The John M. Fluke Sr. Award – Honors an entrepreneurial leader who has demonstrated business acumen and significant community contributions.
Developer Craig Skotdal can take credit for breathing new life into downtown Everett as the urban core continues to attract new businesses and residents.
Skotdal Real Estate, which he serves as co-president with his brother Andrew, owns many of the major office buildings in downtown retail locations, as well as a growing number of residential buildings.
His father, Arthur Skotdal, now retired, and his mother, Marianne Skotdal, a retired school teacher and librarian in the Everett School District, purchased their first building in 1968. She died in 2016.
Why downtown Everett?
“Both of my parents grew up during a time when downtowns were the center of civic life,” he said. “That’s the vision they kept in mind when they started investing in downtown Everett in the early 1980s,” he said.
At that time, department stores had left downtown for The Everett Mall, and many smaller businesses closed or struggled to hang on.
Skotdal said he believes in downtown as he talked in his office at one of the buildings he owns — the Bank of America Building at the intersection of Hewitt Avenue and Colby Avenue.
Skotdal owns the buildings on all four corners of the key downtown intersection, home of the annual city Christmas tree lighting ceremony and the Everett 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament in July.
Less than half a mile away is the tallest building in Everett, also owned by Skotdal Real Estate — the 14-story North Sound Tower on Colby Avenue.
The former Key Bank Tower building was renamed in 2024 in honor of North Sound Media, which Craig Skotdal owns with his brother. The company operates KRKO Radio, KKXA Radio and the Everett Post, a local news website, from the 14th floor of the tower.
Other holdings include the former Everett Herald complex by the waterfront, which consists of more than 4 acres and is occupied by several tenants.
Skotdal said while the office market is in a recovery phase in Everett, and workers are returning to the office in increasing numbers post-pandemic, that won’t support a vibrant city past the 9 to 5 hours on weekdays.
“Office workers are an important daytime presence, but they tend to only spend money on lunch, coffee and occasional retail,” he said.
His company purchased its last office building in 2019, but it is continuing to build apartments in downtown Everett.
“Demand is outpacing supply,” he said.
Skotdal said the reality is that building new apartments in downtown Everett is a key to a larger urban revitalization.
“Most urban planners would say that you need to create a destination with 18 hours of activity throughout the day. You need people living, working and playing in your district,” he said.
Skotdal said 24-hour residents create residential density near main retail streets to support the entrepreneurs and small businesses that help the Everett downtown come alive.
Skotdal got his start in building downtown Everett apartments with the Peninsula Apartments in 2004.
The seven-story building was one of the first new mid-rise apartment buildings in downtown Everett.
It was followed by Library Place, which was built in two phases, in 2008 and 2012.
Four years later, Skotdal Real Estate completed Aero Apartments in 2016.
“With this project, we highlighted Everett’s connection to aviation and Boeing,” he said. “We installed runway lights at the main entrance, created an amenity space called the Hangar Lounge and installed aviation-inspired signage and artwork.”
Skotdal Real Estate’s next project was the Marquee Apartments in 2021 in Everett’s historic theater district. The project included a giant marquee that lights up at night and theater-inspired artwork.
His latest residential project at 1702 Pacific Avenue is currently under construction. The Mosaic is a seven-story building that features original artwork. The 102-unit building is scheduled to be completed by early next year.
Randy Diamond: 425-339-3097; randy.diamond@heraldnet.com.
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