R2023-148 and Eexecuted SS Grant Contracts (2)

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1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background With apopulation ofjust over 18,000 as of the 2010 Census, the City of Ellensburg is uniquelypositioned in central Washington at the intersection of Inlerstates 90 and 82. It is the center ofcommerce and government for Kittitas County, which extends from the Cascacles to the Westand the Columbia River to the East. It is a popular destination for travelers because of itsiocation, and a cluster of hotels and restaurants serve both exits to the community off of Interstate 90. Eilensburg is also known as the horne of Central Washinglon University and the annual Ellensburg Rodeo that attracts national attention. The d,owntown has maintained much of its historic charm including Victorian, Art Deco, and vernacular buitdings of the 1920's. As is the case with many cornmunities, downtown Ellensburg has changed from Ueing the sole center of commerce for the conrmunity as suburban-style commercial development has occurred in other parts of the city. I{owever, Ellensburg has been very proactive in prlmoting and investing in thedowntown as a vibrant location for independent retaiiers, specialty dining,"a variety of business and financial services, government offi ces, cultural attractions, and special events. The cornmunity has not been content to rest on this success and has continncd to invest indowntown' In 2013, community leaders acknowleclged that a significant building in downtown -the Geddis Building - was at risk of becoming u *.iiou, blight in redevelopingiowntown. The large building located at the pivotai southwest corner of 4th Avenue and pearl Street was indecline. As a result, the City of Ellensburg, the Ellensburg Downtown Association, the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, and the Ellensburg Business Development Authoriiy forged an alliance forrnally called the Downtown Revitalization Committee, but mor" .o*-only known as"The Downtowners," to purchase the building, hold it in trust, and resell it to an owner that is actively renovating the property and pians to acld new residential units and retail development todor'vntown' The Downtowners realized that this success could be partayed into an ongoing proactive approach to continued public/private partnership investment in downtown Ellensburg. 1.2 Study Scope This study was commissioned to examine both the market opporhrnities for downtown as well as the physical environment anci to recommend how the Downtowners should continue to utilizetheir knowledge and connections to create investment and development opporfunities in the community. This study involved two key components that are closely intertwined. The first is an understanding of the Ellensburg market tluough a market analysis that looks at retail, rcsidential, office, and accommodations possibilities, The second is connecting this market knowledge with key.sites and buildings in downtown Ellensburg to prioritize poteniial for future investment. ofparticular interest to the group was higher and bettei use of upper floor spaces in Ellensburg and over the course of the project examining a larger "footprint" loi downtown became apparent. 3