Century 21 Cascade-Pacific to relocate there, hopes to attract other real estate businesses to site
A local developer plans to bring new life to an old building on 99th Street near Highway 99. Larry Garcia, Century 21 Cascade-Pacific commercial division manager, and his development group Green Lake of Washington LLC, is converting a former warehouse into office and retail space.
The development group purchased the building, formerly occupied by wood product manufacturer Almega Enterprises, in September for $1.3 million.
The development team bought when interest rates were still down and prices affordable, said Garcia.
The 20,000-square-foot building sits on a nearly one-acre lot. Garcia said an extensive amount of remodeling is planned for the site. About 9,000 square feet of the building will be converted into 18,000 square feet of two-story office space and another 8,000 square feet will be used as a parking garage with 21 spaces. The southern corners of the building facing 99th Street will become two separate one-story office/retail spaces. The combined 2,000-square-foot sections are separated by the building’s main entrance.
Century 21 Cascade-Pacific will relocate to the refurbished building from its 11,000-square-foot 20th Avenue location near 134th Street.
Garcia said it was important to keep the company near I-5 in the Hazel Dell/Salmon Creek area.
"The location and access to I-5 is tremendous," he said. "I believe it will continue to be a strong corridor."
Garcia said the company’s 85 realtors will occupy the building.
"We are busting at the seams," said Garcia. "It’s square footage that we really need."
Garcia said he is in talks with a mortgage company and a title company to fill out the building.
"We want to have a real-estate-oriented facility," he said.
The contractor for the project is RSV Construction Services and the architect is Wilson Associates AIA. Construction is expected to be completed by August 2006.
