Showing posts with label development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label development. Show all posts

Goodbye Broiler Bay - Hello Starbucks

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Broiler Bay demo
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Broiler Bay remodeled the old Wendy's building in Shoreline's Parkwood Plaza on Aurora in spring of 2012. It came in with a fair amount of buzz from burger fans.

The buzz apparently wasn't enough to keep it going. It's not only closed, it is being demolished. It lasted six years, which is better than many of our coffee shops.

Shortest tenure for a restaurant is the Ahipoki in Aurora Village, which opened with a lot of energy in July of 2017 and was closed six months later.

Broiler Bay still has a location in Bellevue.

A new Starbucks will be built on the Broiler Bay site at 15220 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline 98133

DKH

Updated with information from a reader!

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Photos: Excavation begins for Shoreline Apartments

Panoramic view of Shoreline Apartments site
Taken from 15th NE
Photo by Mike Remarcke

Now that it's not pouring rain, excavation has begun on the new Shoreline Apartments at the corner of 15th NE and NE 175th in North City.

View from the south
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

In this view from the south, you can see the extent of the excavation so far. They're about two weeks behind their original schedule, but preliminary stages are always weather dependent. They may be able to make up time later.

  • Full scale excavation will begin on/around 2/20
  • Structural concrete pours will begin around the middle of April and are scheduled to be complete by middle/end of August
  • Framing starts middle of August
  • Completion middle of December, 2019

The building will have 243 apartments.

The site was the former location of the North City Post Office.



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Excavation to begin soon for Shoreline Apartments in North City

Friday, February 23, 2018


The site of the Shoreline Apartments, at NE 175th and 15th NE, has been completely cleared and the next step is full scale excavation.

Excavation was scheduled for this week, but construction is often weather dependent, particularly in the early stages.

Structural concrete pours are planned to begin around the middle of April and are scheduled to be complete by middle/end of August.

Framing starts middle of August.

Completion middle of December 2019.




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Photo: Old North City Post Office demolished

Monday, February 19, 2018

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The old North City Post Office has been completely demolished. All that's left is the concrete pad that covered the site for the building, customer, van, and employee parking.

The post office is now in three different locations: retail services at Gateway Plaza, 185th and Aurora; processing center at the old Office Depot in Mountlake Terrace; and van parking at the Ballinger Portal site on Ballinger Way.



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Update: private property redevelopment at and around Aurora Square

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Image courtesy City of Shoreline
Several major pieces of property in and around the Aurora Square shopping area have been in play for several years.

Here's the update from the City of Shoreline:

Sears
Sears sold its 17 acre property property to Merlone Geier Partners in mid-2017 and is closing retail operations in April 2018. Merlone Geier Partners launched a website in January 2018 to solicit input and provide updates on redevelopment progress.

Super China Buffet site
The Super China Buffet site application to replace the restaurant with an apartment building expired in 2017. The applicant was unable to get a needed internal shopping center operational agreement amendment from the other CRA property owners.

Triangle property on Aurora
The triangle property between Westminster Way N and Aurora Avenue N was proceeding in 2016 when the developer, Lobsang Dargey, ran into legal issues with the SEC. The property was put into receivership, and the City worked with the Receiver to get the buildings demolished and is now working with the company that has the project under contract, Trammell Crow Residential.

TCR has resolved two major hurdles: 1) resolved bankruptcy issues, and 2) received approval on its environmental cleanup plan of former dry cleaner contamination from the Department of Ecology. Now the 324-unit project is completing the building permit process and hopes to break ground in June 2018.



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Intersection at Westminster and 155th redesign

The City of Shoreline will hold a Westminster and 155th Intersection Design Project Public Meeting on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from 6pm to 7:30pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N Shoreline 98133

Help us transform Westminster Way into a place you’d like to stroll. Come comment on the plan.

Project information is available here,

There is a conceptual design for the intersection that includes:
  • Squaring up the intersection
  • Upgrading bicycle and pedestrian facilities
  • Rebuilding the signal
  • Adding natural drainage
  • Place making
This project supports the Aurora Square Community Renewal Area



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Carefree Homes 1st Ave NE townhomes public meeting

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Architectural drawing of front of townhomes
note: drawing is truncated on each side


A consultant for the developer of the townhomes proposed for 18521 1st Ave NE conducted the public meeting on Monday, January 29, 2018, attended by 20 people.

Townhomes are rowhouses, usually sharing sidewalls. They are built as a unit and then subdivided before sale, so that each owner owns a portion of the site. Owners will need to work together to maintain the property, repair and replace the roof, siding, and other common property when needed.

For this project, the townhomes are built close to the southern boundary of the property, with room to navigate vehicles, and some extra parking spaces on the north side of the building.

The seven townhomes are built with three stories. The first story is a garage, with room for two cars, end to end.

The second level is a Great Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Powder Room (1/2 bath). The third level is a Master Bedroom and Bath, Bedroom with Bath, and Laundry closet. The most westerly unit is a little wider than the others and has three Bedrooms.

The tree in front will be removed.
The other trees are on the neighbor's property
Photo courtesy Google Maps
Wiring on site will be underground. Surface water from the site will flow through an underground vault with water filtration, leading to the public sewer lines.

There is a 5-ft setback on the north, west, and south sides. The east side on 1st NE is a 15-ft setback.

As the building will be east-west on the site, the street view will be the end of one unit.

The project will go to permitting in a couple of weeks, but there is no firm schedule for when construction will begin. The single family house on the property has tenants and it will be 5-6 months until they are out.

This is strictly a local project. The Carefree Homes owner, Rick Crosby of Richmond Beach, will use his own construction company for the work. The consultant, Lee Michaelis of Puget Sound Planning in Mountlake Terrace, is a resident of Richmond Highlands.



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Development: Townhomes proposed for Hillwood neighborhood

Monday, February 5, 2018

922 N 200th


SouthEnd Holdings LLC of Edmonds will hold a public meeting on Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 6 - 7:30pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, room 303 regarding their proposed townhome project.

They are proposing a rezone and development at 922 N 200th St, 98133 in the Hillwood neighborhood.

They would ask to rezone the property from R12 to the comprehensive plan designation for R24.

They are also looking to subdivide the property into six fee simple townhome units.

The property is a deep lot with a small post war house sitting right in the middle of it. The building on the east side of it is a 16-unit two story apartment building that has been there for about 40 years. The lot on the west side has been subdivided and has two large homes, one two stories tall and the other three stories tall.



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Meeting Monday for proposed townhouses on 1st Ave NE

Friday, January 26, 2018

The meeting will be held in the building behind the
Senior Center, in the Hamlin Room of the
Shoreline Center.

Citizens are invited to hear a presentation for a proposed development at 18521 1st Ave NE. At this meeting specific details of the project will be shared and comments will be solicited from the neighborhood.

The meeting will be held on Monday, January 29, 2018 at 5:30pm in the Shoreline Conference Center, Hamlin room in the south end, classroom wing. 18560 1st Ave NE, across from the building site.

The proposed project is for seven townhomes to be constructed. The project will be completed in three phases. The first phase of the project includes the demolition of the existing single family residence on the property, to include asbestos inspection, capping and/or abandoning existing utilities and removal of the house.

The second phase of the project will be a building permit for the construction of seven dwelling units, the first being 840 square feet with a 25 square foot porch and the other six being 640 square feet.

All units will have ground floor parking spaces which will be accessed through a private driveway. They will also have access to a private walkway connecting to 1st Ave NE.

The last phase will be the submittal of a short plat to subdivide the property into seven individual lots for sale of the townhome on each lot. This phase of the project includes a Short Plat, Site Development Permit, and Right of Way Permit.


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New approach for Town Center Vision

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Come talk about Town Center!

The City of Lake Forest Park has made important changes in the way they are approaching the Town Center Vision. They have narrowed the project's geographic scope and put a much greater emphasis on public engagement.

They have set up a series of public meetings, hoping to hear opinions on concepts and design ideas for Town Center from a wide cross-section of Lake Forest Park residents and businesses.

In addition, they have set up a webpage just for information about the current major projects: Your LFP.

This new website will serve as the primary resource for information about major projects, including contact information, project updates, upcoming events, event materials, and other relevant documents.



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Redevelopment of the old Shoreline Sears into a new, mixed-use hub

Monday, January 15, 2018

Image courtesy Merlone Geier

Merlone Geier Partners (MGP), recently purchased the portion of Aurora Square where Sears is currently located.

MGP owns and operates retail properties in the Pacific Northwest and down the west coast—including the Shoreline Marketplace on 175th with the Trader Joe’s as well as the Town Center at Lake Forest Park.

In all of our work, the goal is to create shopping experiences that meet the needs of the community and reflect the unique characteristics of the area. In 2018, we want to bring you along as we transform Aurora Square into Shoreline Place.
We studied the community input on the Aurora Square Community Renewal Area. You know your community best, and we value your opinion as we decide what shops, housing and other amenities will replace Sears.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey on what could make Shoreline Place “the spot” for all Shoreline residents:  You can stay up to date on Shoreline Place happenings by following us on Facebook and Instagram at /ShorelinePlace and checking the project website: shorelineplace.com
We look forward to hearing your thoughts!



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Shoreline builder named 2018 Board President of Master Builders Association

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Board President Mike Walsh of Terrene Homes passing the gavel to
Erich Armbrusher, of Ashworth Homes, our 2018 Board President.


Inside the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Bellevue Tuesday evening, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties’ (MBAKS) installed Erich Armbruster of Ashworth Homes as the 2018 MBAKS president and board of directors chair. Armbruster’s term begins January 1, 2018.

Armbruster, president of Ashworth Homes in Shoreline, understands the importance of building a variety of housing structures using sustainable components to help meet the needs of a growing population and address environmental issues affecting the Puget Sound Region. Armbruster is a licensed civil engineer with a passion for building and has more than 15 years of experience with 200 residential and commercial projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California.

“Building a sound future for families in the Puget Sound area is important, and I look forward to working alongside the Master Builders Association’s team to execute the 10-point legislative plan and continue to grow the Built Green program in 2018,” says Armbruster.

In October, MBAKS unveiled a comprehensive 10-point plan to address attainable housing solutions in the region. Since 1999, the Built Green program, a nonprofit residential building program of MBAKS, promotes eco-friendly home building methods for area housing. Last year, 58% of new single-family homes built in the City of Seattle were certified Built Green.

Armbruster continues, “Building homes is crucial to meet the growing need and alleviate the housing crisis we are experiencing currently. However, it is as important to build environmentally friendly and resource-efficient housing that provides homeowners healthy, quality living while also protecting the environment.”

A list of current board members here



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Point Wells, LLC development in Woodway: Woodway Pointe

Monday, October 2, 2017

The property is directly above the big Point Wells project.
A secondary road exits east at the end of the development.
A potential emergency access snakes down the hill.
Point Wells, LLC has submitted a proposal to the Town of Woodway to develop Woodway Pointe, a 36 lot subdivision plat located on the property identified in the town’s Comprehensive Plan as the Upper Bluff. The subdivision would be accessed from 238th St. SW. 

The property was recently annexed into the Town of Woodway. The Notice of Application submitted in July includes the proposal and required environmental documents. Based on the information provided in the SEPA Checklist, the town determined that potential environmental impacts warrant preparation of a complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Among the environmental concerns identified requiring further study are earth/geologic, wetlands/streams, and aesthetic/views.

In early September the town issued a Determination of Significance and Request for Comments on the Scope of an Environmental Impact Statement in September. The 21-day comment period concludes on October 9th. The date and time of the Scoping meeting is yet to be determined.

All documents associated with the annexation and development proposal are available for review at the Woodway Town Hall. Comments may be submitted to the Town Clerk, Heidi Napolino as such: Heidi@townofwoodway.com or Heidi Napolino, Town Clerk, 23920 113th Place W, Woodway, WA

--Robin McClelland



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Development: Interurban Lofts

Sunday, October 1, 2017



The Interurban Lofts, 17020 Aurora Ave N.

Living arrangements are in "Pods" of eight units.

Each unit is a studio but has its own full bathroom and is partially furnished with bed, microwave and mini fridge.

The Pods share a kitchen and a washer /dryer. There is a large common area lounge with an outdoor deck and barbeque.

Rents start at $795.

Buildings like this have been around for years - as college dorms. Now they are open to anyone. The location on Aurora gives access to transit and nearby amenities.


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North City Post Office will close in December - looking for an 18,228 sq ft building

Friday, September 29, 2017

North City Post Office will close in mid-December
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

By Diane Hettrick

The North City Post Office has been located at NE 175th and 15th NE for decades. However, it didn't own the land it sat on, but held a long-term lease, periodically renewed without issue.

All that changed with the 185th Station Area Rezone. The landowner's representatives started shopping the property in March 2015. (See previous article)

USPS spokesperson Ernie Swanson, when asked if the post office was looking for a new site, responded that the current lease was good until June 2016 and they were in negotiation for a lease extension.

The extension was successful. They first negotiated a one year extension to July 2017 and then a five year extension was announced in November of 2016. (See previous article)

But they didn't read the fine print.

Last week the City of Shoreline received a development application for the site of the existing North City post office and was informed by the applicant that the post office would be closing down in mid-December.

This was the first time that USPS was aware of a clause in the lease that allowed a purchaser to terminate the existing lease.

The developer is the The Wolff Company. The General Contractor is Katerra.

The post office will have to vacate between December 15 - 31, 2017 and the building will be demolished. Construction will begin after the first of the year on two five-story buildings with 243 units and two floors of underground parking.

Construction is expected to take one and a half years.

USPS is searching for a new location for the North City post office, as close as reasonably possible to the existing location. Retail Services will continue at the current site until the last moment.

They have announced a public meeting in Shoreline for October 24, 2017.



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Property tax incentive for Paceline Apartments

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Paceline Apartments
New development, such as the Paceline Apartments at 172nd and Aurora (see previous article) can qualify for Property Tax Exemption (PTE).

Any multifamily builder of at least 4 units may apply for a property tax exemption; however, they must enter into an agreement with the city that requires 20% of its units being affordable, and that exemption can be removed if they do not comply.

The exemption is not for all property tax, nor is it indefinite in length; it is only on the value of the improvements and it lasts for 12 years.

When completed, Paceline Apartments will be a recipient of Shoreline’s Property Tax Exemption program (PTE), beginning the first full year after occupancy.

In return for 12 years of exemption on property taxes on new improvements – the owner continues to be required to pay property tax on the value of the land -- the project will provide 44 units of affordable housing.

According to Dan Eernissee, Shoreline Economic Development Program Manager, "After 12 years, Paceline will pay a large amount of property taxes as the value of the improvements are — and will continue to be -- significant."

The PTE program is a Washington State program that creates a mechanism for all state property tax payers to contribute to an incentive that discourages sprawl by encouraging multifamily development and affordable housing in urbanized areas.

Only 14.11% of Shoreline property tax goes to the City; therefore the City of Shoreline is only contributing that percentage toward the PTE incentive.

There are standards for the number of parking stalls new apartment buildings must provide. However, any project can apply for a reduction on parking based on things such as proximity of transit.

Paceline, which is marketing itself to bicycle commuters, and is located right on Aurora near 175th, applied for and received a 5% reduction for its project (11 stalls).

Eernissee says that Paceline must provide discounted ORCA passes, provide 5 free bicycles, and must continually verify that its long-term parking demand is being met.

Further, the Paceline developer is participating in Seattle City Light “Built Smart” program. The program is designed to encourage the construction of buildings that provide maximum comfort and also incorporate resource conservation.



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Development: Paceline Apartments on Aurora

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Paceline Apartments at 172nd and Aurora
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline


The $35 million Paceline project is progressing well at 172nd and Aurora.

The developer anticipates that the north tower will receive occupancy as early as April 2018 with the entire project reaching completion a few months later.

Graphic courtesy City of Shoreline

The project will provide 221 new apartment units, 44 of which will be designated as affordable.

The name “Paceline” is a cycling term, drawing attention to the project’s strategic location along the Interurban Trail.



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Kenmore Town Square and Hangar Community Building grand opening Saturday

Friday, August 25, 2017

The Community is invited to attend the Grand Opening celebration for Town Square and Hangar community building in Kenmore, 6728 NE 181st St.

The new $4.5 million investment includes:
  • The 4,700 sq. ft. “Hangar” (named in keeping with Kenmore’s seaplane heritage) is Kenmore’s newest gathering place for casual get-togethers and events. It’s also a great spot for students to do homework and parents to enjoy a relaxing morning or afternoon. It features a double-sided fireplace, comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, computer charging stations and a robust audio visual system and a multi-purpose room that can be reserved.
  • The newest Diva Espresso café is located inside the Hangar where guests can enjoy coffee, tea, baked goods, beer, wine, sandwiches and more.
  • The Town Square is a 12,750 sq. ft. outdoor area surrounding the Hangar. Its features include seating, green space, a water feature, heated, bike racks and a maintenance station plus an electric bike charging station, and other amenities to surprise and delight residents and visitors. 

Most of the funding for this project came from proceeds from the sale of the former Kenmore Village properties slated for redevelopment and a State grant secured by the State Legislature’s 46th District delegation.

This project is the latest in a series of downtown revitalization investments made in Kenmore, fulfilling the City’s economic development plan to make downtown Kenmore a walkable destination.

Saturday, August 26, 2017
  • 5:30pm Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
  • 5:00-9:00pm – #WhyILoveKenmore Summer Party 


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Bellevue developer sentenced to 4 years; owned Denny's Triangle in Shoreline

Monday, August 7, 2017

Derelict buildings were demolished and removed
from site of proposed Potala Place development
Photo by Steven H. Robinson April 2016


By Diane Hettrick


According to news reports, Lobsang Dargey has been sentenced to four years in prison. The Tibetan native and former monk was a developer with large scale projects in Vancouver, B.C., a skyscraper in Seattle, a large mixed-use development in Everett, and a proposed apartment development in Shoreline on a parcel of land between Aurora and Aurora Square called Denny's Triangle.

See our June 5, 2015 article Potala Place Shoreline to replace derelict buildings on Aurora.

The City of Shoreline was delighted that he was going to develop a piece of land on Aurora that was quickly becoming a hazard. Several buildings, including an old Dairy Queen, were abandoned. They were a target for graffiti, squatters, and drug users.

By the end of August 2015, it had all come apart. Federal charges were filed against Path America, Dargey's company, and all his assets were frozen, including Potala Place.

A federal investigation disclosed that Dargey was taking advantage of a federal program to bring foreign investment to the U.S. The program offered green cards in return for half a million dollar investments in job-creating projects.

Dargey was collecting huge sums from Asian investors and spending a lot of the money on himself.

The City of Shoreline, in the meantime, was taking steps to get the site cleared. Shoreline Fire had declared it a public hazard. The City filed violation notices that the owner was failing to maintain the property.

At the end of October 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission placed Dargey's assets in receivership and moved to seize his properties.

The properties were eventually put up for sale to repay some of the money Dargey owed. The holders of the Shoreline property heeded the City of Shoreline and cleared the site in April of 2016. It is now a grassy lot.

The property is still up for sale and will eventually be developed.



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New Ballinger Apartments under construction

Friday, August 4, 2017


The Ballinger Apartments are currently under construction. Located at 1795 NE 205th Street, the building is five stories, with 72 units.

It is on the street behind Ballinger Village, facing Mountlake Terrace businesses across the street on 244th SW.



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