Image by issaquahhighlands via Flickr

Over the course of the past year, Port Blakely Communities and Issaquah Highlands have continued to achieve milestones in  development of this community. The Proliance Highlands Medical Center, Swedish hospital campus and YWCA Family Village are bringing local jobs, services and healthcare to residents. The opportunities provided by these organizations bring Issaquah Highlands closer to realizing the live/work/play urban village model. Many of you know that construction dates for The High  Streets were pushed back in 2008 due to the economy. The retail sector crisis caused by the dramatic decline in 2007 holiday  sales forced retailers to put plans on hold. As a result, our development partner in The High Streets, Opus Northwest, was unable  to proceed. Those same economic conditions that shook up financial markets and the real estate industry have continued throughout 2009. The High Streets is part of the community’s vision to blend retail, commercial/office space and housing. To give a sense of history, the concept for The High Streets was conceived in 2005. Prior to 2005, Microsoft had an option to purchase the land, as well as the land where Proliance and Swedish are now located, as part of its Issaquah holdings. When  Microsoft opted not to exercise the option in 2004, Port Blakely Communities worked with residents, businesses and local  leadership to determine new options for the land. Since 2008, Port Blakely Communities has carefully examined opportunities for moving forward with construction of The High Streets despite the economy. We have also moved forward with projects, such as Swedish, that will attract other businesses and organizations to Issaquah Highlands. Today, Port Blakely Communities is  exploring opportunities to form a joint venture with a new equity partner to develop the remaining commercial areas. Over the lifetime of Issaquah Highlands, Port Blakely Communities has successfully leveraged like-minded partnerships to fulfill the vision for the community. Consistent with this approach, we are speaking with organizations that share our values, and the values of Issaquah Highlands, to form a joint venture. We will provide additional updates to the community in the New Year and at the town hall meeting.

• New Swedish hospital to create over 1,000 jobs (pnwlocalnews.com)

SAVE THE DATE! February 3, 2010, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Blakely Hall, 2550 NE Park Drive

Save the date for the Town Hall Meeting at Blakely Hall. We will learn from Rene` Ancinas and Judd Kirk about work currently in  progress at The High Streets and future plans for development.

The struggles associated with this year’s recessionary economy have no doubt been shared by many and have taken a toll on families around the country; some more severe than others. Unfortunately, one does not have to look far to find local families in our community that are in desperate need of assistance. This season, members of the Issaquah Highlands Contribution Club (the“IHCC”), an organization dedicated to bringing together the families and individuals of Issaquah Highlands to support the local community in need, provided aid and assistance to 16 families from local churches and the Issaquah Food Bank through an “Adopt a Family” Program.

Together, groups of residents and local churches pulled together to fulfill wish lists and meet the needs of these local families to provide food, clothing, gifts for children and most importantly hope and a little joy this holiday season.

“Reading through the stories of these families struggling breaks your heart,” said IHCC member Anne Taylor Hartzell. “Many are single moms, struggling to put food on the table and are now forced to agonize over how to tell their small children there will be no holiday presents only adds to their stress. We had to do something to mobilize our community and provide these families with at least one day of relief from the stresses in life.”

The IHCC holiday family adoption program could not have been possible without the generous support of time and donations by our neighborhood captains, leaders from Mosaic and Alathia Churches, Starpoint Condos and the Issaquah Highlands  Community Association. The response was overwhelming as neighborhood captains began reaching out to their neighbors via email and door-to-door to fulfill wish lists, shop and wrap gifts. The impact was felt not only by those that were receiving, but also by those that were giving.

“I was blown away by the willingness of our neighbors to help out our family in need,” said Candace Powell, neighborhood captain and Highlands resident. “Going door-to-door, sharing these stories and collecting donations from neighbors is truly amazing and really emphasized for me our strong sense of community.” The adopt a family initiative brought all corners of the
Issaquah Highland’s community together to make a lasting impact on a few families this season and is just another example of how together, residents can make a meaningful impact on shared initiatives that improve the lives of our community. The IHCC
organizes other programs throughout the year and plans to partner closely with the Issaquah Food Bank and other local  organizations next year to expand its Adopt a Family program.

WSDOT (Washington State Dept. of Transportation) Pond and landscape is complete. The 17.28 million gallon capacity pond now features a pedestrian bridge built with custom-milled cedar timbers harvested from sites in Issaquah Highlands, a paved trail that  connects to the trail system, and an extension of the bike path.