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1.0 Introduction <br />1.1 Background <br />With a population of just over 18,000 as of the 2010 Census,the City of Ellensburg is uniquely <br />positioned in central Washington at the intersection of Interstates 90 and 82.It is the center of <br />commerce and government for Kittitas County,which extends from the Cascades to the West <br />and the Columbia River to the East.It is a popular destination for travelers because of its <br />location,and a cluster of hotels and restaurants serve both exits to the community off of <br />Interstate 90. <br />Ellensburg is also known as the home of Central Washington University and the annual <br />Ellensburg Rodeo that attracts national attention.The downtown has maintained much of its <br />historic charm including Victorian,Art Deco,and vernacular buildings of the 1920's.As is the <br />case with many communities,downtown Ellensburg has changed from being the sole center of <br />commerce for the community as suburban-style commercial development has occurred in other <br />parts of the city.However,Ellensburg has been very proactive in promoting and investing in the <br />downtown as a vibrant location for independent retailers,specialty dining,a variety of business <br />and financial services,government offices,cultural attractions,and special events. <br />The community has not been content to rest on this success and has continued to invest in <br />downtown.In 2013,community leaders acknowledged that a significant building in downtown - <br />the Geddis Building -was at risk of becoming a serious blight on redeveloping downtown.The <br />large building located at the pivotal southwest corner of 4*Avenue and Pearl Street was in <br />decline.As a result,the City of Ellensburg,the Ellensburg Downtown Association,the Kittitas <br />County Chamber of Commerce,and the Ellensburg Business Development Authority forged an <br />alliance formally called the Downtown Revitalization Committee,but more commonly known as <br />"The Downtowners,"to purchase the building,hold it in trust,and resell it to an owner that is <br />actively renovating the property and plans to add new residential units and retail development to <br />downtown.The Downtowners realized that this success could be parlayed into an ongoing <br />proactive approach to continued public/private partnership investment in downtown Ellensburg. <br />1.2 Study Scope <br />This study was commissioned to examine both the market opportunities for downtown as well as <br />the physical environment and to recommend how the Downtowners should continue to utilize <br />their knowledge and connections to create investment and development opportunities in the <br />community. <br />This study involved two key components that are closely intertwined.The first is an <br />understanding of the Ellensburg market through a market analysis that looks at retail,residential, <br />office,and accommodations possibilities.The second is connecting this market knowledge with <br />key sites and buildings in downtown Ellensburg to prioritize potential for future investment.Of <br />particular interest to the group was higher and better use of upper floor spaces in Ellensburg and <br />over the course of the project examining a larger "footprint"for downtown became apparent. <br />3