Council weighs $2M strategic investment plan; staff to prioritize Hunter Park plaza and Midtown branding

City staff presented a draft economic investment strategy on March 25 that proposes five near‑term investments and asked the Lacey City Council for direction on priorities and staffing.

Vanessa, the city director leading the briefing, said the five proposed investments are the Hunter Park Improvement Project, Midtown placemaking, community placemaking (roundabout art), a Pacific Corridor Improvement Grant Program and a fund for opportunity sites. “These things,” she said, “we brought back in December with more meat on the bones.”

Wesley Wynne, the city’s economic development coordinator, reviewed estimated costs and staffing. He said the five projects together would require roughly 2.85 full‑time‑equivalent staff and that staff had identified an approximate fund balance of about $2.1–$2.5 million available for strategic investments after prior commitments.

Huntermere Park, plaza vs master plan

Staff described Huntermere (Hunter) Park improvements as the highest single‑item budget in the package. The project concept—driven in part by midtown branding and recent multifamily development nearby—was estimated at about $1.6 million. Staff said they had submitted a federal request for roughly $600,000 for planning and design; if that funding were approved, staff said the city’s net share could fall to about $1.0 million.

Council members debated whether to do a limited plaza improvement now or to pause for a full master plan that could relocate the park stage and reshape long‑term layout. Sarah, a parks project staffer, said preliminary concepts had focused on a plaza near the 640 building to support new ground‑floor retail and dining activity; she said those concepts remain conceptual.

Council direction favored a two‑phase approach: start with a plaza redesign that can be implemented in 2025 and begin a master‑planning process for broader park reconfiguration later. Several council members asked staff to design plaza work so it would not preclude future master‑plan options.

Midtown placemaking and business corridor pilot

Staff proposed Midtown placemaking work including pedestrian‑scale light poles and banners, with an estimated cost near $350,000–$400,000 (not including staff time). The community placemaking proposal would fund an art piece in a future roundabout at Seventh Avenue; staff estimated about $200,000 for that element.

The Pacific Corridor Improvement Grant Program was described as a small‑grant pilot to help commercial tenants and building owners improve storefronts and accessibility along targeted corridors. Staff described a proposed maximum award of $10,000 per recipient, a required applicant match and an initial pilot target of roughly 12–20 businesses; staff said the program would be scalable if successful.

Opportunity sites and developer engagement

Staff also presented a list of opportunity sites where the city may want to hold funds in reserve to act quickly when a developer or business seeks public‑private partnerships. Candidates included the Miles Sand and Gravel site, the Market Village shopping center and the South Sound Center. Staff emphasized continuing outreach with large property owners and developers, including MJR and Capital Development, to coordinate public investment with private projects.

What council decided and next steps

Council consensus prioritized starting with the Hunter Park plaza and advancing Midtown placemaking while preserving some funds to remain nimble for opportunity‑site investments. Council asked staff to pursue state and federal grant opportunities to reduce city cost and to return with more detailed designs and cost estimates; staff said they will provide scheduling charts showing planning and implementation durations and the staff FTE that would be required to deliver each project.

Wesley Wynne framed the recommendation as a practical phasing: “We want to get some early wins in the plaza while we plan the larger master plan,” he said. Staff will return with refined budgets, a timeline for a master‑planning process, and grant application outcomes.