Will the curtain rise on BAT Theatre’s proposed Performing Arts Center at King County lot in Burien?

BAT Theatre is eyeing a new venue in downtown Burien as part of a collaborative proposal with a housing developer for King County’s upcoming request for proposals (RFP) for a lot it owns on SW 150th Street.

As we previously reported, at Monday night’s (July 15, 2024) Burien City Council meeting, Chris Craig, Burien’s Economic Development Manager, along with Chris Arkills and Sarah Lovell of King County announced that they will be starting the process of seeking RFPs to develop a county-owned lot that is adjacent to the Burien Transit Center and parking garage (watch the video here, starting at around 13:22 into the meeting).

This lot – located on SW 150th Street at 4th Ave SW – is about ¾ acre in size, and could accommodate a 5-story building with 100-130 housing units above a commercial space, and possibly an art space/theater on the ground floor, which is what BAT wants.

The county has $10 million dollars already allocated for the development, and has held community meetings to come up with priorities for the space that include affordable family housing, with potentially a performing arts space on the ground floor.

According to the county’s presentation, construction alone would take 18 to 24 months, but the project is possibly three years out from that stage, with things like the bidding and permitting processes to come first.

The county’s competitive bidding process, expected to commence before the end of the year, presents an opportunity for BAT Theatre to enhance the new Burien Creative District with a state-of-the-art performing and visual arts center that they’ve been discussing since at least May, 2023.

BAT’s Proposal

“From the beginning, BAT planned to put an exciting performing and visual arts venue near the center of downtown, with our eyes on that lot, to enliven and enrich Burien while activating the area during the evenings,” said Eric Dickman, BAT Artistic Director.

Dickman and Larrick also emphasized that having an active arts center like this would surely reduce crime, as more people would be present.

“Which is really really good, and and all of the stuff we do will reduce crime.”

The proposed venue is on a parking lot that King County plans to develop, potentially incorporating housing above an arts center. This combination aligns with BAT Theatre’s vision to create a vibrant cultural hub while addressing community housing needs.

“The King County Metro property checks off so many of the boxes BAT has for bringing a vital component of the Burien Arts and Culture District to life,” added Maggie Larrick, BAT Theatre’s Managing Director. “BAT is optimistic that it will submit a winning proposal for the property.”

BAT Theatre has engaged with the Burien City Council, the King County Council, and the County Executive to discuss its development plans. However, the RFP process remains competitive, and these conversations do not guarantee the acceptance of BAT’s proposal.

BAT is also encouraged by King County Metro Transit’s presentation to the Burien City Council, which mentioned the possibility of a home ownership model. This would allow the housing component of the project to include mortgageable co-op housing, providing an opportunity for residents to build intergenerational wealth.

“BAT’s housing developer is looking forward to building mortgageable co-op housing, which would stop the year-to-year rent increases associated with renting while allowing the owner to create intergenerational wealth, something foreclosed for many who earn below the County average wage,” Larrick added.

For more information about the project, or to donate or volunteer, visit BAT’s website at:

https://battheatre.org/follow-bat/buildanewvenue

Read our previous coverage of BAT’s proposal here.