Q: Mr. Federal Way, I just read about the city paying $2 million more than the initial asking price for the Town Center property. What’s up with that?
A: Mr. Federal Way is also scratching his head over this recent finding. The first thing Mr. Federal Way considers concerning is the city’s seeming lack of transparency in financial matters surrounding this property purchase.
For those unaware, the Federal Way City Council voted Tuesday evening on an $8.2 million purchase of a 7.48 acre property, which will reside next to the proposed $32 million Performing Arts and Conference Center.
However, the Commercial Brokers Association told the Mirror the owner of the former Target site was asking for $6-6.5 million only four-and-a-half months ago. On July 14, the status of the listing price changed to $8.5 million, a little over a month after the Council approved the Performing Arts and Conference Center.
This seems a little fishy to Mr. Federal Way, who wonders if the city cut some kind of a deal with the previous property owner. Or did the property owner get wind of the city’s interest to buy the property and get someone to bid up the price?
The fact that the city is playing realtor with the public’s money is also concerning.
Mayor Jim Ferrell said the market was responsible for driving the price change and that the city didn’t have a serious conversation about the acquisition of this area until about seven weeks ago.
You can bet Mr. Federal Way will be watching the city for any more red flags as they move forward on this project.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, Crestview and Palisades apartment complexes seem to be in the news weekly for crimes being committed there. Residents are getting fed up with this. I hear many families talking about moving out of Federal Way because nothing is being done to stop this. Are the Federal Way police doing anything about this?
A: Mr. Federal Way also noticed this and it made him think twice before attending a house party he was invited to recently at Palisades. He decided beautiful women and free whiskey were not worth a potential parking lot stabbing. So he stayed home.
Just this week, it was suspected that a dead man was dumped in the parking lot of Crestview Apartments. Police believe the people responsible for dumping the body called 911 before taking off. The dead man is supposedly involved in a robbery that occurred in Lakewood.
The fact that these criminals thought of coming all the way from Tacoma to drop off a body at this specific complex is something Mr. Federal Way doesn’t want to ruminate on for long, but this fact further adds to the dire situation at these apartment complexes.
The one thing to have faith in is the Federal Way Police Department.
Cathy Schrock, a spokeswoman for the police department, said the Crime Prevention Unit has an active relationship with most of Federal Way’s multi-family housing communities, including Crestview and Palisades. Schrock said the department directed extra emphasis as a result of several incidents that occurred in that area.
Hopefully the police are successful in ending all the crime and violence occurring at these two complexes.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, were you at the Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce event held last Saturday? I saw someone eating half a chocolate cake and I thought it might be you.
A: None of your business.
Got a question for Mr. Federal Way? Email mrfederalway@federalwaymirror.com
