Acquiring City Owned Properties

The City of Federal Way (“City”) is requesting proposals from qualified firms (“Developers”) for the opportunity to acquire and develop either all or a portion of City-owned properties in the downtown area of Federal Way. The City’s needs are outlined in the following Request for Proposal (“RFP”).

The City is interested in maximizing use of the Site and catalyzing redevelopment of the downtown area. In 2022, the City contracted with VIA Architects of Seattle to prepare a preferred redevelopment Plan for the Site. The Master Development Plan proposes 5 future, privately-owned building parcels that may be developed jointly or independently. The City has initiated a Binding Ste Plan to create 5 distinct parcels for future disposition.

The development plan envisions the following:

Office Building 133,000 SF
Retail/Services 32,500 SF
Hotel 63000 SF (126 rooms)
Residential units 714
Civic plaza & community building 10,000± SF
Public Parking Garage (under plaza) 430 - 650 spaces

Proposed FAR: 2.4 (858,297 sf/361.548 sf)

The City and community have expressed support for this plan and believe its realization would achieve many of the goals for the City’s Downtown including achieving the following:

1. Creating a sense of place and civic identity for the Federal Way downtown, reflective of the growing, diverse community
2. Providing a catalyst for mixed use residential and pedestrian-focused retail
3. Anchoring the north downtown and building a pedestrian-scale block structure, with smaller, more active public spaces
4. Capitalizing on momentum and timing of recent and imminent investments.

Although this plan is the product of a year-long public process, the City is open to considering other alternatives for development. Other alternatives could range from a slight deviation to a complete alternative proposal. If needed, the City will provide a secure FTP Portal for applications that exceed the size limits submitted over email, as requested.