City of Shoreline
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Updated August 17, 2023
"C Street" Now Open
One of the primary strategies identified in the Community Renewal Area Plan was to increase internal connections, stating “the most important retrofit to make Aurora Square function as a cohesive retail center is the construction of multiple internal ways for multi-modal interaction. If done well, shoppers will reward businesses by staying longer and buying more.” As of August, one of those new connections, C Street, is now open, offering a simple, direct route between Town & Country and the other shops and restaurants of the upper, southern portion of Shoreline Place and the lower area near 160th Street. Under the terms of a development agreement between Merlone Geier Partners and the City, this new street will remain privately owned and maintained; however, Merlone Geier will build it to City specifications including sidewalks and street trees and an easement for public use.
Reconfiguration of N 160th Street
When the City conducted planning to support the renewal of the former Aurora Square shopping center into a mixed-use urban neighborhood, 11 Transportation Project Priorities were identified and prioritized based on their value to the economic renewal potential. Number 1 on that list was a new configuration of N. 160th St., which forms the northern edge of the Shoreline Place Community Renewal Area. Planned restriping to a 3-lane section with bicycle lanes is high priority as it will create better access to Shoreline Place by vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. This restriping is scheduled to occur August 19-20, 2023.
The owner of the former Sears building, Merlone Geier Partners, hopes to begin redevelopment in 2022 (for more, see “Development” below), which would also trigger required improvements to 160th St. paid for by the developer. The new design allows for improved bike access through the area for on-street riders with bike lanes between vehicular travel lanes and the curb. Traffic impacts were studied in the CRA environmental analysis, as well as in a subsequent traffic study by Merlone Geier as part of the development agreement process which included a public hearing process. A new midblock crossing with pedestrian activated flashing beacons and median refuge space will be installed between Linden Ave N and Fremont Ave N. The bike facility will terminate on the east end at Linden Ave N, and eventually improvements will be made through the Shoreline Place site to connect bicyclists to and from the Interurban Trail. On the west end, a future connection is planned for the bike facility on 160th between Greenwood Ave N and Dayton Ave N, as well as existing bike facilities on Dayton Ave N. Various future redevelopment projects will also add a landscape buffer between the sidewalk and bike lane.
CRA Sign Code Update
With the adoption of the Development Agreement with Merlone Geier Partners for the Sears site on September 9, 2019, the vision for Shoreline Place is closer than ever to being realized. The unique sign code for this area supports the vision for a vibrant, mixed use urban village. The City Council adopted Ordinance 897 on February 21, 2021, updating the sign standards within the Community Renewal Area. These updates relate to dimensional standards like size, height, locations, and number of signs.
To further define Shoreline Place, a set of signage design guidelines will be developed that will detail unified branding and design, such as colors and materials, for new signs within Shoreline Place. The Planning Commission approved the Shoreline Place Signage Design Guidelines on November 4, 2021 and are now in effect.
You can view the Shoreline Place Signage Design Guidelines here.
Contact Planning Manager Andrew Bauer at abauer@shorelinewa.gov or (206) 801-2513 with any questions.
Development
Over the past 10 years, the City of Shoreline has undertaken numerous policy and programmatic steps to ensure the centrally-located Shoreline Place (formerly the Sears-anchored Aurora Square shopping center) experiences a revitalization fully matching its potential. The long-awaited first redevelopment project at Shoreline Place is the 330-Unit Trammel Crow Alexan Shoreline Apartments. WSDOT is renovating its headquarters and welcoming an additional 200 State Department of Ecology workers in a little over two years. Over the course of 10-20 years, the keystone Sears property at the center of the area will be redeveloped as a $400-million, mixed-use urban village of 3 new city blocks framed by a network of new, tree-lined streets, 75,000 square feet of retail and 1,400 apartments. As key portions of the Shoreline Place Community Renewal Area (CRA) begin to enter redevelopment, the popular Farmer’s Market is also growing. Conceived as “Phase Zero” of Shoreline Place, the Market has become a small but important institution in the fabric of the Shoreline area community and a reliable source of growing revenue for Puget Sound area farmers, artisans, and entertainment.
Current projects in the CRA
Alexan Shoreline
Trammel Crow Residential began construction of the 330-unit Alexan, the first new development in the Shoreline Place Community Renewal Area, in Spring 2019. The Alexan will be located adjacent to the Interurban Trail, across Westminster Way from Central Market and the Shoreline Farmers Market.
Merlone Geier’s Shoreline Place Redevelopment
Redevelopment of the 17-acre Sears property is critical to the comprehensive redevelopment of the CRA. Sears sold its property to Merlone Geier Partners in mid-2017 and is closed in 2018. Merlone Geier conducted an extensive public engagement process that yielded more than 6,000 comments, expressing interest in dining options, a gathering place for the community, and a variety of housing choices. Starting in summer 2018, when Merlone Geier unveiled its preliminary concept for the former Sears site at Shoreline Place, to spring 2019, when updated designs were revealed a revitalized, walkable urban village of traditional blocks, tree-lined streets, a town green, and 75,000 square feet of retail with 1,400 units of housing. Development will likely take place over 10 to 20 years.
Merlone Geier Partners plans and updates
Public-Private Partnerships
- A redesigned Westminster Way N and N 155th Intersection and street and sidewalk investments, traffic impact mitigations paid for by the developer, beginning June 2019.
- Continuing to support the "Phase Zero" effort of hosting the Shoreline Farmer's Market in the CRA.
Background
A new downtown for Shoreline and neighboring communities is coming into view: Shoreline Place. A department store stood prominently in a sea of pavement for decades as a testament to the dominant modes of shopping and travel since the 1960s. As technology, economy, and lifestyle preferences changed, the area around what is now Shoreline Place grew, generating new demands on the centrally-located commercial district to do more. To contribute housing and other uses to the local market in a walkable, urban configuration, near transit, supporting the lifestyle preferred by not just the largest generation in US history, the millennials, but also the previous title-holder, baby boomers. Whether boomers seeking to downsize without leaving the community they love, or college students eager for the vibrance of cafes, plazas, and tree-lined streets close to where they learn and work, the City continues to encourage renewal of the Aurora Square CRA according to the Community Renewal Area Plan.
At this pivotal stage as long-held visions of the CRA as a renewed, vibrant hub of commercial and community activity are coming to life, City staff are working to solidify the CRA as the key place of gathering, community, and celebration. This vibrancy will help establish the culture of the place, securely plant the community’s place in the CRA, and ensure it is a well-worn path for generations to come, solidifying it as a new “downtown” for Shoreline and the surrounding area.