[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6359721,"mediaKeyId","2176118-1ac08155fde3f2957aedc25bf11b842f","parentId",2176118,"title","Puyallup council approves development deal to turn Cornforth–Campbell site into market hall, apartments","audioSeconds",7605,"startMs",567000,"endMs",8172000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176118-1ac08155fde3f2957aedc25bf11b842f&start=567&end=8172","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176118-1ac08155fde3f2957aedc25bf11b842f/thumbnail_567000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359721/Puyallup/Pierce-County/Washington/Puyallup-council-approves-development-deal-to-turn-CornforthCampbell-site-into-market-hall-apartments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359721-18a4c48b9f1783dec2c4bb133d21325b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153570&Signature=eAjtGhT89-QGxFYExvZjtfPCF071O6I61t3FxMOuaEwCjqgjc3iHam0kO-e6QOWEfqlchD51LMRI~0E3TScdMDjEIP4-QBYihvln9pIHWFaT9P8lQ-CblT7bPwkprrHDSi92rslK2fhZv4mfj9qkxFz8NMviwY1L3p7U4d1470iCI4RTITkZCyCWp8MsxyzxmaOpJjmpGG-PrO6rgoADg7S63d3COv~pgEqb~z5dYEcHPUCcuQDTCH7dJNa7HJHdVpkLpUGmRzFbRClZ65en~QFrTQV8xLfqr4ru5ub88KT11DPXoX~k3ocLFgR8NjOlDnJzeeP87oZT3ibBdfEG4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Puyallup, WA","date","2025-01-30T16:18:25Z","article","Puyallup City Council approved agreements on Jan. 28 to move the Cornforth–Campbell downtown site toward a multi-phase development led by Palindrome Development that will adaptively reuse the existing building as a market hall and add a 115-unit apartment building, seven for-sale townhomes and a public plaza.

Why it matters: The site has been city-owned since 2002 and was identified in prior downtown planning as a catalyst for revitalization. The Palindrome deal is intended to activate Meeker Festival Street, expand retail and event space in downtown Puyallup and add housing that the city says will support local businesses and increase tax revenues.

The city manager, Steve Kirkley, reminded the council of the site’s history, environmental cleanup and downtown planning work that singled out the Cornforth–Campbell parcels as a priority. Palindrome’s president, Robert Gibson, described the proposal as three linked components: an adaptive-reuse market hall and public plaza; a mixed-use building with roughly 115 rental units (a mix of one- and two-bedrooms); and a row of townhomes along Second Avenue. Gibson said Palindrome expects 20 percent of the rental units to be affordable at 80 percent of area median income (AMI) and that two of the townhomes will have an affordability covenant.

Palindrome’s proposal would: reuse a portion of the existing building for a market hall with micro-retail restaurant pods and a taproom; deliver roughly 115 rental units (about 1–2 bedrooms, Gibson said); offer seven or more townhomes for sale (two subject to affordability covenants); provide rooftop solar and live-work units that front Main Street; and build and maintain a public plaza and public restroom for city events. The plan calls for approximately 20 public parking spaces on the site to be available weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and for Palindrome to provide equipment storage for Meeker Festival Street events.

City staff and Palindrome presented a schedule and conditions in the development agreement: design review and permitting in 2025; target market-hall groundbreaking in mid‑2026; staged construction through 2028; and an expected property closing in February 2026. Staff told the council the Department of Ecology issued a “no further action” letter in 2024 for petroleum contamination monitoring (a remaining monitoring obligation is referenced in the agreement).

Labor, parking and community benefits drew the most public comment. Multiple representatives of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters and Laborers Local 242 urged the council to require enforceable labor provisions (for example, state-registered apprenticeship utilization and timely wage guarantees, citing House Bill 1206). Speakers described payroll delays on a prior Palindrome project in Portland and asked the city to add worker protections, contractor vetting and apprenticeship goals to the development agreement before approving the sale.

Local small‑business owners, building managers and downtown residents emphasized parking and access concerns. Several speakers said the Cornforth–Campbell site currently supports daily customer and employee parking and warned loss of those spaces could harm downtown businesses. City presentations cited the 2021 and 2024 downtown parking studies and staff noted a broader parking strategy that includes wayfinding, updated business permit parking, shared‑parking arrangements and use of nearby lots (including a Hill lot, city‑owned lots and Sound Transit parking) to manage demand. Meredith Neal, the city’s development permitting services director, reviewed those studies and the plan to keep some downtown lots available for business permits on weekdays and for public use on evenings and weekends.

Developers’ and supporters’ remarks stressed economic impact and activation. Staff estimated the project could generate about $1.3 million in annual spending for Puyallup businesses and about 175 construction jobs over the multi‑phase build-out; Palindrome and its consultants said the proposal would help activate the festival street and add ongoing retail and property‑management jobs.

Council action and conditions: The council approved a resolution to authorize the development agreement and later approved a separate motion to execute the purchase-and-sale agreement to transfer the property to Palindrome for a nominal sale price. The development agreement ties required project components (market hall, mixed‑use building, townhomes), minimum affordable unit counts (at least 20 percent at 80% AMI), public plaza improvements and public restroom access to enforceable milestones and contains remedies if the developer fails to perform (including termination rights and a city repurchase formula keyed to the sale value). The agreement allows some departures from code (for example, using construction of and in‑lieu credit for the public plaza instead of park impact fees and limited landscape/parking‑stall sizing flexibilities) and requires additional easements, license agreements and an affordability covenant for the for‑sale townhomes.

Council and next steps: The council voted to authorize the development agreement and separately to approve the purchase-and-sale agreement; each vote had a single recorded dissent in the meeting’s spoken record. If the project proceeds, the city and Palindrome will complete design review, permit approvals, right‑of‑way vacation and buy‑sell closing steps specified in the agreement before construction begins. Staff and the developer said they will continue to work with labor representatives, business groups and neighborhood stakeholders on contractor vetting, local bidding outreach and parking/access details.

The city manager said the project is intended to help meet the city’s long‑term growth targets and to provide amenities tied to the Meeker Festival Street activation. The development agreement and purchase-and-sale are public documents; staff and the city attorney remain available to answer detailed questions on specific contract language and performance remedies.

Ending note: Residents and organized labor signaled they will continue pressing for binding labor protections and local hiring opportunities as the project proceeds through permitting and design review. City staff said public hearings and further council deliberations will occur on fill‑in code elements, easements and any zone or street‑vacation steps required to implement the site plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","January 28, 2025 City Council meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Puyallup City Council approved agreements on Jan. 28 to move the Cornforth–Campbell downtown site toward a multi-phase development led by Palindrome Development that will adaptively reuse the existing building as a market hall and add a 115-unit apartment building, seven for-sale townhomes and a public plaza.","taxTitle","Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",54129,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359716,"Council holds public hearing on 2044 comprehensive plan update; planning commission recommended approval",2441,8204000,10645000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176118-1ac08155fde3f2957aedc25bf11b842f&start=8204&end=10645","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176118-1ac08155fde3f2957aedc25bf11b842f/thumbnail_8204000.jpg","/articles/6359716/Puyallup/Pierce-County/Washington/Council-holds-public-hearing-on-2044-comprehensive-plan-update-planning-commission-recommended-approval","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359716-f7f2d22041b85e162ebe12b79885fc30/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153570&Signature=YGylI235NviE0rv7K1iXe~qUUE0hENLMQiqSIFIhPELhXAap8D05lwOL3n4jX4j59wDUhldNwkZFvl0ljnfpPOZkgIZAvxzxziXhKxkZLfSvG6IYIL1HlDsY97hyvcUQgAFBNOMdEfuKER-lhmcgU45DzqbS3j4GizWLQ2VCcQXtB6uOC4Wzf~jZzhHbI8CqL~hvRD3G1x6Y46xMr0nRoQtzvBGI75mYcu41VO2RyU~eKbcdj375PberuuSYZ-10usjQSF4~I1S-PhTeO1vB8ETbnLjHQc7awNmm4YUK8lyXRc1RvJelPfXs61CgAuph29hmckoGIZmC9Hau-wVfqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Puyallup held a public hearing Jan. 28 on its draft 2044 comprehensive plan update, which staff prepared to comply with state Growth Management Act requirements and new housing legislation. The planning commission previously held hearings and on Dec. 18 recommended the draft with a 4–1 vote and 15 amendments; staff included further minor technical amendments requested by state and regional reviewers.

Why it matters: The periodic update sets the city’s goals, future land‑use map and policy framework for the next 20 years. It determines where growth will be directed, how the city will accommodate higher housing targets and how infrastructure priorities will be sequenced.

Key elements and changes: Kendall Walz, senior planner, summarized updates across required and optional plan elements. The draft increases emphasis on housing choices, middle housing and ADUs to meet new state mandates; updates growth targets for the 20‑year planning period (city staff cited a 2044 population target of about 61,500, implying roughly 7,500 new housing units and close to 15,000 new jobs); and reorganizes and simplifies the land‑use and transportation elements. The transportation update shifts toward multimodal level‑of‑service standards, considers grid connectivity and prioritizes state‑of‑good‑repair investments. The parks element was realigned with the city’s 2020 Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan.

Housing mandates and code work: The plan reflects recent state bills noted during the hearing — including House Bill 1220 (housing affordability, disparate impacts and emergency housing), HB 1337 (ADU provisions) and HB 1110 (middle housing). The draft adds analysis required by state guidance: land‑capacity calculations for housing priced at different income tiers (moderate, low and extremely low), a new section on displacement risk and proposed code amendments to accommodate emergency housing where appropriate. Walz said remaining code work (such as updating the city’s critical‑areas ordinance and clear‑and‑objective design standards for downtown) will follow the plan’s adoption.

Map changes and special requests: Staff proposed future‑land‑use refinements to support density in regional growth centers (downtown and South Hill), convert some auto‑oriented commercial corridors to mixed‑use commercial and create limited neighborhood commercial nodes. Two privately requested map changes were noted: a small adjustment in the South Hill Business and Technology Center and a Washington State Fair request to expand the fair designation on adjacent parcels. Staff and fair representatives told the council they will coordinate a concurrent zoning‑and‑code package to address fair‑specific parking and use rules before any zoning change becomes effective.

Public comment and concerns: Speakers supported housing increases and downtown activation; others raised concerns about parking, neighborhood commercial nodes and insertion of politically sensitive language in the plan’s foundations element. The planning commission had previously noted both support for the draft’s technical work and reservations about some state‑mandated content.

Process and next steps: City staff said the comprehensive plan and supporting checklists were submitted to the Puget Sound Regional Council and Department of Commerce on Dec. 20, 2024, and additional technical comments may result. Staff recommended the council consider the planning commission’s 15 amendments plus six minor staff‑recommended edits generated after agency review. Walz told the council the city expects to bring the ordinance for first reading at the end of February and second reading at the end of March, with further opportunity for amendments and final adoption after council deliberation.

Ending note: The update rebalances policy language, land‑use designations and regulatory follow‑up to meet state requirements while preserving council‑directed choices on downtown form, public amenities and subarea visions. Staff flagged that additional agency comments could lead to further limited edits ahead of formal ordinance readings.","City staff presented the draft 2044 comprehensive plan update, which the planning commission recommended 4–1 with amendments. Major changes respond to state housing laws, update growth targets (to about 61,500 people by 2044), and propose land‑use map adjustments in downtown, South Hill and corridors. Council set first and second reading windows.","actionData","errors"]

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Puyallup council approves development deal to turn Cornforth–Campbell site into market hall, apartments

Council holds public hearing on 2044 comprehensive plan update; planning commission recommended approval