Squak Mountain timber plan concerns conservationists, neighbors
February 8, 2013
NEW — 12:05 p.m. Feb. 8, 2013
High on Squak Mountain, pink plastic strips tied to trees mark 216 acres of forest as a timber harvest area.
Since a timber company purchased the forest and started the process to permit logging on the site, conservationists and nearby residents mobilized to fight the proposal to clear cut the land. The logging opponents said cutting trees on the land could lead to more flooding downhill, damage sensitive fish and wildlife habitat, and add a timber harvest site near conservation lands.
The proposal from Eatonville-based Erickson Logging to harvest timber on 216 acres on the mountainside above Renton-Issaquah Road Southeast galvanized residents on Squak Mountain and near May Creek, a destination for runoff from the mountain.
Issaquah Highlands retail lineup adds coffee, liquor
February 7, 2013
NEW — 4 p.m. Feb. 7, 2013
The latest announced tenants for the long-planned Issaquah Highlands retail center, Grand Ridge Plaza, offer shoppers a chance to catch a buzz — spirits at BevMo! and coffee at Starbucks.
The recent additions to the $70 million highlands project add recognizable names alongside the Regal Cinemas multiplex, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Marshalls and HomeGoods, and Safeway.
The project developer, Regency Centers, estimated for offerings to open starting in the summer and fall. Expect the movie theater and some restaurants to open initially.
BevMo! — a chain based in Concord, Calif. — intends to expand to Issaquah after opening outposts in Bellevue and elsewhere in the Puget Sound region after the state privatized liquor sales in June 2012.
Wells Fargo is latest Issaquah Highlands tenant
February 2, 2013
NEW — 2 p.m. Feb. 2, 2013
Wells Fargo is the latest announced tenant for the long-planned Issaquah Highlands retail center, Grand Ridge Plaza.
San Francisco-based Wells Fargo plans to open a 2,600-square-foot branch at Highlands Drive Northeast and Northeast Federal Drive by September.
Customers can expect to see “green” features in the business, such as energy efficient light fixtures, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and sustainably grown and harvested wood materials.
The company also announced plans to open 15 to 20 outposts throughout the Puget Sound region in the next five years.
Issaquah milestones from 2012 reflect challenges, changes
December 25, 2012
Backhoes from Santana Trucking & Excavating dig June 26 at the southeast corner of the intersection of Northeast High Street and Highlands Drive Northeast, as construction starts on the Issaquah Highlands retail center. By Greg Farrar
Challenges — whether economic, political or social — defined the year.
Issaquah Highlands tenants to include RAM Restaurant & Brewery
October 9, 2012
Tenants for the long-awaited retail complex in the Issaquah Highlands include local restaurants and a beauty supply store, city officials announced Oct. 2, not long before project developers plan to unveil a more complete list of retailers.
The latest announcement for the $70 million highlands project, called Grand Ridge Plaza, adds RAM Restaurant & Brewery, Big Fish Grill and ULTA Beauty to the lineup alongside a Regal Cinemas multiplex, and a Safeway and associated gas station.
Lucy Sloman, city land development manager, and Keith Niven, city economic development director, announced the latest additions to the Urban Village Development Commission.
Issaquah Highlands retail options to include RAM Restaurant & Brewery
October 3, 2012
NEW — 6 p.m. Oct. 3, 2012
Tenants for the long-awaited retail complex in the Issaquah Highlands include local restaurants and a beauty supply store, city officials announced Tuesday.
The latest announcement for the $70 million highlands project, called Grand Ridge Plaza, adds RAM Restaurant & Brewery, Big Fish Grill and ULTA Beauty to the list alongside a Regal Cinemas multiplex, and a Safeway and associated gas station.
Lucy Sloman, city land development manager, and Keith Niven, city economic development director, announced the latest additions to the Urban Village Development Commission. The project developer, Regency Centers, and highlands developer Port Blakely Communities plan to unveil more tenants at a community meeting Oct. 10.
In another major development for the highlands, Microsoft plans to sell long-vacant land once envisioned for a campus, Niven said.
Construction starts on long-awaited Issaquah Highlands retail center
July 3, 2012
Earth-moving equipment works at the intersection of Highlands Drive Northeast and Northeast High Street on June 26 as construction starts on Grand Ridge Plaza. By Autumn Monahan
Finally, after years of plans and promises, developers and officials gathered in the Issaquah Highlands early June 26 to launch construction on a $70 million retail center in the neighborhood — a long-awaited amenity for residents and, in recent years, a symbol for the anemic economy and rebound.
Construction starts on long-awaited Issaquah Highlands retail center
June 26, 2012
Backhoes from Santana Trucking & Excavating dig Tuesday at the southeast corner of the intersection of Northeast High Street and Highlands Drive Northeast, as construction starts on the Issaquah Highlands retail center. By Greg Farrar
NEW — 11:45 a.m. June 26, 2012
Finally, after years of plans and promises, developers and officials gathered in the Issaquah Highlands early Tuesday to launch construction on a retail center in the neighborhood — a long-awaited amenity for residents and, in recent years, a symbol for the anemic economy and rebound.
Groundbreaking for Issaquah Highlands retail complex delayed until June 26
June 19, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. June 19, 2012
The groundbreaking ceremony for a long-planned Issaquah Highlands retail complex is delayed until June 26, project organizers announced Monday, a day before the planned event.
Executives at the highlands developer, Port Blakely Communities, and the company behind the retail complex, Regency Centers, attributed the weeklong delay to scheduling conflicts.
“This project remains a top priority for both organizations and we have every confidence that the transaction will close and construction will commence very soon,” Port Blakely CEO René Ancinas and Regency Senior Vice President Craig Ramey said in a joint statement.
The groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the corner of Ninth Avenue Northeast and Park Drive — a vacant stretch envisioned as Grand Ridge Plaza, as the project is called.
Officials to break ground June 19 on Issaquah Highlands retail complex
June 14, 2012
NEW — 9 p.m. June 14, 2012
City leaders and representatives from Issaquah Highlands developers plan to gather June 19 to break ground on a long-awaited retail complex in the neighborhood.
Regency Centers, a real estate investment trust based in Florida, intends to build the retail complex, dubbed Grand Ridge Plaza, on vacant land along Highlands Drive Northeast between Swedish/Issaquah and the Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride.
The proposed retail complex morphed throughout the years to reflect the developers involved and the economy.
In the latest iteration, announced tenants include a Regal Cinemas multiplex, and a Safeway and associated gas station.
Regal Cinemas and Safeway intend to open next year. Other tenants could open in 2013 as well.
