By Larry Vogel
Have you noticed the scaffolding, paint and busy workers at the former O’Reilly’s Auto Parts at 220th and Highway 99? It’s all part of Edmonds Village Corner, a new mixed-use commercial complex scheduled to open in October.
The new complex is a scaled-down version of the proposed Edmonds Green project reported on My Edmonds News in May of this year.
Development is being managed by the Behar Company of Seattle. The original Edmonds Green project was envisioned as a 450,000-square-foot transit-oriented urban village combining residential units, office and commercial space (see the original concept here. Edmonds Village Corner is more modest and a better fit with the realities of the local economy, said Matt Steiner, asset manager for Behar.
“The idea for Edmonds Green is still very much alive,” he said. “The area of 220th and Highway 99 is already a hub for commuters traveling to major employers such as Swedish/Edmonds and Premera Blue Cross in Mountlake Terrace, and Edmonds Green was seen as a good fit. But further analysis tells us that the local economy simply can’t bear an additional 200,000-300,000 square feet of retail at this time.”
Edmonds Village Corner will feature stucco walls, and is planned as an attractive mix of food services, credit, and other consumer-oriented businesses. Ample parking will be provided.
“We plan to have our first tenants in place in October,” Steiner said.
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Used to be Britain’s Office Supply before it was Schuck’s-O’Reilly.
Should the story really say 20,000 to 30,000 of retail?
That seems odd to me also, Ron. I called Matt Steiner to check it out. Even though he was enjoying his Labor Day weekend on a boat, he took a minute to set things straight…the numbers should be 200,000 to 300,000 square feet.
Larry:
Thanks very much for checking this out so quickly.
Does anyone have any idea of what the market will bear at this as far as new retail square footage? How much square footage is vacant in Edmonds at this time? Looking to the future what do the experts say about the need to add square footage on an annual basis to keep up with the need. At some point the available inventory of vacant space may run out and where will we put the new needed space.
A bit of history about this project… it’s one activity handled by the City staff and the Hwy 99 Economic Development Task Force. This group started in ’03 and continues today helping to develop the Highway to improve the City’s finances while providing good services to its citizens. The Task Force has met with property owners, made efforts to recruit national businesses to Edmonds, helped determine the current SWIFT stops along the 99 in Edmonds and much more. The Task Force members agree that when this project is fully developed, it will provide a big financial boost to Edmonds.
This look like a very good improvement to the area. This along with a host of other items seem to be part of the good work done by the Hwy 99 Economic Development Task Force. What is meant by a big financial boost to Edmonds?
Darrol, we’ve seen data on revenues from the large businesses on the Hwy, the car dealerships and other potential new businesses, like Edmonds Village Corner, and they provide good income to the City. Certainly other locations also contribute (Westgate, 5 Corners, etc.) but continued development on the Hwy should bring more income at a time of need.
Jim, do you know where we can see the data you mentioned? What will the new businesses generate in terms of revenues for Edmonds? If I understand the budget contribution from sales taxes for example, for each $1,000,000 of taxable revenues Edmonds would get a little less than $9000. I am trying to understand what other type of revenues will the city receive?