North Bend looks to develop vacant downtown lot

City seeks community input on possible uses for the property.

The city of North Bend is seeking input from residents regarding the development of the 302 W. North Bend Way property downtown.

The lot operated as a gas station and convenience store until 2021. Today, the 1,400-square-foot building sits empty on “potentially contaminated” soil from its previous use, according to the city in a July 19 announcement.

An environmental site assessment was conducted on the “highly visible property” in 2005, which required the removal of 850 cubic yards of contaminated soil and four storage tanks from the site in 2007 and 2008. In 2013, the Washington Department of Ecology confirmed that the site warranted further cleanup efforts.

The city is collaborating with the Center for Creative Land Recycling and the Department of Ecology to determine the next steps and ensure the site is suitable for redevelopment in relation to the nearby Snoqualmie River.

In the meantime, the city released a survey to gauge interest in redeveloping the site, which “has tremendous potential to serve many community needs such as affordable housing and an expanded food bank,” and has shared a conceptual design of the multi-use building.

The survey, which closes on Aug. 9, gauges resident interest in the redevelopment and covers topics ranging from the aesthetics of the new building to potential uses.

According to the survey: “In time, the site will be transformed through the city’s commitment to sustainable urbanism and environmental quality. The vision is for reuse that benefits all residents and enhances the downtown’s unique cherished identity.”