Will you chip in to support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation today? Yes, I want to support My Edmonds News!
The Verdant Health Commissioners has unanimously approved the demolition of the former Value Village property on Edmonds’ Highway 99.
The commissioners agreed to demolish the building, located at 21558 Highway 99, during their Aug. 28 board meeting. The action came one week after they held a special Aug. 21 board meeting to study the condition of all Verdant-owned properties.
“Commissioners considered the cost of the repairs needed to bring the building up to health care standards, the ongoing monthly costs for utilities, insurance and security and determined that demolition of the building would be the most cost-effective approach,” said Verdant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Edwards. “Without the building, the land can be better utilized.”
Verdant owns the former Stevens Hospital and several surrounding parcels that are leased to Providence-Swedish, the Kruger Clinic that is currently undergoing an $8.3 million renovation, and the Verdant Community Wellness Center in Lynnwood.
The Verdant Health Commission is the governing body for Public Hospital District No. 2, Snohomish County and is overseen by five elected commissioners.
“As elected officials and stewards of public funds, Verdant commissioners are dedicated to maintaining our capital assets,” said Commission Board President Karianna Wilson. “We will be working with other public agencies and community partners to plan for the future use of the property once the building is demolished in early 2025.”
South County Fire spokesperson Christie Veley said that South County Fire has been working with Public Hospital District No. 2 regarding the possible acquisition of the Value Village property as the site of a future fire station. “We are currently in the third phase of an environmental study, as part of our due diligence in this process,” she said.
It is a shame that Edmonds council and the major Rosen continue dropping the ball on 99. Instead of incentivicing the private sector to acquire and develop these priorities into tax generating sites, the city continues it’s policy of pretending 99 doesn’t exist even as it is struggling with a shrinking tax base and ballooning costs. Edmonds apparently is perfectly happy with abandoned used car dealership lots, or used car dealership lots that may as well be abandoned and used that generated more costs due to officers responding to calls than tax revenue for the city. A fire station is better than a car dealership, but still not a revenue generating land use.
I guess the speed trap cameras will need to work overtime this year
City finances are paramount to these decisions. Building a new fire station or any similar project is a costly endeavor and involves bond issuance and other major city expenses. I’m glad Edmonds is being cautious in not taking on expensive land use projects to further imperil its finances
Why not sell the badly located but high property value Police and Public Safety complex in our downtown for commercial development that would actually bring in tax revenue and purchase this property for a new Primary Fire and Police station complex where they are more highly needed? The Wade James property that the city already owns could be made into a satellite Fire/Police facility to keep a downtown presence more in proportion to downtown area needs. City Hall could stay where it’s at and the Council Meetings could go to ECA or FAC with some remodeling or repurposing done. We need to learn to best purpose what we already own and live within our means as a city. Maybe people would be more anxious to vote for more taxation if they thought the money was being used wisely.
I really liked visiting that Value Village when it was in operation and was sad to see it go. It was the source of good jobs, many of them second chance employment, in our community, as well as an opportunity to keep used items out of landfills and for our low income residents to acquire what they needed for their daily lives.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s long-running legal case against the thrift store chain Savers Value Village turned out to be no bargain, as the state has been ordered to pay the company nearly $4.3 million in legal fees.
King County Superior Court Judge David Whedbee issued the award on Tuesday, eight months after the state Supreme Court unanimously rejected the attorney general’s claims that marketing practices by the thrift store chain were deceptive. The judge called the state’s lawsuit “needless.”
The attorney general’s office began investigating the company in late 2014 and, after Savers Value Village declined to pay millions of dollars to settle the investigation, Ferguson — a Democrat who is now running for governor — sued. This article is from Oct. 2023. Still like Ferguson?