Published February 2004

Business Briefs

Air Station Flying Museum
gets one-year lease
The Arlington Airport Commission recently agreed to a one-year lease for the Air Station Flying Museum after the museum supporters agreed to performance clauses in the lease, according to two of the three commissioners who voted for it.

Dick Larsen said he agreed to the lease despite his reservations that not much progress had been made on the museum’s renovation. The new lease requires a certain amount of exterior work to be done by the end of this year.

The Airport Commission had let the nonprofit group stay on a month-by-month basis for more than a year after becoming disenchanted by the lack of progress on the museum and its run-down appearance.

The Air Station was founded in 1995 with the vision of restoring some World War II-era hangars and buildings as a museum for vintage planes.

Larsen, Cheri Carlson and Brian Greene voted for the new lease, while Christopher Jones voted against it. Cal Kinney was absent because of illness, and Guy Kennedy abstained.

The museum’s director, Jeff Thomas, could not be reached for comment.

Lynnwood begins work
on economic development plan
With the recent hiring of a Seattle-based economic development consultant, the city of Lynnwood has begun the process of planning for its future.

In December, the City Council approved a $63,000 contract with Berk & Associates to assist in preparing an economic development action plan, which will chart the course for family-wage jobs, healthy businesses and sustainable city revenues.

The plan got under way in January, with the city’s Department of Economic Development and Berk & Associates working on an economic profile of Lynnwood and the surrounding area.

“This analysis will give us a better understanding of our economic position within the region and identify strategies and target opportunities to improve our local economy,” said David Kleitsch, economic development director.

Once the profile analysis is completed, alternatives for quality employment, retention and attraction of businesses, and sustainable city revenues will be identified, the city said. A plan to implement economic development alternatives will then be prepared.

Work on the economic development action plan should be completed by the end of the year, the city said.

Community meetings, presentations and personal interviews are included throughout the planning process, and the city has invited the public to offer comment on the city’s economic future by contacting the Economic Development Department at 425-670-6677 or by e-mail to econdev@ci.lynnwood.wa.us.

Costco has plans for new
warehouse store, gas station
Costco is planning to build a new warehouse store and gas station near the junction of Highways 9 and 522 in south Snohomish County.

The 149,000-square-foot store, if approved by county officials, would be built on land that Costco began considering almost two years ago. The retailer filed applications for building permits just before Christmas.

The 15-acre site, southeast of the intersection of the two highways, previously hosted Fitz Auto Parts and a business park.

Rumors that Costco was looking to place a new store in Snohomish County were confirmed last year when property owners Todd Hirai and Don Fitzpatrick Jr. revealed that the retailer had negotiated to buy their property. At that time, however, Costco decided against building at that location, reportedly due to concerns over traffic.

Since then, the company has changed its mind and signed a lease with the landowners. That lease is contingent on Costco receiving approval for its plans from the county, Fitzpatrick said.

If the plans are approved, Costco might be able to start building the new store later this year, though the company hasn’t revealed a timetable. The value of the project is estimated at $7 million, not including a large retaining wall and other improvements to the land, according to the building permit applications.

Economic development,
tourism grants available
The city of Bothell is accepting applications for its 2004 tourism and economic development grants. The applications are due by Feb. 9.

The $150,000 program is funded through the city’s share of sales taxes collected on lodging within the city.

For application packets or for details, contact city Financial Services Manager Tami Schackman at 425-486-3256 or tami.schackman@ci.bothell.wa.us.

Sonus secures drug patent
Sonus Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Bothell said in January that it had received a third U.S. patent for Tocosol paclitaxel, the company’s most-developed drug candidate.

Tocosol belongs to the family of taxane-based treatments, which are the most widely used chemotherapy drugs in the world.

The company’s researchers believe their product can be administered faster and more safely than Taxol, the lead cancer drug on the market.

Premera hearing faces another delay
Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has agreed to another delay in the decision on whether Premera Blue Cross of Mountlake Terrace, one of Snohomish County’s largest employers, should be allowed to become a for-profit company.

Kreidler said he will make his decision July 19 after a May 3 hearing.

Everett Elks Club seeking offers
on downtown building
Everett Elks Club members voted in January to authorize a committee to seek offers on its 54,000-square-foot property, including the lodge on Rucker Avenue and the adjacent parcels on California Street and Hoyt Avenue.

The club is not discussing its asking price, said Mike Sorensen, a real estate agent who is on the Elks sale committee. However, the Snohomish County Assessor’s Office values the land and buildings at more than $2.4 million.

The Elks have been in downtown Everett for 104 years, and the fraternal organization opened its lodge on Rucker in 1962 after a fire destroyed the previous building. The lodge features two ballrooms, two kitchens, a swimming pool and gymnasium.

Dwindling membership, from a high of more than 4,500 in the 1960s to about 1,100 now, is behind the decision to sell, as maintaining the big building has become difficult with the shrinking membership base, Sorensen said.

The club’s hope is to find a buyer, move into a smaller facility and focus on its community service programs and rebuilding membership, Sorensen said.

Since the membership approved the plan to take offers on the building, three potential buyers have been in contact, Sorensen said without identifying them.

Whatever happens to the property will be up to the buyer, but Sorensen thinks there is potential for a mixed-use development combining office, retail and residential space.

LMN to lead master planning
for Mukilteo Tank Farm site
The Port of Everett recently announced the selection of LMN Architects to lead the master planning for a 22-acre waterfront property in Mukilteo locally known as the Mukilteo Tank Farm site.

The LMN team will work with both the cities of Everett and Mukilteo as well as Washington State Ferries and Sound Transit in the redevelopment of a multi-modal transportation facility that encompasses a new ferry terminal, commuter rail station and other regional transit components, the Seattle-based architectural firm said.

In addition to the transit and public spaces, the port-led planning effort will integrate a mix of uses that could include retail/commercial, residential and marine recreation.

Other companies that will be supporting LMN include Norton-Arnold & Co. (public involvement), Sedway Real Estate Group (market analysis/financial feasibility), Mirai Associates (transportation planning), KPFF Consulting Engineers (civil engineering), Huckell/Weinman Associates (environmental and federal/state regulations), Geiger Engineers (marine design), MacLeod Reckord (landscape architect) and Sound Parking (parking consultant).

Port of Everett to spend
$650,000 for pier studies
Knowing that the state will ultimately pick up the tab, the Port of Everett agreed in January to spend $650,000 on environmental and engineering studies aimed at speeding approval of a new pier for handling Boeing-bound cargo.

The money will be paid to Berger/ABAM of Federal Way, which is expected to complete its studies and prepare a draft environmental impact statement this spring.

About half the money will be spent on environmental studies; the other half will go for engineering work.

The company was hired in September to help the port secure the necessary permits for the pier, which would be built just north of the Mukilteo waterfront. The pier would be equipped with a gantry crane that could handle large containers and place them on rail cars for the short trip to the Boeing Co.’s Everett assembly plant.

To persuade Boeing to build the 7E7 here, the state offered to pay $15.5 million for the project. Boeing announced in December that it was going ahead with the 7E7 and would assemble it in Everett.

AquaSox food, beverage operation receives award
The Food Advisory Committee of the Snohomish Health District Board of Health recently named the Everett AquaSox food and beverage operation best in the category of “Fast Service Establishment.”

The committee recognized organizations whose food-service owners, operators and employees maintained high public health standards in their places of work, the AquaSox said, adding that the organization twice received perfect scores on surprise inspections of its facility by the health district during the 2003 season.

This is the 14th year in which the Snohomish Health District Food Program Excellence Awards have been distributed. The AquaSox will receive the award at the Snohomish Health District Board of Health meeting Feb. 10.

Boeing Co. awards grant
to Village Theatre
The Boeing Co. has awarded a $5,000 challenge grant to the Village Theatre to fund the construction and installation of four motorized winches at the Everett Performing Arts Center.

According to Village Theatre officials, the winches, though hidden from view of the audience, will dramatically enhance patron experience while eliminating risk of injury to the stage crew.

Ron May Towing wins industry honor
Ron May Towing of Everett has been recognized by the Towman 500 program, which promotes progressive practices in the towing industry.

The Everett company received the honor during the recent American Towman Exposition in Baltimore.

YMCA to receive $40,000
Kimberly-Clark grant
The YMCA of Snohomish County has been selected to receive $40,000 from Kimberly-Clark to strengthen the YMCA’s family programs. The Everett, Mukilteo, Marysville and Southeast family branches will each receive a $10,000 grant for branch-specific family programs such as family exercise programs, family nights, Y-Adventure Guides and parent-child play classes.

The grants were awarded through an application process designed to recognize YMCAs in Kimberly-Clark’s hometowns that have demonstrated their commitment to supporting families.

“The YMCA’s mission to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities meshes perfectly with Kimberly-Clark’s corporate values and products,” said Craig Collar, YMCA trustee and Kimberly-Clark team leader. “We see the YMCA of Snohomish County to be a valuable resource in strengthening our community, and Kimberly-Clark is proud to help further the Y’s mission with this donation.”

The YMCA of Snohomish County currently provides programs to more than 5,200 families in the Everett, Mukilteo, Marysville, Monroe and Silver Firs/Silver Lake communities.

MicroGREEN, Microvision
win research grants
Two local companies are among nine that received a total of $400,000 in research and development funding from the Washington Technology Center in January.

MicroGREEN Polymers Inc. of Stanwood and its partner, Vipin Kumar of the University of Washington, received money to further their research into environmentally friendly food packaging.

Microvision Inc. of Bothell and its research partner, Kannan Krishnan of the UW Department of Materials Science and Engineering, got an award for continued work on augmented vision and light-scanning technology.

New businesses, locations
n The mother-and-son team of Dorothy and Eric Dolin recently started Little Perk Express Espresso, a mobile provider of espresso and other hot and cold beverages, smoothies, sandwiches and pastries. Serving the communities of Arlington and Marysville, Little Perk Express Espresso already has been invited to serve four-wheel-drive gatherings, soccer tournaments, fairs and festivals. For more information, call 425-231-8349 or 425-231-8377.

n Susan Davies, a certified professional organizer and feng shui consultant, recently opened her business, Positive Spaces. For more information, visit www.positivespaces.com or call 425-355-0418.

n Bob Dobler and Bruce McKinnon have formed Gamut360 Holdings LLC, a real estate development and business merger and acquisition firm located at 2717 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett. Dobler is the managing partner.

n Site Development Associates LLC recently marked its grand opening at 10116 Main St., Suite 106, in Bothell. The three engineers in the new construction management and civil engineering firm — Roger Cecil, Bill Helsley and Jonathan Turcott — have more than 30 years of combined experience. The firm can be reached at 425-486-6533.

n The Arlington Chiropractic Center has opened in its new location, 514 West Ave. in Arlington. The business, which includes chiropractors James Oosterwyk and Stan Rosebrook, started in 1985.

n A-SP Auto Glass & Upholstery has moved to a new location at 6121 172nd St. NE in Arlington.

n Tye City Insurance has moved to 17066 Beaton Road SE in Monroe.

n Synergy Personal Fitness of Mukilteo has moved into a new larger space in the Quadrant Business Park, co-locating with two new businesses: Chelsea’s Place Espresso Cafe and Bistro and Viewpoint Physical Therapy. The fitness studio and cafe are owned and operated by Robin Gaudette and Dave Berger. The physical therapy clinic is owned by Gaylin Lucas.

n Sandy Stein, formerly from Sandy’s Boat House in Everett, is the new owner of Curves for Women at 437 Olympic Ave., Arlington. The new hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday. Child care will be available from 9 a.m. to noon on weekdays. Stein also purchased a Curves franchise at 307 S. First St. in Mount Vernon.

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