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Welcome to the Seattle Southside Business Update, a quarterly newsletter bringing you current news and information on business and real estate developments in Southwest King County. Located in the heart of the region's commerce and transportation corridor, and within minutes of Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle Southside is your location for opportunity.
For businesses interested in relocating or expanding, or for real estate professionals looking for investment and development potential, Seattle Southside has a variety of options for you.
Read on to discover more about Seattle Southside.
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Tukwila Completes 259-Acre Annexation
The City completed the annexation of 259 acres of land (a portion of the 512-acre "Tukwila South" project) that officially became a part of Tukwila at midnight on December 31, 2009. The City plans to start construction by May on a new five-lane road from South 180th Street to South 200th Street. This important transportation and economic development project will be funded by a combination of federal, state, local and developer contributions. Site work to prepare the adjacent private property for future development will be undertaken by Segale Properties at the same time as road construction moves forward.
Click here to learn more about City of Tukwila initiatives.
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Shift in Development and Construction Emphasis for Des Moines in 2010
To maintain a vibrant community with a diverse social and broadereconomic make up, the City will be investing significant time and resources in 2010 to modify its codes, reconstruct key physical systems such as City facilities and infrastructure, and promote larger commercial development. This investment is being done with the intent of attracting the type of growth and development which will provide for new opportunities for Des Moines business owners and financial stability and improved services for its residents.
The City's Marina is a prime example of this type of activity shift. Recent construction, which completely upgrades the marina water and electrical systems, is done and construction is underway to replace the 40 year old harbor seawall. Similar investments and upgrades are occurring in the City's Beach Park.
The City is also strategically targeting improvements and code changes in and around the Downtown and the Des Moines Creek Business Park -- two areas that the City Council has ranked high on its strategic priority list. The water distribution system within Marine View Drive and associated side streets in the Downtown is poised for replacement, possibly this summer or fall. New design guidelines are also being crafted to shape new development in the Downtown. Parking requirements have been eased through 2010 and 2011 to spur developer interest in the Downtown. And, contingent upon award of final funding, the main east-west access to the central part of the Downtown (South 223rd Street) may also be partially reconstructed and resurfaced this year.
The City continues aggressively pursuing the initial phases of new development of the 89-acre Business Park site with the Port of Seattle. A possible development scenario that the City and Port are pursuing is the new regional headquarters for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which seeks to construct approximately 518,000 square feet of new office space for its 2,000 employees.
Read this and other articles at City Currents, the Des Moines newsletter.
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SeaTac's Easy Access Via Link Light Rail
Travel between downtown Seattle, the City of SeaTac, and the Airport got a lot easier on December 19, 2009 when the Airport Link extension opened for passenger service. The presence of the international airport and convergence of the region's major highways translate into the City of SeaTac serving as a transportation crossroads for the Puget Sound region. The opening of this station enhances this already robust transportation network and will certainly make SeaTac more accessible to the 37,000 employees that commute here every day. Also, with more than 5,300 hotel rooms (the largest concentration outside of downtown Seattle) and more than 70 languages spoken in the area, SeaTac serves as a primary gateway to the region for travelers and immigrants from around the world. All these users will make the new Public Plaza at the corner of International Boulevard and 176th Street a thriving hub of activity.
To take advantage of this activity, the City of SeaTac is intensively engaged in planning and designing downtown SeaTac across the street from the new SeaTac/Airport station. Downtown SeaTac will:
· provide an inviting place for residents to live, work, and play
· create new jobs
· increase walkability and promote community
· give travelers another reason to stay in the area
· generate additional tax revenues to support public services
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Burien Northeast Redevelopment Area
The City of Burien, in partnership with the Port of Seattle, has completed a redevelopment plan and implementation strategy for the 165-acre Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA) located between 8th Avenue S., Des Moines Memorial Drive, S. 138th Street and SR-518. The purpose of the strategy is to transform the NERA from a mixture of vacant, residential, public, and small commercial land uses to uses that are compatible with operations at Sea-Tac International Airport and existing and planned surrounding land uses. The NERA redevelopment plan and implementation strategy includes flexible and market-responsive redevelopment scenarios, as well as recommended policies and development regulations to guide long-term redevelopment in the NERA.
Progress on Study Efforts
A draft report for the NERA Redevelopment Plan and Implementation Strategy was completed in summer 2009. This report summarized all study efforts completed to date, including research into existing physical, environmental and market conditions and the analysis of potential redevelopment scenarios. The draft report also included recommendations for implementation of the study's redevelopment goals and a timeline action plan for implementation. As an outcome of the NERA plan development, a preferred alternative was identified that would allow for a combination of commercial, business park, light industrial land uses in the southern, eastern, and northeastern portions of the NERA, designated as Airport Industrial (AI) and professional residential types of uses including home-based offices and professional services in the northwestern portion of the area, identified as Professional Residential (PR). These land use designations were identified as the preferred alternative because they offer flexibility for redevelopment to adapt to changing market conditions over time.
A Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS), which analyzes the proposed redevelopment alternatives to the area, was published on November 23, 2009. Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments to implement the preferred alternative were processed concurrently with the EIS and were formally adopted by City Council in December 2009.
Click here for more information about the City of Burien.
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Normandy Park Encourages Sustainable Development Practices
The City of Normandy Park encourages property owners to use architects, designers, developers and builders who are committed to environmentally friendly construction methods and practices. The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health, andproductivity.
In the United States alone, buildings account for:
· 72% of electricity consumption
· 39% of energy use
· 38% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
· 40% of raw materials use
· 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually)
· 14% of potable water consumption
Environmentally friendly construction methods and practices include energy efficiency, indoor air quality, conserving natural resources and water quality. Most buildings can reach energy efficiency levels far beyond Washington Energy Code standards, yet most only strive to meet the standard. Incorporating sustainable design strategies can result in 40 percent less energy than Washington Energy Code standards.
For more information about environmental-friendly construction methods and practices visit: www.builtgreen.net.
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Sea-Tac International Airport Update
Assessing Sea-Tac Airport's passenger traffic - all signs point to 2010 being a better year overall than 2009. In fact, the recovery has already begun. Nevertheless, the recovery is expected to be much more gradual than what typically follows an economic downturn. Based upon past experiences such as conditions following 9/11, it takes Sea-Tac about four years to regain the passenger level that existed prior to the downturn. This time around, early projections estimate it will take five years for Sea-Tac to reach the 32 million-plus passenger level last seen in 2008. 2010 is expected to be a year of zero growth in passenger levels, 2011 will signal the beginning of a slow growth period, and 2014 will be the year Sea-Tac again reaches its 2008 numbers.
On October 20th, Delta Air Lines announced it will launch new nonstop service from Seattle to Beijing, China and Osaka, Japan next summer. In addition, Delta and KLM will be increasing the frequency of their flights to Amsterdam. Their decision to position Sea-Tac as a major gateway to Asia is very welcome news for the Pacific Northwest, and a reminder that even in these trying economic times, Sea-Tac continues to grow and provide the traveling public and business community more ways to connect around the globe.
Sea-Tac Airport is also the Pacific Northwest's Premier Air Cargo Gateway. In 2008, Sea-Tac Airport ranked 21st in air cargo volume in North America and is currently the fifth largest airport for air cargo on the West Coast. The Airport offers daily non-stop service to 98 destinations and international all-cargo maindeck or wide-body carrier service to 11 top international hubs (five in Asia and six in Europe). The Airport has approximately 680,000 square feet of leasable space in 15 airside buildings and more than three million square feet of aircraft ramp space.
Click here for more business and economic development news at the Port of Seattle.
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Seattle Southside Business is an association of Southwest King County cities, agencies, and educational institutions dedicated to economic development and business growth.
If you are interested in receiving more information about Seattle Southside business or real estate opportunities, or would like to visit specific real estate sites, please do not hesitate to contact us. We welcome all inquiries and will follow up with you immediately.
Sincerely,
Allison Clark
Seattle Southside Business
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