Editing Mill Creek, Washington (section)

===21st century===

In the late 1980s, Mill Creek drafted a [[comprehensive plan]] that would transform its newly-annexed commercial area into a [[mixed-use development|mixed-use]] downtown area to support the growing city.<ref>{{cite news |last=Casey |first=Carolyn |date=July 11, 1988 |title=A vision of Mill Creek's future is ready today |page=B3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The {{convert|23|acre|ha|adj=mid}} downtown development would include a large public [[park]], shopping areas, recreational facilities, [[multi-use trail]]s, and office buildings.<ref name="PI-1996">{{cite news |last=Carlton Harrell |first=Debera |date=December 7, 1996 |title=Clean and tidy community is a 'suburban nirvana' |page=D1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> After difficulty in finding a suitable developer,<ref>{{cite news |last=Lobos |first=Ignacio |date=January 10, 1994 |title=Search on for help in finding 'heart' of Mill Creek |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> the [[Mill Creek Town Center]] began construction in 2001 and the first phase opened three years later.<ref name="DJC-2002"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Bishop |first=Todd |date=August 28, 2002 |title=A city without a center no longer |page=E1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The second phase was completed in 2007, with 26 retail buildings, a medical [[clinic]], condominiums, and a downtown plaza.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moreira |first=Naila |date=March 14, 2007 |title=Pedestrian-friendly center becomes gathering place |page=H14 |url=http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2003616171_millcreek14n.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=April 6, 2019 |archive-date=April 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407035622/http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2003616171_millcreek14n.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Bothell–Everett Highway (now State Route 527) remained a two-lane rural highway through Mill Creek until the start of an expansion and improvement program in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 9, 1991 |title=State to outline plans for widening highway |page=C3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> It was widened to four lanes with a [[center turn lane]], and also gained [[bicycle lane]]s, sidewalks, and new landscaping features.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bergsman |first=Jerry |date=January 6, 1993 |title=Mill Creek roadwork to be revived |page=C3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The section through Mill Creek, from 164th Street to 132nd Street, was completed in 2006 and required the construction of [[retaining wall]]s and [[detention pond]]s due to the limited space for the road.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kapralos |first=Krista |date=May 17, 2006 |title=Highway widening project completed |work=The Everett Herald}}</ref> The project also included new [[bus stop]]s that were later upgraded with the opening of the [[Swift Green Line]] [[bus rapid transit]] system in March 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=Giordano |first=Lizz |date=March 25, 2019 |title=Swift Green Line starts rolling, from Bothell to Boeing |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/swift-green-line-starts-rolling-from-bothell-to-boeing/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref>

The city government began planning for a second [[urban village]], to be located in newly-annexed areas at the northeast edge of the city, in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pesznecker |first=Scott |date=July 7, 2008 |title=Mill Creek planning for a second 'urban village' |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080707/NEWS01/574547947 |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322112740/http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080707/NEWS01/574547947 |archive-date=March 22, 2012 |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref> The retail and residential development, named the East Gateway, would have been located on {{convert|52|acre|ha}} along 132nd Street, and was originally slated to be anchored by a [[Wal-Mart]] until the company scrapped plans after protests from local residents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fetters |first=Eric |date=December 7, 2007 |title=Wal-Mart retreats from county |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071207/BIZ/712070070 |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210205528/http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071207/BIZ/712070070 |archive-date=December 10, 2007 |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref> The eastern half of the development began construction in 2012 and will encompass 210 apartments, 104 [[townhouse]]s, office space, and retail.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=October 4, 2012 |title=Work begins on 52-acre Mill Creek 'urban village' |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/work-begins-on-52-acre-mill-creek-urban-village/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Batdorf |first=Kurt |date=June 13, 2013 |title=Mill Creek's East Village sees first building rise |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/uncategorized/mill-creeks-east-village-sees-first-building-rise/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref> Development of the remaining western half was approved in 2019 and branded as "The Farm at Mill Creek", consisting of 354 apartments, retail space, [[workforce housing]] units, and office space.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=March 29, 2019 |title=Split Mill Creek City Council approves mixed-use development |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/split-mill-creek-city-council-approves-mixed-use-development/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref> It will be anchored by the first suburban [[Amazon Go]] in the state, and a hotel.<ref>{{cite news |last=Allison |first=Jacqueline |date=February 2, 2022 |title=Convenient or creepy? Cashier-less Amazon Go coming to Mill Creek |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/convenient-or-creepy-cashier-less-amazon-go-coming-to-mill-creek/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 2, 2022}}</ref>