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.”

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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)

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

Washington, D.C., 2009   Issaquah Highlands, an urban village community in Issaquah, Washington, was named a Silver Award Winner and finalist for the Community of the Year Award from the National Association of Home Builders. The award will be be presented at The Nationals Awards ceremony at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas on January 19, 2010.   Only four communities in the nation are recognized in 2010.  Along with Issaquah Highlands, the other Silver Award winning communities are Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas; Daybreak, Salt Lake City, Utah; and Villebois, Wilsonville, Oregon.

“Port Blakely Communities is honored to receive this recognition that reflects so positively on Issaquah Highlands’ residents, homebuilders and the development team that has created a vibrant, active and environmentally sustainable community,” said Genni Reilly, vice president of leasing and marketing, Port Blakely Communities – developer of Issaquah Highlands. “What pleases us most is the fact that now, in the community’s 10^th year, Issaquah Highlands is still receiving national recognition for its innovation, quality of life and contribution for being part of the solution to regional growth management issues.”

Located 20 minutes outside Seattle, Issaquah Highlands is a Built Green an urban village that includes more than 3,000 homes, a retail and commercial district, more than 10 miles of hiking trails, and more than 100 acres for parks, recreation and sports fields – all concentrated in only 780 acres of the total 2,200 acres. Now in its second decade, the community continues to grow. Most recently, Swedish – the largest nonprofit health provider in the Greater Seattle area – broke ground on a 20-acre hospital campus in the heart of Issaquah Highlands. In addition, the YWCA of Seattle-King-Snohomish also broke ground on a 2.4 acre Family Village that will feature affordable housing for more than 400 residents.

As the nation’s largest competition, now in its 28th year, The Nationals pays tribute to superior achievements by new-home sales and marketing professionals and communities and is presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  It is the only competition of its kind that is National and International in scope. Entrants are judged by a panel of recognized industry professionals representing the many disciplines involved in creating new home communities.

For more information, visit www.issaquahhighlands.com and www.portblakely.com.

Port Blakely Communities’ Judd Kirk was recently honored by the City of Issaquah for his pivotal role as a community and business leader. Judd, who as president of Port Blakely Communities began working on the Issaquah Highlands project in the early 1990’s, was inducted along with Barb Justice of the Issaquah Trolley Project into the City of Issaquah’s Hall of Fame.

The City of Issaquah Hall of Fame award honors an individual who has made an enduring contribution to the Issaquah community. Each year, the City of Issaquah inducts one or two individuals into the Hall of Fame. Judd’s contributions to the community were celebrated at a May 20 luncheon hosted by the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. At the luncheon, Judd was praised for the impact he has had on the city. He was applauded for his leadership, economic development initiatives, and ability to engage government and individuals together to achieve a shared goal.

One of the primary examples of Judd’s capacity for creating successful partnerships was the construction of the Sunset Interchange off Interstate-90, which now connects thousands of residents in the cities of Issaquah and Sammamish to the main arterial freeway. The interchange was one of the first public-private partnerships in the region. It helped to establish an approach for multiple levels of government, as well as private companies, to work together.

At the awards luncheon, Judd was celebrated for his pioneering approach to sustainable development. In the early 1990’s, when green building was unknown in the Pacific Northwest, Judd’s leadership helped Port Blakely to established new standards for sustainable development. Today, these sustainable development practices are followed throughout the industry. “Judd Kirk’s leadership, service and civic-mindedness have significantly benefited the greater community of Issaquah over the past decade,” said Alan Boeker, who succeeded Judd as president of Port Blakely Communities. “In particular, his role as an advisory council member of the Cascade Land Conservancy, as well as the board of Urban Green, has furthered Issaquah’s interests in promoting conservation and constructing environmentally-friendly buildings.”

Since 2002, Judd has also established Port Blakely as the regional leader in the Built Green program. At Issaquah Highlands, all builders are now required to build homes to the 4-Star level of the Built Green program, as well as certification under the ENERGY STAR® program. The community now has the largest percentage of Built Green homes in the region. Through sustainable development and innovation, Judd has enabled Port Blakely, the community at Issaquah Highlands, and the City of Issaquah as a whole to capture the world’s attention. In 2004, Judd led the initiative to create the Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea House as a demonstration that sustainable homebuilding was a marketable concept. It drew 8,000 visitors from around the world, who came to see nearly 100 of the latest green building products and techniques. Congratulations Judd!