By Ken Urman, Realtor
The renaissance of Mercer Island’s downtown community was
instigated by the Growth Management Act (GMA) of 1990 and a State-issued requirement that
Mercer Island plan to accommodate 3,000 additional residents. Because Mercer
Island was essentially built-out at the time with single family homes, downtown
was the only place to build high-occupancy buildings that would provide 1,437
new housing units by 2022. Implementation of the plan brings significant change
to the once-sleepy downtown area. The most obvious change is in the
architecture of the new buildings.
Empty
parking lots, aging buildings and familiar traffic patterns are being replaced
by mid-rise apartment and condominium buildings with office and retail space on
the first floor or two. These new buildings are changing the appearance of the
downtown area and occupying the space previously available for parking and
altering familiar traffic patterns. When fully implemented, the redevelopment
plan will add more than 80,000 square feet of retail space, 24 condos, and at
least 700 apartments.
The
retail space is expected to revitalize the downtown area and create homes for
the types of businesses needed to provide nightlife venues on Mercer Island.
The residents of the apartments and condominiums are expected to be immediate
clientele for the businesses located
in these buildings. Those who work in the community are expected to shop there,
as well. In time, if the right kinds of restaurants and shops open, the
downtown/city center neighborhood could support a thriving nightlife that will
keep Islanders “at home” as opposed to driving into Seattle for the evening. 
Parking concerns were raised by a number of Mercer Island Residents during the planning stages of the downtown redevelopment. Some concerns have been mitigated by the requirement that all of these buildings include underground parking or lots behind the structures. Parking in downtown is free.
Although the appearance and ambiance of the downtown or city
center area has changed dramatically, many believe the wide sidewalks (15
feet), pedestrian-friendly aspects of the redevelopment will maintain the relaxed
lifestyle, there are some who do not like the construction of taller buildings
in the downtown area. The mixed-use structures should revitalize the downtown
community, especially after 5:00 pm. It should also generate a significant
continuing source of tax revenue for the city. Development of the downtown core
continues with many new projects in the works . . . making our city more modern
and fun!This is the second in a series of blog posts about the Downtown Mercer Island community. Part 1 discussed the reasons for redevelopment and the goals achieved. Part 3 will look at the residents and businesses of the new downtown.
