A deal has been reached between a real estate investment group connected with Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed and conservation organization Forterra, with the assistance of a local citizen group OneBothell, for the preservation of the back-nine property of Wayne Golf Course in Bothell.
The announcement, made June 1, comes after months of community turmoil concerning the development of the property.
“This is huge progress,” said James McNeal, President of OneBothell. “The Back 9 has always been the biggest prize for the community―both for recreation, as an extension of Blyth Park and its conservational value for the recovery of endangered species in the state of Washington.”
According to the agreement, Forterra has until Aug. 6 to get the property appraised and evaluated, and to secure funding sources to purchase the property, with closing occurring no later than Aug. 20.
Freed, who is also the primary public figure of the company that purchased the back-nine from the Richards family, and Michelle Connor, executive vice president of Forterra, announced the agreement, which will allow Forterra to purchase the 39-acre back-nine of the Wayne Golf Course, avoiding the potential development of the property for housing.
“I am pleased we were able to come to terms with Forterra, allowing this historic opportunity to secure the back-nine of the Wayne Golf Course,” said Joshua Freed, speaking on behalf of the investor group which has agreed to sell the property.
Money hasn’t traded hands yet, as the purchase is still hinging upon the ability to get funding for the entirety of the Wayne Golf Course from grants, federal and state budgetary monies and other means.
“I am pleased we were able to reach a fair and workable agreement for both sides and we sincerely appreciate the efforts of Mr. Freed to persuade the investment group which controls the back nine to reach this agreement with us,” Connor said. “In addition to the pursuit of an agreement on the front-nine and due diligence on the back-nine, in the next 10 weeks Forterra will work with OneBothell to recruit guarantors and financing to conserve the entire Wayne Golf Course property.”
Currently, OneBothell and Forterra are contacting local organizations requesting support, with financial backing, the project to obtain the back-nine of the golf course for Bothell citizens.
Wayne Golf Course has been a part of Bothell since before the city was incorporated, with the sale of the course to the Richards’ family back in the 1950s.
The Richards have sent the city an opportunity to make an offer on the back-nine when it came up for sale in November 2013, however the city declined to bring the information to public light and allowed the timeframe for an offer to lapse.
OneBothell was a part of the citizen outcry occurring during the past few months, which resulted in an ethics investigation of the Bothell City Council.
“I’m just excited that Mayor Freed has given OneBothell and Forterra the opportunity to save this land for the community,” said Jesse Sears, co-founder of OneBothell. “This property is going to be so valuable, not just in access for the citizens of Bothell, but also the environment, the river and the endangered species in the river and on land.”
According to Sears, once the final pieces are in place for the purchase of the back-nine by Forterra, the organization will reach out to the Richards’ family in order to start negotiations on the front-nine of the golf course.
As more information becomes available, the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter will update the article.
