NorthPoint Redevelopment

With sweeping views of Budd Inlet and the Olympic Mountains, the unique area is expected to attract visitors as well as residents. Its location on Marine Drive shares a parking area on the south with the adjacent Swantown Marina and Boatworks. To the west is Anthony’s Hearthfire Restaurant.

Responses to RFP: In response to Commission direction on August 26, 2009, a Request for Proposals for NorthPoint redevelopment was issued September 10, 2009. The responses included two submissions, one of which was judged incomplete. The other submittal came from MJR Development of Kirkland, Washington. Their proposal included two alternatives: Alternative #1 contained a 5,875 sf restaurant and a 54,350 sf three story office building. Alternative # 2 contained a 5,625 sf restaurant and a 3-story 92 room hotel.

Open Houses for Public Comment: In accordance with the process specified in the Request for Proposals, three open houses were held to give the community an opportunity to learn about the proposals and ask questions of the developer, allow the community to provide written comment to the Port and to give the developer an opportunity to interact with the community. The open houses were held from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Lacey Community Center on October 27th, the Olympia Center on October 28th, and the Tumwater Comfort Inn on October 29th.

The open houses were extensively publicized to Thurston County residents and businesses including advertising in the local newspaper; e-mails to those on the Port’s Thurston County contact list; and news releases to local media. In addition, the following organizations sent the announcement to their membership list: the Visitor and Convention Bureau, Economic Development Council of Thurston County, Olympia – Thurston Chamber of Commerce, Progressive Network contact list, Olympia Downtown Association, Lacey Chamber of Commerce and the Tumwater Chamber of Commerce. The events attracted a front page article in The Olympian and reports from KGY radio.

The open houses attracted 69 attendees. In addition, the Port received 17 comment cards from open house attendees, 26 e-mails, 1 phone message and 1 blog for a total of 45 comments from the open houses.

Port Commission Direction:
At the November 9th Regular Commission Meeting, the Port Commission was provided an advisory and a copy of all public comments received regarding the concepts MJR presented at the three October open houses on the NorthPoint Redevelopment. The Commission took the comments under advisory and made no decision at that meeting.

At the November 23, 2009 Commission meeting, the Commission was provided a summary of the process and then discussed the matter among themselves. They also were provided an updated concept alternative #3 site plan from MJR that reflected MJR’s interpretation of public comments. After due deliberation, the Commission approved a motion that:
  • Directed Port Staff to explore a long-term lease with KGY, consistent with the Port’s customary terms and conditions
  • Agreed to provide MJR Development exclusive rights to continue to develop concepts for NorthPoint subject to continuation of an acceptable public process of further input, and do feasibility studies leading to concurrence with a development concept by the Port Commission. All of the above would be done under a mutually agreeable memorandum of understanding, such exclusive conceptual development rights to be valid for a period of one year, with an option for an additional year.
  • Ordered Port staff to proceed with an interim action plan with the Washington State Department of Ecology, based on the MJR concept known as alternative #3 site plan that was presented at the November 23 Commission meeting.
Staff is currently engaged in acting upon the Commission’s direction above.

Contacts:
  • Kari Qvigstad, Marketing and Business Development Director, 360.528.8013, kariq@portolympia.com
  • Kathleen White, Communications Manager, 360.528.8012, kathleenw@portolympia.com
Due Diligence
NorthPoint Fact Sheet

Site Maps
MJR's Proposed Alternatives