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Consultants unveil Town Center Business District plan to guide 20‑year growth, council asks for funding and implementation detail
Summary
ECO Northwest and Mthun presented a Town Center subarea plan with a vision for a walkable, mixed‑use district and five goals tied to Puget Sound Regional Council regional growth‑center requirements. Council members pressed for funding estimates, implementation priorities and coordination with utilities and emergency services.
Consultants for University Place presented the Town Center Business District subarea plan during a council study session, describing a community‑informed vision for a compact, walkable district and a set of goals to guide roughly 20 years of redevelopment.
Kevin Briskey, the city's community and economic development director, framed the plan as part of the regional growth‑center work that helps the city compete for Puget Sound Regional Council grants. “When our engineering team applies for those grants, they have to tie those grant applications to regional growth centers,” he said, noting the city's re‑certification and previous projects that used the designation.
Consultants summarized engagement: more than 700 survey responses, three steering‑committee meetings, interviews with business and property owners, youth outreach and pop‑up engagement at community events. They proposed a vision — “a vibrant, walkable and diverse regional center that is the heart of the community” — and five goals covering compact mixed‑use development, a safe multimodal network, economic development, a vibrant public realm, and utilities and services to support growth.
Design principles include a branded pedestrian loop through the heart of the district, gateway treatments at key intersections, and new east‑west pedestrian connections to improve safety and access. Consultants illustrated possible redevelopment sites, bicycle and trail connections to Chambers Bay, and a small multipurpose community building near Homestead Park as an example of a civic anchor for gatherings.
Council members focused questions on implementation and finance: several asked for cost estimates and for clarity about which utilities or parcels lack sewer service today; consultants said a few parcels on the south end of Bridgeport lack sewer service and that detailed cost estimates would be a next step. Multiple council members asked staff to develop an action plan that prioritizes short‑term, mid‑term and long‑term projects and ties them to funding options such as PSRC grants, tax increment financing or other mechanisms.
Consultants and staff said the plan is intentionally aspirational but included PSRC‑required elements so University Place can maintain its growth‑center status and maximize competitiveness for regional transportation and infrastructure grants. Staff and council agreed to schedule follow‑up briefings and to route specific recommendation items (zoning tools, utility upgrades, and a sponsorship strategy for place‑making) into subsequent work programs.
