King County Council Chair Dow Constantine joined the owners of the White Center Square development for a groundbreaking ceremony to launch the retail project today, May 28.

The $11 million White Center Square was funded through a $6.25 million loan from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“There is very tight competition for these federal funds," said Constantine this morning. "This project won support from a review panel that includes representatives from across King County—and for several good reasons. This project will create new retail space and new jobs, while providing a new home for a longtime community business, the Vong family’s Asian market.”

The event began at 10 a.m. at the construction site, on the corner of 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 100th Street.

The one acre-plus project will provide 60 new jobs for the White Center neighborhood, was authorized on March 30 by the King County Council.

It will be the new home of Vong's Market, also the developer's behind the project. There will be eight other retail units and a restaurant attached to the the market. A central plaza will include 58 surface parking spaces.

Legislation approved by the King County Council in March authorizes the executive to borrow $6.25 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and re-lend those funds to the White Center Investment Fund, LLC. The legislation also pledges the County’s Community Development Block Grants funds as additional security for the loans.

The White Center Square project will also benefit from a federal tax credit, according to the county.

The investment fund will use the loan to leverage the additional funding needed to complete a new 26,500 square foot retail/office plaza near Greenbridge. Greenbridge is a mixed-income community built on the site of the former Park Lake Homes, the King County Housing Authority’s oldest and largest public housing development

“We have seen major public investments nearby—most notably in the form of Greenbridge project, White Center Heights Elementary School, and White Center Heights Park,” said Constantine. “King County has been a big part of this effort. I am proud to celebrate another step forward for the White Center neighborhood.

"It is a good project in a good location that comes at a good time for White Center," he added. "I'm a firm believer in bricks and mortar. And if you have community come together to keep things clean and orderly wonderful things happen."

Aso Jaff, an associate with KSI Architecture and Planning, the firm chosen to design the project, said the goal is to start construction in late June after permits have been obtained. He said construction would take about one year.

KSI Architecture participated in design work for Explorer West School, and designed the United States Army's 400 unit Birchwood Family Housing Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska and was selected as the Design-Build Competition winner.

"What the community here is doing is commendable in this economy," Jaff added.

"We've been working on this project for three or four years and are very happy, but there is a lot of work ahead," said Con Vong, who is heading the project. " At night on this site there are problems, like people taking drugs, and there is prostitution. This development will help the neighborhood."