Driving along Stone Way North in Fremont, it is impossible to miss the huge hole in the ground between North 39th and 40th streets. QFC bought the land with plans of building a grocery store with apartments and condos located above the store. The grocery-store chain recently sold the property, and Prescott Development is in the process of creating building plans.A design-review meeting, in which current plans for the property will be discussed, will take place this Monday, Feb. 4. The meeting is open to the public to voice their opinions on building plans.Prescott Development's development director Mike Derr said the company has an idea what it wants to do, but the developers "need to know what the shape of the building is that the community will be happy with."'INTERNAL DELAYS'QFC bought this piece of property several years ago and had been moving ahead with plans to build its store. As the plans progressed, it looked as though the building would become come to fruition, but "we had some internal delays," said Kristin Maas, QFC spokesperson.The company was finally forced to sell the property, after the costs to build became too high due to an escalation in prices for commercial construction."The final construction costs - once bids came back - was more than we could work," Maas said. "We tried to review anything we could do to make minor changes to design." Prescott Development was the first development company contacted to buy the property because Prescott had already working with the company to build the housing units above the proposed store. Now that Prescott Development has control of the property, Derr said they have two options being considered. "[There are] approved building permits to build a grocery store with a little residential," he said. "[But we] have submitted to the City of Seattle a proposed project for between 150 to 160 apartments and a much smaller street-level retail."COMMUNITY CONCERNSThe latter proposal is one that some residents dislike."Everybody is really unhappy about it," said Kara Ceriello, co-president of Wallingford Chamber of Commerce about that option. Another concern from local residents is that the developer is the same company currently undertaking a controversial plan in Maple Leaf, which involves demolishing an historic building. Ceriello, who owns the Not A Number store in Wallingford, said that "customers have come in complaining about the Maple Leaf situation. When we heard it was the same developer, there was a tiny uproar from folks in Maple Leaf."Currently, the chamber is talking with Wallingford Community Council members about the land issue. Ceriello's husband, Jon deLeeuw, who is the chamber's representative to the community council, said both sides are afraid a large building will be built with no retail on the bottom floor."We want to ensure that the ground floor is retail or has commercial space," he said, "and that the whole block doesn't become just apartments or condo development." SEEKING GUIDANCEAs of now, Prescott Development does not have firm design plans. "The Design Review Board does that for us," Derr said. "They decide what works and fits in the neighborhood."Derr said the company hopes the whole process of getting plans approved will be expedient because of community interest."We hope the community is...aware of the site and spend time working through the design review process so they understand a lot...and it will be a shorter process," he said.The company hopes to begin construction in late fall and finish by mid-2010."The [Wallingford] chamber and community council members are extremely concerned about the big hole in the ground because it has been there longer than it should have." Ceriello said. "It's an eyesore and dangerous."Monday's meeting will get plans going again to fill in that hole in the ground."The Design Review Board looks at initial concepts for the proposal," explained Department of Planning and Development planner Bruce Rips. "The board will review...and give guidance to the applicant on design issues." DESIGN-REVIEW MEETINGMonday, Feb. 4, 8 p.m.University Heights Center5031 University Way N.E.Room 209[[In-content Ad]]
