Today is THE day! Last chance to qualify for the $8,000/$6,500 government tax credit on a new home! HURRY!!! Visit our website for directions to the model homes, agent contact information and new a resale home listings. www.issaquahhighlands.com

As some of you may know, the Issaquah Highlands community was featured on an episode of House Hunters.  A couple’s search for green living takes them to three residences within the community.

I received a tip this morning that HGTV was featuring green home themed House Hunters episodes for Earth Day today, and that this episode will be among them.

If you can’t get to a television now, On Demand usually features episodes of this show for free.

Here is the info:
http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters/searching-for-a-million-dollar-green-home-in-suburban-seattle2/index.html

Episode synopsis: Bill Pedersen and Patricia Hovda are planning to move in together in Issaquah, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. They’ve decided to invest in a green home and have a substantial budget of $1 million. Their must-have list has three major criteria; it must be green, it must have a view, and it must be around 4,000 square feet. To help them secure a good investment, Bill and Trish are bringing broker Scott Gibbons on board.

Issaquah Highlands was named one of America’s Top 10 Green Built Neighborhoods in Natural Home Magazine May 2010 issue. To read the full article check out these links:

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/energy-efficiency/americas-top-ten-best-green-built-neighborhoods.aspx

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/04/top-10-green-built-neighborhoods.html

Residents have been asking about storage solutions for quite awhile. Now, a local resident is making it happen. Entrepreneur and Issaquah Highlands resident Bob Gregg plans to break ground on the new Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage building next month.

Located next to the Park & Ride, it will open in March 2011. Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage will offer convenient, safe storage close to home. The facility will feature 500 storage units, including 800 square feet of acclimatized space for wine storage. Bob also hopes to lease street-level retail space for other uses.

Residents have identified the need for extra storage for items such as bikes and kayaks, legal documents, home furnishings, antiques, home renovation and automotive tools, business inventory and equipment, patio furniture and seasonal decorations. Self-storage will also meet the needs for special items that require a climate-controlled environment.

At Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage, customers will load and unload in a covered area inside the ground level of the building. They will drive into the covered area to park and then load everything into the elevator. However, Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage won’t have garage-style storage for cars, boats and RVs.

The top of the Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage building will be taller than the surrounding buildings, including the adjacent Park & Ride. When neighboring construction projects such as the cinema and YWCA are completed, the building profile will blend well with the adjacent buildings.

Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage will feature many LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) design elements. There are no existing LEED standards for buildings of its kind, so Bob and his architects have adapted guidelines from other commercial buildings to integrate energy saving features. The building is also designed to look and feel like other buildings in Issaquah Highlands, from exterior paint colors to canopies that minimize heat gain.

Over the years, it has been a planning challenge for Port Blakely to meet resident needs for self-storage in Issaquah Highlands. This is because typical self-storage projects are laid out horizontally and require much more land space. The Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage addresses both of these issues by going vertical.  Vertical density is also more fitting with our urban village town center.

Locating self-storage in the lot adjacent to the Park & Ride also makes sense. Typical retail stores found the self-storage lot configuration to be challenging due to its size and lack of access to onsite parking. The Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage required a smaller footprint and minimal parking requirements.

As discussed at February’s Town Hall, businesses such as Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage will meet the everyday needs that residents have expressed. The close-to-home services, including the grocery store and energy station, will shorten car trips – therefore reducing energy consumption and pollution – while freeing up valuable personal time.

Information on how to reserve a space in Issaquah Highlands Self-Storage will be available from Bob and his team at Gregg Consulting Group later this year.

“PURIM IN ISRAEL” is Chabad of the Central Cascades creative twist this year on their traditional Purim party, to accommodate the anticipated crowds of men, women & children who throng to Chabad for their annual Purim celebration. On Purim, Chabad in Issaquah is the place to be!

Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people, in the year 3405 from Creation (356 bce), from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.” (Purim literally means “lots” for Haman determined the day of annihilation by throwing a lottery). It is observed by public readings of the megillah – “Scroll of Esther,” sending food portions to friends, giving gifts of money to the poor, and enjoying a festive meal accompanied with joyous drink.

Chabad of the Central Cascades grand Purim Bash will be held at Blakely Hall at the Issaquah Highlands on Sunday February 28th at 4:00pm. The celebration will begin with the Megillah Reading (Scroll of Ester), followed by a scrumptious buffet dinner of Israeli delicacies, exciting entertainment, Israeli music, hamentashen, spectacular children’s program and lots of laughter! All are welcome to join regardless of affiliation or background.

Pre-Event Registration with EZ-Pass Entry: Adults $15 Children (Ages 3 – 12)

$10 To Register online: www.ChabadIssaquah.com/PurimIsrael.

To pay at the Door: Adults $20 Children (Ages 3 -12) $15.

This event is paid by Chabad of the Central Cascades and the help of Port Blakely Communities and Highland Council. Among Chabad’s many other Purim activities is a mishloach manot (food gifts) campaign and a Purim Eve Megillah Reading at the center Saturday night at 7:00pm. Chabad’s mishloach manot campaign will focus on sending food gifts to hundreds of family’s in the Issaquah and Sammamish vicinities, bringing to home Purim’s message of sharing and joyfulness.

For more information on Chabad’s Purim festivities or on the holiday of Purim and its observances, contact Chabad of the Central Cascades at 425-985-7639 or log on to www.chabadissaquah.com/Purim.

As Port Blakely Communities (“PBC”) seeks a partner to help move forward the retail and commercial development in the town center at Issaquah Highlands, a senior officer of Port Blakely Companies, the parent of PBC, will now lead this effort.

René Ancinas, President and COO of Port Blakely Companies (“Port Blakely”), also became acting president of its subsidiary, PBC, earlier this month. He replaces Alan Boeker who resigned in mid-January to pursue other real estate industry opportunities. During his nearly two years at Port Blakely Communities, Alan contributed in many ways. These include the YWCA Family Village and zHome transactions, land sale to Swedish Hospital, joint venture with OPUS for the office project and stabilizing the Town Center project amidst a tough and unforgiving economy, which helped lay the foundation for the company to pursue a partner.

René has been involved in Issaquah Highlands for many years in different roles. He followed it closely for several years in his role as President of the Family Council, the governing body of the family ownership group. He then joined the company as Senior Vice President in 2005, and one of his early assignments was to evaluate and restructure the Highlands Fiber Network in 2006. Since becoming President and COO of Port Blakely in 2008, he has been actively involved in overseeing the operations of PBC.

“René’s experience, collaborative style and values-driven leadership are exactly what this community needs as we move into the future,” said Judd Kirk, former PBC president who now serves as a senior advisor to René and the real estate team. “He clearly understands the vision we have for Issaquah Highlands and has championed it within the family and the company.” Kirk added that over the years the support from senior management has been essential to keep the project on course for the long term.

The current head of Port Blakely, Jim Warjone, has been actively involved since 1989 and will be turning over his position as CEO to Rene this July. The current change at PBC will remove one level of management, giving René an even more direct role. With his background with the company and an MBA from the University of Washington, Rene will continue to be guided by a tradition of progressive leaders and the counsel of Jim Warjone and the entire PBC management team.

“The top priority for my family and our company today is to complete Issaquah Highlands consistent with the vision we set out for the community,” Ancinas said. “While the economic climate continues to be a significant challenge, we are fully committed to finding a solution that will facilitate building out the next phase of the community.” He added that he looks forward to working closely with the excellent team, led by experienced managers “who continue to do an amazing job as stewards of our real estate assets and the community we’ve been building for many years.”

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.

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.

Homes for the Holidays.  It’s a powerful emotion.  And nowhere in the Northwest is this lived out more than at Issaquah Highlands. It’s a placewhere neighbors know each other and celebrate together every chance they get.  Today, you can experience this special Holiday spirit with a visit to this holiday wonderland. “Issaquah Highlands celebrates a return to a time when your neighbors were really an extension of your family. I think this is especially important during the holiday season. Our residents come together to celebrate. Last Sunday, we held our annual Christmas Festival which included horse-drawn carriage rides, live music, lots of food and a live nativity—complete with camel—and tomorrow we’ll come together for the community Chanukah Celebration which includes lighting the Pacific Northwest’s tallest candy menorah. Issaquah Highlands is just such a uniquely inclusive community,” says Genni Reilly, vice president of marketing for Port Blakely Communities, Inc., the developer of Issaquah Highlands.

Both neighborhood and home have a powerful sentimental pull during the holiday season as gatherings of families and friends amidst festive decorations remind us of our connections with one another. To visitors get a true feel for Issaquah Highlands’ warmth and charm you are invited to its popular Second Saturday Home Tour, with a Homes for the Holiday’s theme, today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can stop off at the Issaquah Highlands Information Center to pick up a free tour map.

In honor of the season, many of the builders are offering special holiday incentives. The Burnsteads’ new home neighborhoods are collecting non-perishable food items for Northwest Harvest plus making a $5 donation for each visitor group to their model homes this weekend. For every new Burnstead home sold at Issaquah Highlands in December, the Burnsteads will donate $1,000 in the homebuyer’s name to Northwest Harvest. Bennett Homes and CamWest at West Highlands Park will donate $750 to the Issaquah Food Bank on all homes that close on or before December 31, 2009. In addition, D.R. Horton’s Vista Park collection is offering zero closing costs to all new homebuyers who close on their homes before December 31, 2009 plus a special move-in package that includes a washer, dryer, refrigerator, garage door opener, window screens, fencing, landscaping and a 10-year warranty. And John F. Buchan Homes will be offering zero closing costs on all homes that close on or before January 31, 2010.

Picture yourself touring a community where you’ll find new and resale homes available priced from just under $200,000 to well over $2 million. Buyers looking to purchase a brand new home have their choice of designs from some of our region’s most noted homebuilders, including Anderson Tedrick Homes, Aspen Homes, Atlin Investments, Bennett Homes, The Burnsteads, CamWest, Design Guild Homes, D.R. Horton, John F. Buchan, Noland Homes, Regency West and Sinclair Thimgan.

“Whether you’re looking to purchase your first home or interested in custom building your dream home, Issaquah Highlands has a neighborhood for you. The Second Saturday Home Tour is an opportunity for buyers to tour every new home, as well as most resale homes. This is the perfect month to get a true sense of how our residents come together as one community,” notes Reilly.

“Not only do we have the best residents, we also have recruited the best homebuilders,” says Reilly. “They truly care about their homeowners and the community as a whole.”

A pioneer in the sustainable building and design movement, Port Blakely set aside 1,400 acres of naturally preserved land and 100 acres of parks for homeowners to enjoy and cherish. Choosing builders that embrace their environmental sensibilities, they have continued to push the green envelope, introducing groundbreaking designs such as the 2003 Built Green® Idea Home; a 5-star Built Green, American Lung Association Certified home that features allergen-free materials; and the zHome collection—the first multi-family development in the nation that uses no more energy than it generates.

As a result, the community continues to receive global recognition for its community planning and execution.  Just this month, the National Associate of Home Builders announced that Issaquah Highlands was name a finalist for “American’s Community of the Year for 2010” as a part of The Nationals awards program.

Promoting a car-free lifestyle, the Issaquah Highlands community offers amenities like the High Street Retail Village which features popular restaurants and services like Sip! Wine Bar & Restaurant, Caffe Ladro, Highlands Cleaners, Le Chic Pet Boutique & Spa, Sorella Salon & Spa, Zeek’s Pizza and Agave Cocina & Tequilas. The village will eventually expand to become part of a destination retail center with approximately 500,000 square feet of retail space, including a 40,000-square-foot grocery store. And for those who commute to work, there is a Park-&-Ride transit center conveniently located at the community’s entrance.

“I really encourage you to come out today to explore our neighborhoods. Get out of your car. Take a hike on one of our wooded trails. Grab a bite to eat in the village. Truly get a feel for the lifestyle we offer here. There really isn’t anything else that compares,” says Reilly.

For more information on Issaquah Highlands, its neighborhoods and homebuilders, visit www.issaquahhighlands.com.

View these homes:

Information Center Hours: Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

1011 NE High Street, Suite 100

From I-90: Take the Highlands Drive/Sunset Interchange (Exit #18). Follow Highlands Dr. up the hill and turn right on NE High Street. Follow the signs to the New Home Info Center.

For more info:

www.issaquahhighlands.com

206-701-0350