[{"_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",6165844,"mediaKeyId","5417622-7bbca42607f77e26874cf289b4dab099","parentId",5417622,"title","Consultants estimate $23M–$30M range for Lake Stevens Civic Center; progressive design‑build and private land sale could lower cost","audioSeconds",253,"startMs",2478000,"endMs",2731000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5417622-7bbca42607f77e26874cf289b4dab099&start=2478&end=2731","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5417622-7bbca42607f77e26874cf289b4dab099/thumbnail_2478000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6165844/Lake-Stevens/Snohomish-County/Washington/Consultants-estimate-23M30M-range-for-Lake-Stevens-Civic-Center-progressive-designbuild-and-private-land-sale-could-lower-cost","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165844-64fefdc7b8f1f4417c07cd316ef32e02/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137932&Signature=dLi-wvdpvO4Cbo1O3EoxjtfFG2ssB2xMXmSl9l6tk8IJdujzjgbZ970fHI5gI1hVVCJsJCP025~1LZMCjbjh3WH4OLs0zazbNI0IvRSqdQ~pW1LUvlFafU9KQF6d5JMprBTxfx4BMJSr5ED6ZkakJ5b1LYafsRGPDRlZEB3Cg1soPcOkrYMGRuxa37DEkLlNNREtyzRYCbokuqQ-Za6~pGyy3s53MGBdllH9UiYWs0eBgbwAR-a8hmsv9FiVOvxWCVxCKjJk6ouyH5Cm4mMWtAoeqakfzMhD5AiHk-CkoyEITnVw4BimyCnOafxc8ihAueT8ONQptCr3x4V40pwJMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake Stevens City, WA","date","2025-07-18T06:37:09.91Z","article","Consultants presenting the Lake Stevens Civic Center options told the public the three alternatives cluster closely in size but show different cost implications depending on project delivery and the use of the library parcel for private development.

Bob Stowe of the Stowe Group and project staff presented cost ranges for two bookend delivery approaches: a traditional public design–bid–build method and a more collaborative private‑sector delivery model. The team said the design–bid–build option could result in total project costs in the roughly $25 million to nearly $30 million range (figures stated as 2021 estimates), while a progressive design‑build or P3‑style delivery combined with tax‑exempt debt could lower total development cost to roughly $23 million to $24.4 million.

The team identified progressive design‑build as the delivery approach most likely to yield cost savings; Bob Stowe and Russ Wright cited tax‑exempt financing authorized under IRS Revenue Ruling 63‑20 as a potential financing tool. Stowe and Wright emphasized that those are estimates and that no agencies have decided how the project will be financed.

Potential private‑development revenue and library parcel value
The consultants said Alternative 2 was explicitly intended to keep the library‑owned parcel available for private development to generate proceeds that could offset civic costs. The team estimated a fair‑market value of roughly $900,000 if the library parcel were developed for multifamily housing; they described that figure as part of the range of funding options to be evaluated.

Ballot measures and agency roles
Presenters said a public vote could supply the bulk of capital funding but cautioned no decision has been made on ballot timing or structure. Project staff told a resident that a single coordinated ballot measure would make financing easier, but multiple measures remain possible and would require coordination. When asked whether the sewer district would issue debt, staff said the Lake Stevens Sewer District was likely to be treated as a tenant rather than as a separate bond issuer, but said that had not been finalized.

Program and size inputs used for estimates
Consultants said the underlying program assumptions used to estimate costs included approximately 18,500 square feet for city hall and a library range of roughly 14,000 to 18,000 square feet depending on how much space would be shared. The combined program area used for cost estimates ranged from about 32,000 to nearly 35,000 square feet, the presenters said.

Next steps on financing
The team said the agencies will not take any formal financing decision before they complete public engagement and select a preferred alternative. The public survey was scheduled to remain open through April 22; the agencies planned to review survey results in April, refine a preferred concept in May and present that concept in June. Only after those steps would financing models and potential ballot measures be considered in detail.

Community input continues to matter
Presenters encouraged residents to use the online survey to indicate priorities such as library size, parking, shared spaces and environmental protection. Russ Wright and other presenters asked residents to be specific in feedback so the project team and agencies can balance program needs, environmental constraints and cost.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Civic Center Initial Concepts Public Meeting/Survey #2","oneSentenceSummary","Project team presented hard and soft cost estimates for three civic‑center alternatives, described progressive design‑build and tax‑exempt financing as ways to trim costs, and said no funding decisions had been made; agencies will review public input before choosing a preferred concept and considering ballot measures.","taxTitle","Lake Stevens, Snohomish County, Washington","taxId",53861,"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},6165848,"Lake Stevens consultants show three civic‑center site plans emphasizing shared space, wetland protection and public plaza",2074,392000,2466000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5417622-7bbca42607f77e26874cf289b4dab099&start=392&end=2466","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5417622-7bbca42607f77e26874cf289b4dab099/thumbnail_392000.jpg","/articles/6165848/Lake-Stevens/Snohomish-County/Washington/Lake-Stevens-consultants-show-three-civiccenter-site-plans-emphasizing-shared-space-wetland-protection-and-public-plaza","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165848-18b4a9577fed1e383ed72dcfcf54eb4f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137932&Signature=B~4gkrqMTAB87U2v~V~Nv7YEzI0eMOggL6gTfrnTfGjrV08gkqaMHISM0RTTRsbxt~1zkvhFfVTx~Xv5sASh9A2r3bm7jpYs9FmW6Iuvg1rq3z6HCqJMC9ISVRePjHx2rdHX~o9kjndZ6aVyENTkQfvo4DVbX1-0-eTZdX25Pxu5pJ8ar7EirBrIM21MKYXNjqKunqKlvalbYLg53plVyX54hmW5a8x571I~6Lf38xkBAeZ1rBpoB5slz748N9yk1-AJCIB~e1A9WblOkA829VVGhuIb0qGisz5~ZXFu61pDB8QoW7bTLppWczANNxB~G0SLEjJuNAUuZp9BnkcU3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants and city staff on Tuesday presented three preliminary site alternatives for a proposed Lake Stevens Civic Center that would combine city hall, a Sno Isle Libraries branch and administrative offices for the Lake Stevens Sewer District, and sought public feedback on layout, wetlands protection, stormwater treatment and shared spaces.

The presentation, led by Russ Wright, community development director for the City of Lake Stevens, and Bob Stowe of the Stowe Group, described concepts that place civic programs and public plaza space near a Category 2 wetland on the Chapel Hill site while reusing an existing underground stormwater detention vault.

The plans matter because they shape how much public land is used for civic functions, how the site protects the wetland and how much room remains for public plazas and private development that could help offset public costs.

All three alternatives aim to limit impacts to the wetland buffer and preserve or reuse existing infrastructure. Mike Jobes, design principal at Miller Hull Partnership, and Emily Van Geldren of Site Workshop described design goals that emerged from a community survey, including a “Pacific Northwest” architectural character, outdoor public space for four‑season use, native planting and flexible indoor–outdoor meeting rooms that can open onto plazas.

Alternative 1: shared single building with south‑facing plaza
Alternative 1 places a two‑story city hall and a one‑story library in a single, linked building with a shared central zone for community uses (for example, a community kitchen and meeting rooms). That option uses both the city and library parcels and provides a large south‑facing plaza visible from Market Street and State Route 9. Project staff said this layout is “sensitive to the wetland,” with impacts to portions of the buffer to be mitigated elsewhere on site.

Alternative 2: compact, taller building to preserve library parcel for private development
Alternative 2 stacks city and library programs into a more compact, taller building on the city parcel so the library parcel to the north could remain available for private development. The team said that approach would create more on‑site parking but slightly reduce some exterior green spaces; it maximizes shared indoor space while concentrating building footprint on the city parcel.

Alternative 3: two separate buildings with shared plaza between them
Alternative 3 separates the library and city hall into two independent buildings that would share parking and stormwater infrastructure and face a central public plaza. The team said this approach reduces shared mechanical systems and therefore increases building “skin” and cost modestly, but it creates a large central outdoor space between the two buildings.

Site constraints and environmental measures
The team highlighted several physical constraints that shaped the designs: a delineated Category 2 wetland along the west side of the property, an approximate 110‑foot buffer the team intends to honor in design, disturbed gravel areas where new construction could be focused, and an existing underground stormwater detention vault the presenters said is “worth a lot of money” and that they plan to reuse rather than replace. The design team said they will place visible, artful stormwater features around the site to reduce load on the existing vault.

Public‑space priorities and examples
Designers emphasized flexible indoor spaces that can open onto outdoor plazas so events (including farmers markets) can expand outside. Jobes said the team has considered a small neighborhood cafe and spaces that can scale for both large annual events and everyday community use. The team showed precedent images and said public input favored native planting, tree canopy restoration and “indoor–outdoor” connections.

Community questions and concerns
Local residents who asked questions during the open house raised practical concerns. Resident Madeline said, “Parking is really at a premium. … If you have any big social events … you’re just not gonna have it. You’re gonna end up taking over parking at Target, at the doctor's offices, and the streets here can’t handle all the overflow of parking.” Project staff acknowledged parking will be a design issue and pointed to shared parking strategies and pedestrian links as options to address overflow.

Next steps and public involvement
The project team said the public survey will remain open through April 22 and that the agencies (the City of Lake Stevens, Sno Isle Libraries and the Lake Stevens Sewer District) will review public input during April to identify a preferred concept, refine that concept in May, finish environmental review and present a preferred design in June. Presenters stressed no funding or construction decisions have been made and the preferred concept will be refined based on community input.

Tapered next steps
Staff encouraged residents to complete the project survey, which the city will post on its website, and said the team will continue refining design options and technical reports before agencies consider funding and delivery models.","Consultants presented three distinct site alternatives for a proposed Lake Stevens Civic Center combining city hall, library and sewer district offices; all prioritize wetland buffer protection, reuse of an existing stormwater vault and shared indoor/outdoor public spaces, and will be refined after a public survey and agency review.","actionData","errors"]

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Consultants estimate $23M–$30M range for Lake Stevens Civic Center; progressive design‑build and private land sale could lower cost

Lake Stevens consultants show three civic‑center site plans emphasizing shared space, wetland protection and public plaza