By Meghan Hall
Another portion of the Seattle Times’ former offices in Bothell has traded hands as multiple developers plan to reposition the property. In a deal that closed on June 11th, an entity affiliated with LMJ Enterprises L.P and Kirkland-based Lee Johnson Chevrolet, according to public documents. Lee Johnson Chevrolet purchased the property for $10 million from the Seattle Times.
The property is located at 18700 120th Ave. NE. The property totals just over 7.2 acres and is currently developed with a parking lot, according to King County Assessor’s data.
Over the past year, the Seattle Times has sold off several different portions of its Bothell printing plant. In October of 2020, the Times sold a large chunk of the property–totaling 24 acres–to developer AvalonBay Communities for $51 million. At the time AvalonBay had just kicked off its plans to redevelop the site, when it submitted plans to Bothell to build 802 apartment units, 110 townhomes and 6,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on the property. An additional 15,000 square feet of amenity space was also included in the plans. The previous Seattle Times printing facility will be demolished to accommodate the new development. The project has been dubbed Avalon Bothell Commons.
In a separate transaction, the Seattle Times also sold another five acres to Polygon Homes for $11.7 million. The transaction also closed in 2020. There, Polygon submitted its proposal for the Preston North Townhomes, a 94-unit community.
The property is centrally located and in an active part of town, near State Route 522 and Interstate 405. The University of Washington Bothell campus, as well as a shopping center anchored by The Home Depot and 24 Hour Fitness, are located nearby. Both the Woodgate and Woodinville malls are within a close drive and feature a mix of retailers and restaurants, from Taco Bell to PetSmart to Haggen.
