Published April 2002

Redevelopment projects around county expected
to bring economic benefits

By Mike Benbow
Herald Business Editor

Individually, a handful of retail and civic redevelopment projects in the pipeline in Snohomish County are still subject to debate and far from a certainty.

But they represent a staggering investment, and construction of just a few could have a big impact on the local economy.

In Lynnwood alone, the private owner of Alderwood Mall, the city and a public facilities district are all planning major projects during the next few years.

“We’re planning a $100 million investment in the city of Lynnwood,” city Economic Development Director David Kleisch said. “It’s been booked. Over the next couple of years, you’ll see that construction start to occur.”

Kleisch was one of several speakers at Snohomish County’s quarterly tourism forum in March who talked about major projects under way in the Lynnwood, Edmonds and Everett areas and on the Tulalip Tribes reservation.

A planned expansion of Alderwood Mall alone is about a $50 million project, Kleisch said, followed by the city’s redevelopment of an area it would like to turn into its downtown and a conference center planned by the facilities district.

He said the work at Alderwood is likely to create “the biggest mall in the state of Washington.”

John McCoy of the Tulalip Tribes didn’t release any cost estimates, but he did talk about the continuing development under way on the reservation.

Construction is going strong on the tribes’ new casino, a Burger King is planning to open at the tribal business park, and negotiations are in progress with a number of other fast-food outlets and some high-end retail stores.

The casino should be complete about this time next year and will be followed by a 250-room hotel and a child-care center, McCoy said, noting the tribes are also discussing a proposal for development of a theme park at the site.

Asked where the money is coming from for the development, McCoy said, “This all comes from our own resources, and we’re quite proud of that.”

Terry Vehrs of the Edmonds Public Facilities District talked about his community’s plan for “a humble” $7.5 million event center, achieved through renovation of a former Puget Sound Christian College building.

If completed, the project would provide a facility for a variety of business conferences and community events, Vehrs said.

The project is by no means certain and is competing for public facility district funding.

Dave Waggoner of Paine Field Airport talked about a proposed National Flight and Interpretive Center at the airport to house a new Boeing Co. tour center and an additional building in Snohomish County for Seattle’s Museum of Flight. The county would own the facility, which would cost $16.2 million for the first phase and $27 million in total.

Waggoner said the project would mostly pay for itself through lease revenue and would be something that “sends the right signal to Boeing” as it looks for a place to build its new Sonic Cruiser jetliner.

“We want to be a supportive partner and an innovative partner with them,” he said.

The Snohomish County Council will make the final decision on the project, which Waggoner said should produce a dramatic increase in tourism because it would double the size of the tour center for Boeing, already the county’s biggest tourist attraction.

In late March, however, efforts to build the project were dealt a blow when the County Council blocked promoters from seeking $2.6 million from county Public Facilities District coffers.

The largest project by far — a $62.5 million arena — is in Everett.

While opponents have filed a lawsuit in an effort to halt the project, officials are proceeding and began roping off the area for land clearing in March.

Fred Safstrom, assistant to the director of the Everett Public Facilities District, said completion is planned for September of next year on a facility that can host a minor-league hockey team and 150 or so events each year.

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