A River Runs Through it: The New Northgate
Mayor and community celebrate grand opening

SEATTLE - At 12:45 p.m. tomorrow, Mayor Greg Nickels will mark the opening of several major projects immediately south of Northgate Mall. The ribbon-cutting event also debuts the new Thornton Creek headwaters, the centerpiece of Northgate's revitalization.

In an effort to transform Northgate from an aging mall to a vibrant urban village, the city invested $56 million in key public improvements, including a new library, community center, sidewalks, two new parks, and the Thornton Creek Channel - a 2.7 acre natural drainage system. The city's efforts sparked private investment totaling more than $265 million, including 700 new housing units and more than 850 permanent jobs.

"This long-awaited celebration shows what can happen when we join together," said Nickels. "For too long, progress on Northgate was deadlocked. We broke the logjam, and today, Northgate is an example of great urban design, environmental stewardship, and the power of community."

The Northgate revitalization story began in December 2004, when Nickels and the Seattle City Council ended a decade of controversy and litigation by reforming land-use regulations and convening a local stakeholders group. The dispute over Thornton Creek was settled after Simon Properties, the Northgate Mall owner, provided the land for the Thornton Creek Channel and the Northgate Stakeholders reached consensus on the design.

"It's very satisfying to see the work of the Northgate stakeholders group come to fruition. The carefully planned development, with all its amenities, is really revitalizing the neighborhood," said Dr. Ron LaFayette, president of North Seattle Community College. "Now the Northgate-area is becoming a destination for people from other parts of the city and helping improve North Seattle's economic fortunes."

"I have lived here since the '40s and this is beyond my greatest dreams," said Marilyn Firlotte, a member of the stakeholder group and longtime resident.

Saturday's grand-opening celebrations include:

• The Thornton Creek headwaters, a major environmental project by the city of Seattle to clean stormwater runoff entering Thornton Creek while providing an attractive parklike space with pathways meandering across the former nine acre parking lot to the Northgate Transit Center.
• Aljoya, an 143-apartment senior living community scheduled to open in July.
• Thornton Place development by Lorig Associates, with 109 condominium units, 278 apartments, and 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
• The 14-screen Regal Theater at Thornton Place.
• A new Third Ave Northeast pedestrian-friendly street between Northeast 103rd and Northeast 100th Streets, with improved access to Northgate Transit Center buses and the future Sound Transit trains.

Other recent changes to Northgate include:

• 507 Northgate - Wallace Properties mixed-use development with 163 apartment units above 55,000 square feet of new retail space. This project utilizes the city's Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program to provide affordable rental housing.
• Major additions to Northgate Mall with a number of new stores and restaurants.
• Improved Fifth Avenue Northeast, including landscaped median and pedestrian amenities.
• Maple Leaf Community Garden at 529 N.E. 103rd St.
• Acquisition and planning for the new $14.5 million Hubbard Homestead Park at the site of the Northgate Park and Ride at Five Avenue Northeast and Northeast 112th Street on which the city plans to break ground this fall.

"This is a great achievement for the Northgate community and the neighborhoods around Northgate. The residents, businesses, and community organizations led the way in creating these truly positive results," said City Council President Richard Conlin. "It was incredibly rewarding to be able to support them in their efforts. The outcome is something we all can take pride in and enjoy."

With the city's investment in Northgate and all of the momentum that has been created both by these redevelopment efforts and by the approval last November of Sound Transit 2, which will bring light rail to Northgate and beyond, Northgate's transformation is expected to continue. To learn more about the Revitalizing Northgate go to: http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Planning/Northgate_Revitalization/Overview

Community contacts:
Dr. Ron LaFayette
North Seattle Community College
206-527-360

Marilyn Firlotte
206-524-1160

Event details:
Time: 12:45 p.m.
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009
Place: Northgate neighborhood, corner of Third Avenue Northeast and Northeast 100th Street, immediately east of the Northgate Transit Center and immediately south of Northgate Mall.

Free parking in the Thornton Place parking garage: Enter on Third Avenue Northeast.

For more information click on one of the links below:
Northgate Investments strengthen local economy (pdf)
Northgate Revitalization Timeline (pdf)
Northgate Urban Center’s Sustainability Features (pdf)
Water Quality Channel Protects Thornton Creek Environment (pdf)

Get the Nickels Newsletter and the mayor's inside view on transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities at mayor.seattle.gov

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Office of the Mayor