Rendering1 Aerial Site-Plan By Jack Mayne A huge new cold storage facility will be completed in Burien in a few months, following the earlier $4.5 million sale of 14 acres of city-owned land in the Northeast Redevelopment Area. Bridge Development Partners of Chicago becomes the first private developer in Burien’s Northeast Development Area, better known as the NERA. The Port of Seattle also owns a big part of the area and recently got vacation of city streets. Bridge Development on May 16 this year completed the purchase of the property at 1010 S. 146th Street in Burien, where it plans to build a 241,140-square-foot cold-storage warehouse. Bridge also paid about $800,000 for three smaller parcels not owned by the city. Western Distribution Services LLC of Renton will operate the facility. Bridge said the plant is scheduled for completion early next year. NERA history The Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA) was created in 1997 in the city’s comprehensive plan, and a redevelopment plan was prepared in April 2010. Then in July 2013 the Council authorized the purchase of the former Sunny Terrace School property from Highline Public Schools for $2.3 million, and the Council also authorized the purchase of a neighboring four-acre parcel at 860 S. 146th Street for $750,000. In August 2015, the Council authorized City Manager Kamuron Gurol to sign a purchase agreement for $4.85 million. The city actually bought the two parcels separately for about $3 million a couple of years earlier. The City of Burien, in partnership with the Port of Seattle, was to determine how to respond to regional market and economic realities, and they said their shared goal was to create a sustainable airport-compatible redevelopment. The Port of Seattle’s Century Agenda was initiated in 2012 and aims to add 100,000 jobs through economic growth over the next 25 years, while reducing its environmental footprint. Kidder Matthews, a Seattle area commercial real estate firm, via Dan Matthews, a vice president, and broker Mike Newton, handled both ends of the deal to sell the property to Bridge Development Partners. 10-year plan “The results of this ten-year planning effort are the first steps toward making the City of Burien’s and Port of Seattle’s visions a reality. I recognized the synergies between the goals of the public and private sectors, and collaborated with all parties to assemble the land and bring suitable developer and end user options,” said Matthews. “This project will spur economic development to support families in the region for years to come,” he said. New cold storage facilities are needed to meet stringent code regulations for food safety, storage, and transportation, said Matthews. Western Distribution Services President, John Naylor, lauded the Burien site’s proximity to the airport and critical shipping routes. He sees the NERA sites as an opportunity for creating a new cold storage, processing, and warehousing campus to serve the growing needs of an increasingly regulated food services sector. Matthews and Newton negotiated the lease transaction between Bridge Development Partners and Western Distribution Services. Bridge Development Partners is a privately owned firm focused on the development and acquisition of industrial and office real estate in the Chicago, Los Angeles, South Florida, and Northern New Jersey regions.]]>

Senior Reporter Jack Mayne passed away in December, 2021. In his honor we have created the Jack Mayne Journalism Scholarship.

12 replies on “Huge new cold storage plant to be built in Burien's Northeast Redevelopment Area”

  1. Can’t fight progress but I certainly hope the millions of semi trucks that will serve it only come and go from Des Moines Way South. Heading out into the neighborhoods to the West will destroy them, and heading up 146th to 509 will be nothing good as well.

  2. I don’t mean travel from one end to the other on Des Moines Way, I mean use to access 518 off and on. It’s the quickest way with the least impact to the neighborhood. I live in Burien as hopefully you do as well and want what has the least impact on the area.

    1. I agree with you QA. But we have already been “impacted”…Many of our neighbors and schools are gone. Little is being done to keep or neighborhoods together. I can already see what will happen to 8th Avenue as well as the streets that you mention. These are all streets that are heavily used by kids and other pedestrians in spite of not having proper sidewalks. The new traffic will include employees racing to and from work. It is so obvious that we who live here are being given no consideration. Truly it is time to move on.

  3. I’m a little new to the area (6years). Is this property that was seized by public domain when the airport expanded?

  4. Yes, look at Google Maps and virtually everything green at both ends of the runways used to be filled with homes etc. years ago.

  5. Who Cares…NOT The City Council….100 Trucks per Day or Week….OUR City Council Does NOT CARE. More Pollution next to Miller Creek does not make sense…..

    1. Looking at the plans your right also there does not seem to be enough room to sneak in the 4th run way. The planes might hit the car lot next door.
      Oh wait that’s right there not building a 4th run way and there 100’s of truck that would be passing that area anyways. 509,518, pollution in the air
      Then there is the increase in the job market for the area and millions of dollars in revenue for the city of burien and the port of Seattle.
      Which this revenue can go to help the city residents or provide more city programs and activities.

  6. I grew up in Burien and it’s not even close to the same city it used to be. Just like Seattle and elsewhere, cost of housing has increased so much and so quick with nothing being done to help its displaced residents who are being forced out. Burien has allowed major housing developments one after another that undermine the stability and integrity of the city’s existing residents and usher in “new” money. It’s quickly losing its quaint, sleepy feeling and in my opinion looks more and more like a confused, prostituted version of its former self. I know economic growth is critical but what is this city doing to care for and protect the people who built it up to what it is? Turning its back and turning a blind eye.

    1. Just in downtown Burien they are adding potentially 1000 + new residents near Town Square. Is the Police Department adding an appropriate level to the force to support that growth? We don’t have enough law enforcement now and crime is on the rise.

    2. Tiffany you should take a look at housing market for the whole country. Also this project is not a housing development. It’s a cold storage facility that is for storing food most likely for the air port. This project also is bringing jobs to the city jobs that can help people to afford higher rents.
      QofA you are aware half the citizens your talking about are moving in to a retirement home not much for crime activity at least we can hope.
      This could also be why city council is working on hiring a couple new officers. But then we have l.b.’s can’t come to work must have a litter of people to believe in me and all police are bad no laws no rules complete freedom for all attitude. So will have to see how that plays out.

      1. I want the retirees to be safe as well, all the taxes brought in from those two buildings could justify another Lawman on the beat.

        1. There are no new taxes. Legacy apartments got a 18 year tax abatement and they agreed to 48 low income apartments. Merrill Gardens got an 8 year tax abatement…no, no new police officers…just more drugs, alcohol inebriients praying on these new residents. Welcome to the hood!

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