MONROE — The city announced Dec. 21 it has completed the purchase of two adjacent properties in downtown Monroe for a future large public plaza at Blakeley and Main streets.
The properties include the former Union Bank building, chiropractor’s office, and parking lot. Combined, the properties create a half-acre site for a future community gathering space, parking, and public restrooms – a plan envisioned by the city since the 1970s.
The final price was $1.6 million, city administrator Deborah Knight said.
The city is using its parks development account for the land buys, Knight said previously.
“The city and community have long desired to create a festival lot or park space in our downtown,” Mayor Geoffrey Thomas said in a press release. “I look forward to working with our council, staff, and the community to activate this gathering space.”
In the coming year, the City Council will consider near-term uses for the properties. Planning and community input for long-term uses on the site may begin as early as 2025 with development occurring as funding becomes available.
The city offered $1.1 million for the former Union Bank and $500,000 for the chiropractor office property.
U.S. Bank now owns Union Bank, and had completed its purchase of Union Bank in December 2022. U.S. Bank already had a Monroe branch at U.S. 2 and Lewis Street which it vastly renovated in 2022. Prior to Union Bank, the bank site’s history was being one of the 50 branches of Frontier Bank, which was based in Everett. Federal regulators shut Frontier Bank down in 2010 and Union Bank assumed the assets.
