Mountlake Terrace will continue to grow, especially with the housing projects it has on its to-do list. Here are three of the biggest projects in the works, according to the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.  

Candela

The planned project at 5901 236th St. S.W. is in the mobilization stage, said Christy Osborn, community and economic development director. This means crews are preparing construction equipment and ironing out remaining details.

The planned project, Candela, involves an eight-story mixed-use building with 425 apartment units as well as common amenity areas and retail spaces. The applicant for this project is Mill Stream Properties Group, LLC.

Construction was expected to start in fall 2023, but it was delayed because Sound Transit used a portion of the site as a temporary parking lot, Osborn said. Crews removed the lot after the light rail extension opened in August 2024. 

Osborn said there have been conversations with the developer about including the project in the city’s Multi-Family Tax Exemption program, which would turn some of the units into affordable housing. A process like that would have to go through the Mountlake Terrace City Council.

“That project is, at this point, ready to go,” Osborn said.

Osborn doesn’t know when construction is expected to begin.

Promenade at Mountlake Terrace

The property at 23713 56th Ave. W. – located north of the Masjid Umar Al-Farooq mosque – is expected to house Promenade at Mountlake Terrace. The plan is to construct a residential multifamily building with 91 units and five stories. The applicant is Jeff Walls. 

Osborn said the Promenade at Mountlake Terrace is under land use review. It is too early to say if any of the units will be affordable housing and when construction is expected to begin.

A land use review is the first phase of a permitting process. It includes a site plan or zoning review. The second phase is a civil review, which looks into things like water and sewer. Acquiring a building permit is in the third phase. 

Mountlake Village

The planned project at the former Roger’s Market Place property involves 323 residential units with some retail space. The applicant is Gracorp Properties, LP. The planned project is under land use, civil and building review, Osborn said.

Osborn doesn’t know if any of the units will be affordable housing and when construction is expected to begin.

Roger’s, an independent grocery store that had served Mountlake Terrace for decades, was demolished in March 2019. Sound Transit used the site as interim commuter parking during construction of the Lynnwood Light Rail Link extension.

The bigger picture

Matthew Gisle from the city’s Community and Economic Development Department wrote in an email that there are several town homes and single-family residences in the works but no other projects under review or construction like Candela, Promenade at Mountlake Terrace and Mountlake Village.

The city has a website for residents to stay informed about ongoing projects and review permit details, among other things. The link is mltw-trk.aspgov.com/eTRAKiT.

City officials and state lawmakers toured the Town Center in December 2023 to discuss the city’s plan to promote new development near the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center. 

The discussion involved Mountlake Village, as well as a vision to turn 57th Avenue West into a corridor for retail and pedestrians. The Transit Connection Corridor Project and the Main Street Revitalization Project were also a part of the discussion.

“Our city council laid the groundwork many years ago to attract these types of transit-oriented development projects to our community, and we’re starting to see that hard work and vision pay off,” City Manager Jeff Niten said. “Mountlake Terrace welcomes new development that will provide housing for people who are looking forward to calling MLT home.”

Angelica Relente is a Murrow News Fellow covering housing and related issues in South Snohomish County for the My Neighborhood News Network. Contact her at angelica@myedmondsnews.com.