. pierce county has over 800,000 people why would you not want to connect to that.

December 18th, 2007, 11:14 PM	#55
citruspastels Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 690 Likes (Received): 3	because king county has 1.8 million in a more dense area who need to be connected first. im not saying light rail shouldnt go there. i cant wait for the day light rail goes to tacoma. im just saying if tax payers are going to be stingy we need priorities.

December 19th, 2007, 07:00 PM	#56
Fedwayer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 28 Likes (Received): 0	Interesting Stats Most populous cities in King County: 1. Seattle - 586k 2. Bellevue - 118k 3. Federal Way - 87k 4. Kent - 86k 5. Renton - 77k (including recent annexation) 6. Auburn - 65k (including recent annexation) 7. Shoreline - 53k 8. Redmond - 50k 9. Kirkland - 47k 10. Sammamish - 40k The most densely populated cities in King County: 1. Seattle 2. Des Moines 3. Shoreline 4. Kirkland 5. Federal Way Of the 10 largest cities in the state (Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Spokane Valley, Federal Way, Kent, Yakima), Federal Way is the second most densely populated. Last edited by Fedwayer; December 20th, 2007 at 03:42 AM.

December 19th, 2007, 09:31 PM	#57
seapug Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: seattle Posts: 534 Likes (Received): 34	.... redmond actually passed kirkland and is up to 50,000 now also tacoma is only 5 miles further then everett everet has 101,000 with a density of 2980/square mile, tacoma has 201,000 with a density of 4056/square mile. in my opinion north seattle and pierce county are the two most important lines. then i'd say bellevue and snoco are next. i read somewhere that pierce county has plans to build lightrail to gig harbor and to federalway but i can't find anything about it anymore

December 20th, 2007, 03:53 AM	#59
Fedwayer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 28 Likes (Received): 0	I fixed the typo on Redmond. I don't think Gig Harbor is in Sound Transit's district, and if that's the case, I think it would be a long shot to get light rail there. I think light rail solely between Tacoma and Federal Way wouldn't be very cost effective given that it's a reverse commute -- most people in Federal Way drive north. Despite its proximity to Tacoma, Federal Way is still a suburb of Seattle. I know there are other factors that go into deciding where light rail should go, but I thought the statistics are interesting, especially related to arguments on density and light rail in South King County.

December 20th, 2007, 04:00 AM	#60
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,465 Likes (Received): 125	Jobs and housing will cluster around light rail even more than they do bus centers. I'd expect Federal Way to leap forward as a new downtown with light rail...far faster than it would otherwise.

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