DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE SOUND
News about construction projects underway
Posted April 2008
A $130 million, AAA Four Diamond hotel, spa and convention center are the latest expansion goals for the Tulalip Tribes' evolving economic engine at Quil Ceda Village near Marysville.
Set for a June soft launch, those staying at the hotel will enjoy ready access to the existing 2,400-seat amphitheater and Las Vegas-style casino. Spacious hotel rooms will serve as a key differentiator, with 500 sq. ft. rooms about 200 sq. ft. larger than the average U.S. hotel. Nearly 200 of the 363 total rooms will be available within a month of the debut. Among those will be 23 luxury suites and a 3,000 sq. ft. room replete with two bedrooms plus a kitchen, offering a rarefied experience.
The base of the new hotel features 5,700 sq. ft. of casino gaming, about half of which is devoted to high-limits gambling. A massive oasis pool will attract weddings and receptions to the resort, backed up by a network of restaurants and kitchens located throughout Quil Ceda Village.
The new facility could host as many as 800 people in its modern banquet space and as many as 220 at the round-the-clock restaurant.
More big changes abound. Beyond the 12-story hotel addition, the Tulalip Tribes' management is targeting an additional 50 to 100 stores for the already robust Seattle Premium Outlets and a sprawling RV park, both projects that could be ready to go within the next two years.
The fast-growing area of Puyallup, 17 driving miles southeast of Tacoma, is a housing hotspot. Seattle-based developer Tarragon chose a high 38,000 car-a-day intersection in Puyallup to build Sunrise Village, a 550,000 sq. ft. retail center.
Sunrise Village’s design calls for a town center look and will provide shoppers with an open air, pedestrian-friendly experience by the time it opens in summer 2008. Parking needs are met with 2,900 stalls.
The 65-acre site’s location is within a mile of a planned highway that will connect South Puyallup with Interstate 5, further bolstering traffic that retailers hunger after. Demographic estimates show as many as 5,000 new homes could sprout up within a five-mile radius of the mall by 2010. More than 117,000 people already live there and earn an average household income of $83,000 a year.
At this point, commercial Real Estate services firm CBRE has announced four tenants for Sunrise Village. Target will add a second Puyallup location when it takes an anchor spot in the new mall. A pool, five racquetball courts, a juice bar and 45 group fitness classes a week are available to members of the coming LA Fitness, a 50,000 sq. ft. gym. Office supply giant Staples will add Sunrise Village to its list of 2,000-plus retail locations. Also announced is PetSmart, a pet supply chain that is nearing the 1,000 store mark.
These appealing trends make the area ripe for another mall, even if there is nearby competition. Three miles from Sunrise Village is South Hill Mall, a million sq. ft. shopping center planning an interior facelift and a lifestyle addition.