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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 Fad. 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 attrmas national attention. The downtown hes 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 flum 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 ialty 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 41 Avenue and Pearl Street was in <br />decline. As a result, the City of Ellensburg, the Ellensburg Downtown Association, the Kitthw <br />County Chamber of Commerce, and the Ellensburg Business Development Authority forged an <br />alliance formally called the Downtown Revitalization Committee, but more commonly Imown 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 <br />