The story of the Pacific Northwest Logistics Center started in 2010 with a cold call by Collier brokers to city officials who were looking to sell a struggling municipal golf course in the south Puget Sound region.
A decade and half later, the nearly 1.2 million-square-foot logistics development wrapped up construction in a testament to the tenacity of developers Principal Global Investors and KG Investments, their Colliers brokerage team and city leaders in Sumner, about 34 miles south of Seattle.
The deal seemed relatively straightforward when the city hired Colliers a couple of years later to sell Sumner Meadows, an 18-hole course that had struggled financially for years. The planned sale to Principal Global languished, though, as the developers and city hashed out complex issues, including infrastructure and wetlands mitigation requirements.
The sale finally closed and major construction moved forward in 2024 on a project that included road and highway improvements and a new bridge crossing. The development stands out as a model for cooperation between government and the private sector, Colliers said in a statement.
"The transaction represents more than a large-scale development — it reflects over a decade of coordinated effort," Colliers Vice Chair Bill Condon said.
The complex process that delivered arguably the top industrial development in the region last year earned the project a 2026 CoStar Impact Award, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
About the project: The 83-acre Pacific Northwest Logistics Center finished construction last year with two warehouses with a total of about 1.2 million square feet and plans for a third building. The modern logisitics facilities includes 40-foot-high ceilings, trailer storage, 250 dock-level doors and 10 grade-level doors.
What the judges said: Judges applauded the expansive road and highway improvements, the persistence of the developers and the project's potential for job creation.
"The sheer scale of this development is significant for the South Sound region, especially dealing with the layers of complexities involving public, private and tribal agencies and groups," said Paul Edgeman, vice president with Thrive Communities.
"This was a very challenging reuse of a former public golf course due to a variety of challenges, including the need for extensive consultation with numerous stakeholders," said Steven Bourassa, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington.
They made it happen: The ownership and development team included Andrew Coates and Steve Kramer of KG Investments and Betsy Goulart and Taylor Linn of Principal Global Investors. Bill Condon and Matt McGregor of Colliers represented the owners.