Going Big in '15 - '16

With additional announcements being released this week regarding another major construction project in the Angle Lake area, it is looking like 2015-16 are going to be very active years for significant growth in the neighborhood!

Projects announced earlier included two hotel complexes next to Angle Lake and a major project adjacent to the $383.2 million Sound Transit Light Rail Station.  These projects include the 140 room Marriott Extended Stay “Beacon” style hotel being constructed adjacent to Angle Lake Park; Seattle-based Ariel Development to build a $25 Million Hyatt Place Hotel on the bare lot referred to as the ‘Hughes Property’;  and Wright Runstad’s plan to build a multi-structure campus consisting of over one million square feet of mixed use on the current SeaTac Park and Fly lot west of the proposed station which may eventually become the chosen site for the new FAA Regional Offices.

And now, city of SeaTac officials have announced Monday that AVS Communities will be building “The Reserve at SeaTac”, a 289-unit senior-living apartment complex near the Angle Lake light-rail station. Construction of the apartment project will be sited on a former car sales lot at 19707 International Blvd. S., is scheduled to begin early next year and be done in the summer of 2016.

The Reserve at Seatac Senior Housing

This is the sort of transit-oriented development (TOD) that city and regional officials have been planning since light-rail service to South King County arrived five years ago in the depths of the recession. Despite upzoning property to allow taller, denser development, not much TOD building has occurred in SeaTac until now. 

Newport Beach, Calif.-based AVS's project will go up three blocks from the light-rail station. AVS President Christopher Santoro said in a press release that "being in the middle of an exciting new transit district and providing a catalyst for other development helps with our goal of community building."

AVS builds "amenity rich, affordable housing options" for seniors, according to the company, which has been developing projects in on the West Coast and Missouri for more than 20 years. In Washington, the company has properties in Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Everett, Spokane, Silverdale and Tacoma.

"With the plans by Wright Runstad and new hotel projects in the area, this location is proving to become what we always knew would be an attractive investment decision for all types of real estate development," said SeaTac City Manager Todd Cutts.

The Angle Lake Station will be the southern terminus of the Puget Sound region light rail until 2023. The system currently is being expanded east to the Overlake area of Redmond and north to Lynnwood. The Angle Lake Station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will have a plaza, a 1,050-stall parking garage and some commercial space.

Sound Transit has released a 3-D animation that shows how trains will operate on the 1.6-mile elevated guideway between the airport and the Angle Lake Station.

Social Party of the Year

Not to be confused with any particular Socialist Party!  What I’m referring to is the always popular annual Angle Lake Shore Club Members Only Christmas Party being held on Saturday, December 6th at the lovely McGarah Residence! A copy of the invitation may be viewed by clicking HERE.

We’re rapidly approaching capacity seating for our upcoming Members Only Christmas Party and ask that you consider reserving your tickets by Saturday, November 29th to guarantee spots for you and your guest(s). After which time, tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis until sold out.  

The evening is set to kick off with a mix and mingle, allowing guests to get caught up while snacking on delicious hors d’ oeuvres and imbibing in a limitless supply of beverages served up by our extremely congenial and highly entertaining bartenders, Bruce and Sandy Goulet. Club President, Lonnie Goulet will chair a short meeting at around 5:00 PM to provide a year in review status; give an update regarding progress for the 2015 fireworks display; introduce new members; elect officers; recognize outstanding volunteers and present the awards for Mr. and Ms. Christmas!  

At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees will break for dinner and feast upon a delicious Italian Cuisine catered by Bakeman’s Restaurant who have received awards as a Seattle Best Restaurant, as Best Lunch Counter by Seattle Weekly, featured on KCTS Channel 9 'Check, Please!' and KING TVs ‘Evening Magazine’ where owner Jason Wong is recognized as Seattle’s own version of the Seinfeld Soup Guy!

This year’s menu will feature regular and gluten free choices:

Appetizers

• Marinated Asparagus 
• Roasted Italian Vegetables 
• Prawns and Cocktail Sauce

Dinner Menu

• Italian Bread, Rolls with Butter
• Caesar Salad 
• Caprese Salad
• Rigatoni w/ White Sauce 
• Penne Pasta Alfredo w/ Chicken and Gorgonzola
• Meatballs and Italian Sausage w/ Onions, Peppers and Tomatoes
• Breast of Chicken Piccata with Lemon Butter and Capers 

Local entertainer Mary Courtney will tickle the ivories throughout the evening and will lead the crowd in Traditional Christmas Music Sing-A-Long and we’ll also be offering the ‘Picture Booth’ to capture some unique and hilarious holiday photos. 

Tickets are just $30.00 per person and include everything listed above to help create a wonderful and memorable evening spent with friends and neighbors. Order Form is available via this LINK.

Filling the Holiday with Hope and Joy

ALSC Member Pattie Lenz had submitted the following article addressed to all within our community.

As the Christmas Holiday nears the spirit of generosity tends to increase for many of us. It is during this time of year, we wish to extend an invitation for you to join us in helping financially strapped families from our area to make Christmas special for their children. The need is great and is growing each year.

Pattie can easily recall many heartwarming stories and pleasant experiences witnessing the thrill and delight in a child’s face when they receive an unexpected gift from someone who cares. You too can help spread this joy by:

• Organizing a toy drive in your place of business.
• Volunteering to shop or assist parents with shopping.
• Referring a local family you know that needs help.
• Purchasing an unwrapped toy or two for children 0-11 or give gift cards ($25.00) for youth 12-18 from Fred Meyer; Target Stores; or H'n'M and donate them to the Angle Lake Family Resource Center.

Please bring toys, gift cards and/or monetary donations to the Angle Lake Family Resource Center located at 4040 So. 188th Street by December 2nd.  They will be accepting donations between the hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

For more information concerning the Holiday of Hope, please contact Zak Eskenazi at the Angle Lake Resource Center by phoning 206-816-3241 or by email at fre-vista@lcsnw.org.

Major Development Open House this Wednesday

Representatives with Wright Runstad will be at SeaTac City Hall on Wednesday, November 12 at 3:00 PM for a public open house to discuss the firm’s plans for a large scale development adjacent to the new Angle Lake light rail station. 

Wednesday, November 12th

3:00 PM Open House

4:00 PM Presentation 

Announced Plan for Major Development

Wednesday, November 5th, Wright Runstad President Greg Johnson said that his company is under contract to buy a seven-acre site just west of the Angle Lake light-rail station. Johnson said his company will pursue development of the property whether or not Wright Runstad is awarded the FAA contract which is looking for 300,000 square feet of office space in a new or existing building within 10 miles of the agency's current office in Renton.

"We've got plans for over 1 million square feet," Johnson said during a Bis Now panel discussion before hundreds of members of the real estate industry. Even though Wright Runstad has had designs on the site for several years, it's believed this was the first time it was publicly discussed.

This is the opportunity that the city of SeaTac, which surrounds the airport, has been pining for for years. SeaTac prepared for years for the arrival of light-rail in the city. Officials updated zoning to accommodate large-scale development and invested in infrastructure. Unfortunately for SeaTac, the light-rail line between downtown Seattle and South King County opened in 2009 when the economy was in the worst recession since the Depression.

The property that Seattle-based Wright Runstad has under contract today is a large surface parking lot. Johnson said it's owned by a limited liability company that Tom Dantzler, a member of the city of SeaTac's Planning Commission, is involved with. Wright Runstad has had it under contract "for quite some time," Johnson said, explaining that his company tied it up three or four years ago after the FAA first started looking for a new regional headquarters.

Wright Runstad is working with Seattle architecture firm NBBJ on a master plan for the property. He envisions a campus with office, retail and hotel space. According to a presentation that federal officials gave to developers interested in the FAA facility, the government plans to award the contract on March 30, 2015, with the facility opening Sept. 1, 2017.

Johnson said that even if his company doesn't land the FAA assignment, he still wants to develop the SeaTac property. Wright Runstad has a long-term contract to buy the site, though Johnson did not provide specifics. But with the large airport-parking lot on the site, it would provide a revenue stream while Wright Runstad waits to develop the property, he said.

Sound Transit is spending $383.2 million to extend the light-rail line 1.6 miles south of Sea-Tac Airport to South 200th. Trains will run on an elevated guideway between the airport and Angle Lake station. A 1,050-stall parking garge and plaza will be part of the Angle Lake Station, where the city would allow 10- to 12-story residential, retail, office and hotel towers. Johnson indicated that a maximum height for buildings could actually vary from 15 to 18 stories due to sloping on the site .

"Housing has potential, but I think the stronger markets are office, hotel and retail," said Johnson, whose company often focuses on developing projects near mass transit. Wright Runstad developed the 1201 Third Avenue tower above the downtown Seattle transit tunnel, and is developing a $2.3 billion mixed-use project called the Spring District next to a future light-rail station in Bellevue.

Open House and Study Session Presentation

Cindy Edens, the Senior Vice President and Director of Development for Wright Runstad will be at City Hall on Wednesday, November 12 at 3:00 PM for a public open house to discuss the firm’s plans for a large scale development adjacent to the new Angle Lake light rail station. 

Wright Runstad, one of the largest developers on the west coast has plans for a million square foot mixed-use development that could include office, hotel and retail on the seven acre site which is currently a park and fly lot. Ms. Edens will be available to discuss the current thinking on the master plan for the site, the company’s long-range transit oriented vision for the area and share her views on why the site was attractive to Wright Runstad. The location has also been submitted for consideration as the new site of the FAA Regional Headquarters which would bring over 1,000 jobs into the City. 

Ms. Edens will also be making a presentation at the City Council Study Session at 4:00 PM following the open house.

Amended Rules with Late Plant

Anglers are discovering good fishing conditions at Angle Lake during this fall season. Residents have had the pleasure of watching the fish jump throughout the evening hours.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced amended recreational fishing rules at select waters in Island, King, Snohomish, and Thurston counties.  Angle Lake is one of sixteen select inland lakes where these new rules will apply.

This action will increase the daily bag limit for trout to 10 fish with no minimum size requirement applied. The effective dates for these amended rules are now through to one hour after official sunset on Feb. 13, 2015. The increased capture limit applies to trout only.

Reason for the action: The Department will increase fall and winter recreational fishing opportunity in inland waters throughout the Puget Sound region by stocking more than 300,000 catchable-size (10 to 12 inches) or larger Rainbow Trout.

Angle Lake has received nearly 9% of the total stock available from the following plantings to date:

Lake/Pond	Date	Species	Number	Fish per Pound	Hatchery
ANGLE LK (KING) King County - Region 4	Oct 28, 2014	Rainbow	3,900	1.7	MESEBERG HATCHERY
ANGLE LK (KING) King County - Region 4	Oct 14, 2014	Rainbow	2,700	1.8	MESEBERG HATCHERY
ANGLE LK (KING) King County - Region 4	Oct 14, 2014	Rainbow	16,000	2.2	PUYALLUP HATCHERY
ANGLE LK (KING) King County - Region 4	Apr 02, 2014	Rainbow	297	0.7	TROUT LODGE COMMERCIAL
ANGLE LK (KING) King County - Region 4	Mar 17, 2014	Rainbow	3,000	2.5	PUYALLUP HATCHERY

Regardless if you fish, watch people fish or like to simply watch the fish jump in the evening, enjoy this extra fall activity on the lake.