Home giveaway caps revival of Bonney Lake-area development
BONNEY LAKE, Wash. - A formerly bankrupt mega-housing development remarketed itself, culminating in a house giveaway Saturday amid lots of hoopla.
The new developers are hoping to capitalize on the excitement to generate home sales. They're hoping to turn this new mega-community into a boom town.
"A new home would change anyone's life," says one contestant, Jay Bradley. "I'm really nervous. The faster we get this done the better."
He's one of six finalists will soon build a future in the new development near Bonney Lake.
The contest winner must win first face a series of challenges representative of their new desired hometown.
"Good, good, good, pretty stressful," says a contestant.
That sentiment may sum up the history of the development, which began more than 15 years ago. Originally called "Cascadia," it fell prey to the housing bust. The previous owners filed for bankrupty, and builders pulled out.
"At that point it was best we moved on from Cascadia," says Richard Obernesser of Shea Homes.
But now his company re-invested, after a new owner bought the property last year. They renamed it "Tehaleh" and remarketed it. Over the next 20 years, some 5,900 homes may spring up from a former forest.
"We believe that the market is coming back - simply supply and demand," says Obernesser.
Developers say the master planned community could ultimately provide over 4 million square feet of business space - and even provide up to 10,000 new jobs in those businesses.
"They're all keyed up for a new beginning - hoping to build on winner Jay Bradley's excitement.
"I think I won a house," he says. "It's crazy. ... I'm just so happy, I never thought I'd have a house."
The winner will get $280,000 to choose his own floor plan.
The new developers are hoping to capitalize on the excitement to generate home sales. They're hoping to turn this new mega-community into a boom town.
"A new home would change anyone's life," says one contestant, Jay Bradley. "I'm really nervous. The faster we get this done the better."
He's one of six finalists will soon build a future in the new development near Bonney Lake.
The contest winner must win first face a series of challenges representative of their new desired hometown.
"Good, good, good, pretty stressful," says a contestant.
That sentiment may sum up the history of the development, which began more than 15 years ago. Originally called "Cascadia," it fell prey to the housing bust. The previous owners filed for bankrupty, and builders pulled out.
"At that point it was best we moved on from Cascadia," says Richard Obernesser of Shea Homes.
But now his company re-invested, after a new owner bought the property last year. They renamed it "Tehaleh" and remarketed it. Over the next 20 years, some 5,900 homes may spring up from a former forest.
"We believe that the market is coming back - simply supply and demand," says Obernesser.
Developers say the master planned community could ultimately provide over 4 million square feet of business space - and even provide up to 10,000 new jobs in those businesses.
"They're all keyed up for a new beginning - hoping to build on winner Jay Bradley's excitement.
"I think I won a house," he says. "It's crazy. ... I'm just so happy, I never thought I'd have a house."
The winner will get $280,000 to choose his own floor plan.
Black Diamond and Bonnie Lake. The whole area is headed for total gridlock. Infrastructure is the least of developers worries.
I agree with you jcman.  Lets just cut all the trees down and put in all those new homes and pavement and parking lots and strip malls.  Lets just see how much more traffic is added to the already over crowded commute that we deal with everyday going through South Hill #2 (Ooops....I mean Bonnney Lake!)  I moved out here over 20+ years ago and my commute was less than 20 min.  Now it's over an hour and sometimes an hour and a half.  The worst part is just getting through Bonney Lake!  The infrastructure was never looked at when they started throwing in all the housing developments and strip malls that currently are in and surround BL.  Currently there is no planned additional infrastructure for those people who will be living in the old bankrupt Cascadia development to get to the main roads.  I believe and correct me if I am wrong but the plan was to bring all of the commuters up to the hill in the middle of Bonney Lake so they can just create more congestion on the already over crowded SR410!!Â
I prefer keeping the flora and the fauna instead of more homes and more pavement and concrete.  All city council members and developers see are $$$ signs.  Greed.  Thats it.  They dont' care about anything else and I see a very sad future for this area.  Hopefully I won't be here as I'm tired of the mess and the poor planning on our officials parts and have plans to move away from here.  Maybe others will feel the same.  I say plant more trees not more developments!
Let's cut down more trees and put in more houses, streets, parking lots and other non permeable surfaces so there is a more rapid runoff to increase flooding. Not to mention the amount of carbon those trees capture to help reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. Plus all the pollution from the cars of all those families who will be commuting to their jobs. We need to look at higher density housing where the jobs are, not some huge development miles away from everything. Just wait till gas prices get to $20 per gallon and watch all these exurbes be abandoned.
 @jcman Our large cities are nowhere near ready for the big move away from the sea. For big developers, that's the bottom line. Few cities want a major increase in population close to their developed commercial zones because people are freaking idiots and calling it a problematic scenario just excuses people from being freaking idiots. As environmentalists, people want it all done now, but realistically, how would you pay for what you advocate, who would you force to shut down, who do you move out, who do you move in? Consider the preferable logistics of your end, but only as an unrealized potential. Because the reality is bulldozing on all fronts. No one wants to move en masse. No one wants to pay others to move. People want to keep their businesses. Your values seem to be overrun with impatience. If you want to buck the process, you need to provide detailed means of achievement, not just hate for what's out there now.
The first chump to grumble about "McMansions" gets the hose again.