North Kelsey

What is North Kelsey

The Offering

Tjerne Place presents an excellent development opportunity for a mix of commercial and residential uses in the heart of a well-established commercial district in Monroe, Washington with ready access to the US Highway 2.

By mid-2025 the City intends to commence a competitive process to seek a redevelopment team partner.  The development team selected by the City will present a proposal that most closely meets the City's intended redevelopment vision. The City will enter into an exclusive Letter of Intent (LOI) with the development team upon initial selection, during which time the City will work with purchaser/developer on specific elements and components of the development proposal, as well as specific deal points related to purchase of the property and development performance, all of which will be memorialized in a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Development Agreement (recorded at closing). 

The original commercial district, known as the North Kelsey area, was created with public input and approved by the City in the early 2000s. In 2005, the City purchased approximately twenty-three acres of land from Snohomish County north of US Highway 2.  Over the last two decades, the City has spent considerable time and energy in turning the commercial district surrounding Tjerne Place into a highly accessible and profitable area for businesses and an amenity for residents and visitors.  

The City master planned the property, together with other City-owned land in the area, with the intent of developing retail, office space, and a public "village green" for community gatherings. Today, the commercial district includes the following anchor retailers: Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Rite Aid, and the Galaxy 12 movie theater, which are complemented by numerous smaller, robust "inline" retailers, restaurants, and several hotels. Retailers on the Highway 2 Corridor serve as a sub-regional retail center trade area for residents to the north, south, and east, since large-scale retail elsewhere is limited. 

In an effort to further stimulate mixed commercial-residential development on the last remaining redevelopable parcels within the North Kelsey area, the City has updated its redevelopment vision and planning platform for Tjerne Place:

• Including residential uses in a mixed-use format
• Increasing heights up to 65' for residential and 45' for commercial buildings
• Updating its programmatic Environmental Impact Statement completed in 2004 to include the new redevelopment vision for Tjerne Place, thereby providing greater certainly for the development community.

Vision

Enhancing the vibrancy of Tjerne Place is one of the City of Monroe’s highest priorities. The City envisions a mixed-use, walkable development that provides amenities for residents, businesses, and the surrounding areas. Intended to constitute a signature destination within the North Kelsey business district, the future Tjerne Place should become a casual and fun to visit, complementing the existing shopping and entertainment venues in the North Kelsey business district. 

The City encourages development that is attractive, memorable, unique, and of exemplary architectural and urban design quality that befits this extraordinary location and sets the standard for future development. 

Components of intended redevelopment may include mixed-use buildings housing, retail and service establishments, as well as potentially office uses.  An outdoor adventure-themed lodging establishment could be a welcome component of the development.  The development would create a walkable village, with outdoor public spaces for outdoor dining, casual gatherings, and space for impromptu or organized events. 

What the City is Seeking

The City seeks a purchaser/developer that understands the City’s objectives and wants to create a project that enhances the commercial district and contributes to the social, environmental and economic health of the community, setting the bar for new development in Monroe.

Purchase and Development Proposal

The City understands that many details of a development proposal will be determined following the selection of a purchase/developer. As its initial phase of a competitive process, the City expects to request Letters of Interest (LOI) from developers or developer teams, indicating their track record for mixed-use development and public-private partnerships, as well as a description of their intended redevelopment concept. The top 3 to 5 LOI respondents will be invited to respond to a more detailed Request for Proposals.  The proposal most closely matching the City's vision for Tjerne Place, as well as proposing mutually agreeable deal points, will be selected. 

Tjerne Place Vision Brochure

North Kelsey surrounding businesses/Traffic count