La Center wins $400,000 for Downtown 2; council authorizes negotiations for up to $4 million land purchase

La Center — The La Center City Council on May 28 discussed results of the 2025 Washington legislative session and authorized the mayor to negotiate the purchase of property tied to the city’s Downtown 2 plan, approving a limit of $4,000,000 plus closing costs for the acquisition.

The legislature delivered several outcomes the city had sought this year, city-hired legislative advocate Hannah Jones reported. Jones said House Bill 1039, which the city supported, passed and will allow the city to extend sewer service to the Cowlitz Tribe. She also reported that funding previously awarded for the Pacific Highway shared-use path remained on schedule despite transportation budget constraints, and that the city secured $400,000 in the capital budget toward La Center’s Downtown 2 project.

Those state-level results came in a tight budget year that included a roughly $15 billion shortfall in the state operating forecast and a separate $1 billion transportation shortfall, Jones told the council. She advised the city to plan to use the $400,000 within the current biennial cycle; money becomes available July 1 and the fiscal cycle Jones referenced runs through 06/30/2027.

On the local side of the same agenda item, Director of Public Works Tracy Coleman presented a staff report recommending purchase of a parcel identified in the city’s comprehensive plan subarea chapter for Downtown 2. The council moved to “authorize the mayor to negotiate and enter into a purchase and sale agreement for the purchase of real property in an amount not to exceed $4,000,000 plus closing costs.” The motion was seconded and approved by the council.

The council and staff said the parcel is identified in capital planning and the Downtown 2 subarea plan as land that could support commercial mixed use, residential units of varying densities, and additional park space tied to downtown activations. City staff indicated the city would use a mix of its REET 1 and REET 2 reserves along with park impact fees to fund the purchase.

Mayor Stroban and several council members publicly thanked Hannah Jones and staff for their advocacy and follow-up work to secure the state funding and to keep existing transportation project funding on schedule.

The council did not set a specific closing date during the meeting; staff said negotiations would begin and any final purchase would be returned to council as required by state law and city practice.