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.
Off the Press
June 26, 2012
Preparing for worst-case scenario in Issaquah
Warren Kagarise
Press reporter
The earthquake existed only on paper and pixels for a brief span in early June, but the aftermath lingers.
Officials in local, regional, state and federal government participated in a drill, called the 2012 Evergreen Quake Exercise Series, to prepare for a devastating disaster in Issaquah and Western Washington.
The scenario for the exercise reads like the script for a disaster flick set in Issaquah.
The magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled along the Seattle Fault at 8 a.m. Monday, June 4, as motorists surged on Interstate 90 and clogged city streets, en route to work and school.
The interstate turned impassable in a matter of seconds, as the exit to Front Street North and East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast crumbled.
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.
Developer announces July groundbreaking for long-planned Issaquah Highlands hotel
June 12, 2012
The rendering above shows a long-planned, 111-suite Residence Inn by Marriott hotel scheduled to break ground in the Issaquah Highlands next month and open to guests next year. By InnSight HMG
Construction is expected to start on a long-planned, much-anticipated hotel in the Issaquah Highlands next month, the developer announced June 5.
InnSight HMG plans to break ground on the hotel, a Residence Inn by Marriott, in mid-July. Plans call for the hotel to include 111 suites and employ more than 40 people. The developer expects the hotel to open in spring 2013.
The hotel site is located across Highlands Drive Northeast from Swedish/Issaquah. City officials expect the hospital to attract guests to the hotel, as people seek a nearby place to stay as family members undergo treatment.
The hospital opened in the neighborhood almost a year ago and started offering inpatient services in November.
Developer announces July groundbreaking for Issaquah Highlands hotel
June 5, 2012
NEW — 10 a.m. June 5, 2012
Construction is expected to start on a long-planned, much-anticipated hotel in the Issaquah Highlands next month, the developer announced early Tuesday.
InnSight HMG plans to break ground on the hotel, a Residence Inn by Marriott, in mid-July. Plans call for the hotel to include 111 suites and employ more than 40 people.
The hotel site is located across Highlands Drive Northeast from Swedish/Issaquah. City officials expect the hospital to attract guests to the hotel, as people seek a nearby place to stay as family members undergo treatment.
“Although we have already completed some initial site work, we are excited to officially break ground and become part of the Issaquah community,” InnSight Executive Vice President Pat McShane said in a statement. “Issaquah Highland’s focus on sustainability, community and growth make it an ideal setting for our Residence Inn. It will provide visitors an opportunity to feel like they are part of the neighborhood while enjoying all the comforts of home.”
Construction could start on Issaquah Highlands retail center soon
May 8, 2012
More options to shop and dine in the Issaquah Highlands could open as soon as next year, after a landmark decision by city officials to approve 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. Construction could start as early as next month.
The decision by the Urban Village Development Commission represents a milestone in the stop-and-go effort to add more retail options in the neighborhood. The commission — a city board to oversee large-scale projects in the highlands and Talus — OK’d the site development permit for Grand Ridge Plaza in a May 1 decision.
City’s sales tax revenue is down so far in 2012
May 8, 2012
Issaquah municipal government did not collect as much revenue January through March as it did during the same period a year ago, although planned developments could strengthen city finances.
In 2011, sales tax revenues increased almost 10 percent from 2010, but only due to sales tax on construction, mostly related to Swedish/Issaquah.
However, the city received about $6.1 million in revenue through March, down 6 percent — or $393,286 — from the same period a year ago. The figure includes sales tax revenue, building permits, grants and other funding sources.
The construction of Swedish/Issaquah bolstered the 2011 total.
Encompass launches series for young, expectant parents
May 1, 2012
Parents looking for a smarter way to parent their young children can get step-by-step, in-person help during a new workshop series developed by the Talaris Institute and presented by Encompass starting May 7 at Swedish/Issaquah.
City adds Economic Vitality Commission, but could shrink other boards
May 1, 2012
City leaders appointed a group of civic-minded citizens to boards and commissions April 16, although the number of positions could shrink in the months ahead.
In a unanimous decision, City Council members appointed applicants to openings on 12 boards and commissions. The groups advise the council on issues related to the arts, cable TV, development, parks and, in more specialized realms, city cemetery operations and sister-city relationships.
The decision included the inaugural appointees to the municipal Economic Vitality Commission, a key piece in a renewed focus on attracting and retaining businesses.
120 years of Issaquah
April 24, 2012
Click on the image to view the full-size timeline.
1892
- Issaquah is founded as Gilman. The city is named for railroad baron Daniel Hunt Gilman.
1893
- The postmaster called for mail sent to Gilman to be addressed to Olney, Wash., to avoid confusion between Gilman and Gilmer, another city in the state.
1895
- Townsfolk start calling the frontier town Issaquah, or “the sound of water birds” in the language of the American Indians native to the region.
1899
- State lawmakers approve official name change from Gilman to Issaquah.
