Briggs Village, the master-planned community in southeast Olympia that already is seeing its first big construction in years, is about to experience another infusion of housing.
Capital City Developments LLC of Olympia submitted plans this month for 286 more units, which would be built at 4410 Henderson Blvd. S.E. There are plans for 200 units of senior housing in four buildings, 72 apartment units in four buildings and seven duplex buildings with 14 units total.
All of the new development would be on the east side of Henderson Boulevard, across the street from the existing developed section of Briggs Village. It includes open space and a loop trail with a view of nearby Ward Lake, said Ron Thomas, an architect representing the developer.
The proposal was addressed at a neighborhood meeting at Olympia City Hall on Tuesday night that drew a handful of people in its first hour. The project still needs land-use approval from the city, which could be granted next year.
Both projects would be phased, with the senior housing hopefully breaking ground in 2012 and the apartments in 2013, Thomas said. But that is just the beginning.
“You’re going to see the commercial development come because there’s enough people,” Thomas said.
Across the street, ADC Real Estate of Southern California is building 72 apartment units in six buildings.
A new location of Ralph’s Thriftway and a Starbucks is planned to be built next year, and ADC has talked to a bank about locating there, an official said earlier. ADC has also talked with another developer to begin work on senior housing next year.
Eventually, 810 units are planned on both sides of the street, though only a portion of those have been built due to the slow economy.
The project has been in the works for a long time. It was unveiled in 1997, but the subdivision didn’t really begin to take shape until 2006. Construction slowed significantly as the economy entered the recent recession.
The master plan for the development, which totals more than 100 acres, includes single-family homes, lofts, apartments, town homes, the senior community and a commercial center with the grocery store and places for banks, restaurants and coffee shops. A new neighborhood park, which just opened, is also part of the plan, along with trails.
Thomas said the single-family market is sluggish, with lots of houses sitting on the market. But he said people are opting for apartments.
“The apartment market is strong right now, and timing is very good,” he said.
Not everyone is happy the long-planned development is coming. Kirstin Maki, who lives nearby off Yelm Highway, said she’s concerned about the light that will be generated and people looking into her upstairs window.
She said she knew the development was coming, but the original plans were for her house to look out on a parking lot, not somebody’s home.
“I’m not impressed with the new developments that are being put in,” she said. “We don’t know anything about this developer.”
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869
mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
