On March 18, 2004, the Northgate Stakeholders Group held its first public meeting on the campus of North Seattle Community College. The formation of this group, which represents a wide range of interests in revitalizating Northgate, is one of a number of positive steps currently underway, including:

• the new library, community center and park, which will be breaking ground soon;
• the 5th Avenue Streetscape project, which will substantially improve pedestrian connections on an important thoroughfare; and
• development proposals for the South Lot, Northgate Mall, and the Northgate Transit Center site, which are just around the corner.

Formation of Group
The Northgate Stakeholders Group is the result of the agreement reached last December by Mayor Nickels, the Seattle City Council, and members of the Northgate community. It was formed under City Council Resolution 30642 to advise the City on major projects coming to Northgate, which include:

• planning for large lot developments (particularly early input on conceptual site planning), such as the Northgate Mall, the South Lot, and King County's transit-oriented development project;
• an Urban Center Plan for open space and pedestrian connections including streetscape improvements and bicycle and pedestrian circulation;
• the Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan; and
• implementation of the 5th Avenue NE Streetscape Design.

Early in March DPD announced the 22 stakeholder group members, representing community groups, businesses, Simon Properties Group, King County/Metro, major institutions in the area, condominium owners, labor, senior citizens, and youth.

March 18 Meeting Details
At the March 18 meeting Mayor Greg Nickels and City Councilmember Steinbrueck delivered opening remarks in support of the work of the volunteer stakeholders. Participants introduced themselves and discussed their roles and responsibilities in advising the Mayor and Council.

The stakeholders group then heard information on the Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan, Lorig Associates’ proposal for the South Lot, and Seattle Public Utilities’ proposal for analyzing open space and stormwater management options on the South Lot.

For more details on the Northgate Stakeholders Group, visit their new webpage.