Mercer Island’s “Gateway” property site – formerly the location of Tully’s Coffee | Image Credit: City of Mercer Island
Last week, we wrote about some exciting ideas presented in the preliminary proposals for the City’s “Gateway” property – the former site of Tully’s Coffee where the City is planning a commuter parking facility and a mixed-use residential/commercial development.
The proposals were presented at an Open House on October 22nd by five semi-finalists, narrowed down from the nine developers who responded to the City’s Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking innovative and capable developers for the property. You can read the full blog post here.
Now the pool is down to two. On October 31st, the City selected Mainstreet Property Group LLC and Shelter Holdings / Weinstein A+U as the finalists for the project. According to the City’s announcement, “both teams are composed of strong, well-qualified consultant teams with a proven track record. Initial design concepts from the finalists included space for the Mercer Island Center for the Arts as well as significant parking (up to 150 parking spaces) for the future commuter parking facility.”
The City Council is scheduled to meet with the finalists on Monday, November 26th, 2018. The final selected developer will then enter into negotiations with the City for an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA). Following formal Council adoption of the ENA, the City will work closely with the community and developer to design the project.
If you’re wondering how the City could possibly fit a large mixed-use development at the site of Tully’s Coffee, here’s how. The City intends to create a single parcel by assembling two separate properties, consisting of the Tully’s property and a portion of the City-owned land on Sunset Highway. The Tully’s property is currently under contract with the City. This unique project at a premier location will develop a gateway connection between the City’s Town Center and the future Sound Transit Light Rail Station (opening in 2023).
We’ve shared the design concepts below, though they are preliminary and will be further refined once a finalist is selected. What are your thoughts about the designs and future development? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
MainStreet Property Group
Developer: MainStreet Property Group | Architect: GGLO Design | General Contractor: GenCap Construction Corp.
The preliminary proposal submitted by Mainstreet Property Group is for a 5-story development that would include 120 apartments, 23,000 square feet dedicated to MICA, and 190 parking spaces. Kelly Price, who is President of MainStreet Property Group as well as CEO of GenCap Construction Corp., grew up on Mercer Island and graduated from Mercer Island High School Class of 1987.
View MainStreet Property Group’s RFQ >>
Shelter Holdings | Weinstein A + U
Developer: Shelter Holdings | Architect: Weinstein A + U | Landscape Architect: Swift Company | | Construction Team: Shelter Holdings
The preliminary proposal submitted by Shelter Holdings and Weinstein A + U is for a five-story development that would include 120 apartments or condos; 30,000 square feet dedicated to MICA; and 320 parking spaces (3 floors). Local project experience includes the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club (PEAK), the Mercerwood Shore Club, and the Stroum Jewish Community Center’s Auditorium.
View Shelter Holdings | Weinstein A + U’s RFQ >>
