Woodinville "Wine Village" Site to be Sold at Auction

A 24-acre property on Woodinville-Redmond Road in Woodinville’s tourist district where MJR Development once planned a $200 million "wine village" will be sold in a foreclosure auction at the King County Administration Building in Seattle on Sept. 2, according to Puget Sound Business Journal.

MJR is reported to owe about $24 million on the failed development, which is just east of Kirkland's Kingsgate neighborhood, according to the Journal.

When the concept for the wine village was first proposed, the plans included a 150-room boutique hotel, four wineries, restaurants, offices, a grocery, spa and 260 residential units.

“Our vision is to create a highly desirable destination that will be an asset to Woodinville. Our intent is to plan and design a community that will fulfill people’s needs, whether they are work-related, social, residential, or commercial,” MJR proclaimed on the company’s website. 

But that vision dimmed when the economy took a down turn in 2008 and MJR had trouble securing financing for the project.

Despite the sluggish economy, more wineries have continued opening tasting rooms in the tourist district. According to city staff, there are about 80 wineries now in Woodinville.

The 24-acre site could still be developed as a mixed-use wine village.

"That site comes with a lot of pre-approvals for mixed use developement," said City Manager Rich Laehy. "That area is doing great, with new wineries coming in since that plan was approved."