Development

Press release:

Sound Transit will conduct a public hearing on proposals to dispose of surplus property in SeaTac on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013.

Public Hearing
Disposal of Surplus Real Property to a Public Agency
Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013
12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Union Station
Ruth Fisher Boardroom
401 S. Jackson St.
Seattle, WA 98104

The agency is seeking public comment on a proposal to sell two parcels totaling approximately 30,000 square feet of developable land in SeaTac.

The parcels are located on the northeast corner of International Boulevard and South 176th Street with the former addresses of 2810 S. 176th and 17400 International Blvd.

The proposed use of the land is for development of office space for and by the Port of Seattle. Transactions are contingent on ongoing discussions and future approvals by the Sound Transit Board and Port of Seattle.

The Ruth Fisher Boardroom is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information on the public hearing or to request ADA accommodation, please call Sound Transit at 800-201-4900 or 888-713-6030 (TTY) or visit www.soundtransit.org.

The standstill agreement between the city of Burien and Burien Town Square developer Harbor Urban has been extended for 90 days.

The city and developers had signed an agreement that would have given the two parties until Nov. 15 to agree on an acceptable alternative to previously planned condos on a vacant Town Square site.

However, on Nov. 5, city attorney Craig Knutson told council members the two sides are close to an agreement but “unfortunately it is not complete.”

Harbor Urban has proposed a 173-unit, “high-quality, market rate” apartment complex for the site.

Knutson also revealed the city has talked to other potential developers about the site.

Lawmakers unanimously approved the extension.

Mayor Brian Bennett emphasized that the agreement most likely will come earlier than 90 days.

Press release:

Graham Trucking, Inc., a local trucking business that operates the largest fleet of super chassis in Washington state, has announced the relocation of its headquarters to the city of SeaTac.

The new four-acre facility, located at 18811 16th Ave South, will accommodate the company’s Seattle staff and enable further expansion for growth.

“From what we can tell the City of SeaTac is the best, most well-run city we’ve ever seen,” said Robert Graham, president of Graham Trucking, Inc. “There is no comparison between SeaTac and other municipalities we’ve worked with. We look forward to moving our business into such a thriving, economically strong community.”

Currently located in Seattle, Tacoma and Federal Way, Graham Trucking serves clients in the Pacific Northwest primarily through intermodal transport, with a variety of modes of transportation to move product across cities and states.

For nearly 30 years the company has performed the majority of their business with large retail chains, construction companies, manufacturers, produce growers in Eastern Washington and seafood companies.

By Gwen Davis

Normandy Park experienced a wave of drama recently when several residents complained that the California-based Hanbleceya – a company serving individuals with mental illness – opened treatment facilities in their neighborhood.

The five homes Hanbleceya either bought or rented house individuals with mental illness and drug addiction issues.

However, rumors that the company will soon expand their facilities to Burien and Des Moines are unfounded.

“I don’t have any knowledge of that happening here,” said Mike Martin, Burien city manager. “I am aware of the general issue and we’re monitoring it.”

Des Moines Assistant City Manager Lorri Ericson gave a similar statement: “We are not aware they have any plans at this time.”

Dr. Ian Wolds, clinical director at Hanbleceya said plans for expansion is a nonissue.

“We will not be opening any treatment facilities in Burien or Des Moines,” Wolds said. “The only facility in the Seattle area is in the Normandy Park Towne Center… We have no specific plan to buy or rent houses in either of these areas as our needs are being fully met.”

Harbor Urban press release:

Harbor Urban, LLC presented new conceptual design plans for the proposed development of Phase II of the Town Square Project to Burien city staff on Sept. 14.

Construction of the proposal put forth by Harbor Urban would begin with a 173-unit high-quality, market-rate apartment community on Parcel 5.

Development of the conceptual plan was a collaborative effort lead by Harbor Urban with input from City staff, property management firms and market study experts.

The development of a residential complex in downtown Burien will contribute to a vibrant Burien Town Square. Harbor Urban’s plans for Parcel 5 reflect decades of experience designing and developing Transit Oriented Developments and urban mixed use projects throughout the Puget Sound region.

Amy Hoffman, development manager for the project with Harbor Urban said, “We feel very good about the direction the design is headed. The conceptual design takes into account features that are important to the City of Burien and to the sophisticated renter of today. It’s a thoughtful, quality building that continues to help activate the Town Square and the City of Burien.”

Bowing to what they deemed economic reality, Burien lawmakers unanimously approved Aug. 20 an agreement that most likely will lead to rental apartments instead of owner-occupied condominiums being built on the vacant Town Square parcels.

The City Council approved a standstill agreement with Harbor Urban that gives the developers and city until Nov. 15 to agree on an acceptable alternative to the previously planned condos. Condominiums at the Town Square complex completed in 2009 have sold very slowly.

The city entered into an agreement with Urban Ventures in 2005 to develop the parcels. The developers chose to develop the downtown Burien properties in phases. When the developers did not begin construction on the other phases, as promised, Burien city officials in June informed the developers the city would repurchase the undeveloped parcels.

By that time, Urban Ventures had merged with Harbor Ventures to form Harbor Urban. After extensive discussion between the developers and city staff, a standstill agreement was negotiated suspending the repurchase until Nov. 15.

Press release:

Completing the new solid waste transfer building and adding recycling services represent a major milestone in the multi-year modernization project at King County’s Bow Lake facility in Tukwila. The entire project, including an expanded recycling area, will be completed in late 2013.

Beginning Wednesday, July 11, customers will be able to recycle appliances, yard waste, clean wood, scrap metal, bicycles and bicycle parts, at the new facility. Customers can also drop off home-generated medical sharps at the transfer station, which is located at 18800 Orillia Rd. S.

Recycling services have been unavailable at Bow Lake since early 2009, when the major redevelopment project got under way. Garbage disposal services have not been disrupted at the facility, which handles more than one-third of all the tonnage in the County’s solid waste transfer system.

This redevelopment project moves the County ahead by bringing efficiencies, enhancing service and ensuring regulatory compliance. In addition to areas for recycling, key features of the new solid waste transfer building include:

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Aug. 15 at 10:30 a.m. for a 36,000-square-foot building that will house medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services as well as leased space for community mental health offices.

HealthPoint Midway will open in 2013 and is expected to serve 14,000 new patients, according to a company press release.

The building is located at 26401 Pacific Hwy. S.

Burien and its Town Square developer may not get divorced, afterall.

Or, at least, final dissolution has been delayed until July 18.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin sent a letter June 19 to Harbor Urban agreeing to extend the closing date for the city’s repurchase of three undeveloped Town Square parcels.

On June 4, the Burien City Council voted to exercise its option to buy back the parcels at 90 percent of what the developer paid for them. The original buyer, Los Angles-based Urban Partners has been renamed Harbor Urban after it bought Seattle’s Harbor Properties.

The developers had proposed erecting a cinema and one-story medical building on the parcels. They said the market has changed and could not support condos and small retail spaces. They pointed to the first Town Square phase where condos have sold slowly and only one business, Subway, has committed to opening a retail store.

Burien officials countered that the cinema would have cost the city $4 million while the one-story medical building was not what the city had in mind for the urban development.

Burien’s plan to pump up to $400,000 into some city elementary schools was strongly opposed June 5 by three influential school district leaders.

City Manager Mike Martin presented an outline of the proposed “Kids and Cops Initiative” at the school district’s board meeting.

He said the Burien City Council would be considering the initiative on Monday, June 18 with the goal of placing it on the November election ballot.

If approved by Burien voters, the initiative would target some Burien elementary schools with between $300,000-$400,000 over a four year period.

The funds would be direct grants from the city to specific schools with educators in each school determining which programs would be funded.

As a companion to the “kids” portion of the initiative, Burien cops would receive a surge in funding for two years to hire 8-10 additional police officers at a cost of $1.8- $2.3 million.

Martin said the funding for police would alter a misperception about the amount of crime in the city.

“Burien is thought to be the wild west as compared to neighboring cities,” Martin declared. “That is a myth.”