Federal Way has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the past 20 years, and we are on target to make the next twenty years even better.
I have begun to both reminisce about the last twenty years and look ahead to the next twenty in terms of businesses in the Federal Way area. Having lived, worked, and played in the Federal Way area for the last 37 years, I have seen businesses come and go, rise and fall, but the progress and the growth have continued. Looking back, some of the businesses that have come and gone and may bring back some memories: Pay N Pak, Ernst Home Center, Pacific Coast Ford, Jafco, Pay N Save, Evergreen Truck Stop, Capitol One, Silo, REI, and Metropolitan Market. Other business have come and stayed, some much longer before the 20 years and others more recent. Some of those are: The Quad Shopping Center, Weyerhaeuser Company, Best Buy, Marlene’s, Costco, Home Depot, Lowes, The Crossings, World Vision, St Francis Hospital, Baden Sports, one then two Wal-Mart’s, Winco, SeaTac Mall which is now The Commons of Federal Way, 4 Major Hotels, and H Mart.
We have seen growth in the commercial realm also. Commercial office spaces have boomed in the last 20 years, going from three story buildings at the most to buildings with 12 plus stories. Federal Way has added over a million square feet of office space in multiple office complexes in the recent past. We have witnessed the rise of building East of I5 with companies like World Vision, Doyon, WEA, TOTE, and many more.
In the past 20 years we have seen the City Council grow and become more focused on helping support businesses, and, ultimately, support growing a vibrant local economy. In today’s economy, it is not always easy to see the fruits of hard work, but as the economy begins its comeback, those fruits will reenergize our community.
Looking ahead, we will surely continue to grow and develop during the next 20 years. The question about the whereabouts of downtown will be answered, and we will see new and bigger developments in this space. Federal Way will become more vertical and become more dense similar to what Bellevue is, some will even call us Bellevue South. Saying that, I know some long time Federal Way residents often cringe at that thought, but I am not sure what is wrong with having a vibrant economy where more people are coming to a city to spend money compared to a city where more people leave the city to spend money. I also believe Federal Way will become a place where people will be attracted to because of our innovative ideas and structure.
According to author Richard Florida: "Place is becoming more relevant to the global economy and our individual lives. The choice of where to live, therefore, is not an arbitrary one. It is arguably the most important decision we make, as important as choosing a spouse or a career. In fact, place exerts powerful influence over the jobs and careers we have access to, the people meet and our "mating markets" and our ability to lead happy and fulfilled lives."
We have created the foundation for great success in Federal Way, attracting successful companies, retaining business, expanding business and attracting a workforce that will support the growth of the city. Making Federal Way a truly great place is the responsibility of all sectors – businesses, schools, medical community, the arts, community sports, civic organizations, faith organizations, residents, and politicians, and I sincerely hope you accept the challenge to do your part to help ensure Federal Way’s continued success.
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