Have you been wondering what is going on in the Lacey Woodland District? And where did Ricardo’s restaurant go? I got the answers to these questions and many more when I sat down with Mike McClure of MJR Development this week to talk about The Hub at Lacey.
The Hub at Lacey is the name of the new mixed-use development in the heart of Lacey. Just a stone’s throw from Huntamer Park, the anchor of the development is Ricardo’s Kitchen and Bar. Rick Nelson, owner and chef at Ricardo’s says the restaurant has been busy every night since opening in its new location at 676 Woodland Square Loop in July. The draw of loyal customers and new business is just what Mike McClure and his partners envisioned when they began designing the community- centered development at The Hub. “It is truly a gathering place for the whole area,” Mike tells me as we tour the restaurant space. A beautiful 4,000 square foot event center is just one of the amenities at The Hub.
The existing buildings total about 300,000 square feet of retail and office space. Another 100,000 square feet of mixed-use and apartments are planned for the future. The current residents, including McSwain & Company, KPFF Consulting and Wells Fargo Bank, have seen the project unfold and in many cases were a part of the development. A walk around The Hub at Lacey is a pleasant stroll with the addition of over 15,000 plants and a reflection pond. It is a walk-able, friendly space that includes a pocket park in addition to its ideal location near the larger Huntamer Park.
MJR Development became interested in the project largely due to the vision of the Lacey City Council. Lacey incorporated in 1966 and quickly became an attractive location for business with its nearby access to I-5. In 2005, the City of Lacey was beginning to transform the suburban area into an urban core, with a vision of creating a complete, vibrant, livable district with a mix of residences, employment, and retail uses centered on Huntamer Park. MJR Development purchased their first building in the area known as 6th and Woodland in 2013. In discussions with the City of Lacey MJR became excited about bringing their strategic plan to fruition and purchased another portfolio of six buildings and land in 2014.
MJR Development partner Mark Lahaie has been a long term resident of the South Sound. He was involved in leasing for the State of Washington for 20 years and for the past 10 years has helped MJR become the second largest Washington State landlord. Knowing the area well, The Hub at Lacey is just where MJR Development wanted to invest. The strategic plan that the City of Lacey had laid out combined with the state employees already here made it a very attractive prospect. “We knew this was a very attractive place to live and the state employees augment the private sector perfectly,” explains McClure.
“We are added value developers,” say Mike McClure. This means that MJR focuses on raw land and/or buildings that “need help” and turns them into Class A spaces that people enjoy spending time in. “We are only successful if we can attract tenants,” Mike tells me. His passion and excitement about the project is contagious and we spend some time musing about the types of businesses that would be successful in the buildings. The possibilities are endless with the influx of college students each year attending Saint Martin’s University and looking for places to gather.
MJR Development is no rookie to the development business. They have transformed buildings and neighborhoods in Everett, Kirkland, Bellevue and all the way down the I-5 corridor to Vancouver, Washington. They are exceptionally positive about The Hub at Lacey. Mike says, “It is exciting to work with a jurisdiction that has so much vision.” His pride in the project is evident as I ask him about the partners involved. Nearly every aspect of the development was contracted out to local companies like Korsmo Construction and Big Rock Construction. In addition to bringing quality office and retail space to Thurston County, MJR Development has been providing revenue to the area by hiring local contractors to do the bulk of the work.
While MJR Development will continue to add to its current tenants, they are looking toward the future. “Phase two will include mixed use buildings with retail spaces on the ground floor and apartments above,” explains McClure. Looking out the floor to ceiling windows at Ricardo’s, I don’t think they will have any problems leasing the space. The passion of MJR Development and the appeal of urban living in the center of Lacey is just the combination that Lacey visionaries were looking for when they began this journey over ten years ago.
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