King County completes South Park landfill site sale

The South Park community today is one step closer to a meaningful infusion of new jobs and revenue, thanks to the successful conclusion of a 10-year King County effort to sell an old landfill site to an industrial developer.

King County Executive Ron Sims recently transferred ownership of the 19.4-acre South Park Custodial Landfill parcel to South Park Property Development, a subsidiary of SeaCon LLC.

The former landfill, which is bordered by State Route 509 and the Seattle Transfer and Recycling Center, is one of the largest vacant parcels of industrial land left in south Seattle. The sale clears the way for development of the property, which could bring hundreds of new jobs to the South Park community.

"Successfully transforming an old, abandoned landfill into a commercially viable industrial property is a tremendous achievement for the residents of the South Park community and for King County," Sims said, adding that county staff relied heavily on the findings of a Citizen's Advisory Committee to help define the development goals for the property.

"South Park Property Development has convinced us that they can meet all of our goals for the property, including providing living-wage jobs, complying with the regulatory requirements for development on this property and protecting and enhancing the environment," Sims said.

South Park Property Development paid King County $1.6 million for the land. The developer is expected to invest several million dollars in clean up costs to prepare the property for development.

King County's Solid Waste Division began marketing the property when a site investigation concluded in 1999 that the property could support industrial development.

The redevelopment of this site is an example of Executive Sims' SmartGrowth initiative to concentrate growth in urban areas and to use existing infrastructure more efficiently.

Sims said the project is a model for how contaminated lands can be cleaned and developed for new sustainable purposes through the perseverance and ultimate success of a skilled private-public partnership.