A proposed hotel would be located on SW 150th Street, just east of Chase Bank near the Transit Center between 1st Ave South and 2nd Ave SW.[/caption]
By Jack Mayne
The Burien City Council in study session Monday night (Nov. 26) heard Economic Development Manager Andrea Snyder tell of two hotel development teams that were selected by an advisory panel and asked to present their proposals to the Council.
The issue has been before the Council sporadically since June when the city’s economic development staff told Councilmembers their proposed hotel recruitment plan, which included formation of a hotel advisory committee and sought developer proposals. Then, in September, the city asked for potential hotel developers on city-owned land in downtown Burien. Responses were due on Nov. 5.
Information but no decision
Snyder said the purpose of the Monday night meeting was to get information, and that members of the Council need to “find which firm is able to execute on a concept that is realistic and in line with city goals.â€
There was no expectation that a decision would be made Monday, because there are a great many additional steps before a final choice is made, she said. She said land prices and other costs shouldn’t be discussed in a public session and can be discussed at a later time in an executive session.
Recommended to Council
The hotel advisory committee recommended two of the three responding firms to be interviewed by the Council.
One of the members of the development team was Mike Yellam, a Normandy Park resident who says he is a “big Burien fan,†and is development manager of the Fana Group of Companies, headquartered in Bellevue.
He said the Council should consider whether any hotel development would take place in the near future since there have been many rooms proposed for development in the general South King County area, including in SeaTac and along Highway 99 in Des Moines.
Two proposals
Yellam said identified key strengths of each proposal and questions for the firms that – “based on our expertise – we think it important for you to consider.†The team presented to the Council two accepted proposals “to assist you in your evaluation of the teams and to ensure you are presented with the most complete information during the interviews, we asked the developer teams to provide more information for your consideration during the interviews.â€
One is Hotel Concepts, a “full spectrum hospitality company with expertise in land acquisition, franchise selection, permitting, construction, and hotel management.â€
The second accepted proposal came from Hyatt Place which he said had a “real well thought out layout.†Two units of hotel and multifamily would be wrapped around the parking garage.
Yellam suggested a number of questions the Council should ask the developers when those interviews were scheduled.
Nancy Scholl, a member of the Burien Business and Economic Development Partnership (BEDP) and the chief finance officer of Wright Hotels, said that the hotel advisory committee had not had the opportunity to meet with the two proposal groups and said that would be important for the Council to do. Despite no face-to-face meetings, Scholl said that “we were impressed with their proposals.†She said there were “stark differences†in how each of the two groups would manage a facility. One group would itself manage the hotel, the other would hand off management to another.
Hugo Garcia, Burien Planning Commissioner, a business outreach specialist at Craft3, and also a Burien resident, said his concern was that the project proposers were not over leveraged and could finish the project even under uncertain financial economic strains. He said both proposers need to be asked about their ability to handle the project and both proposals “looked really good.â€