By DENIS LAW,

Mayor, City of Renton

In 1990, Renton was not a town where homebuilders, major employers or developers were willing to do business. An archaic permitting process, coupled with a lack of commitment to provide high-quality customer service, encouraged businesses to go elsewhere. The city was perceived to be undependable, unreliable and more interested in the status quo than encouraging new development. Our reputation throughout the region discouraged new companies from locating here. Government red tape was alive and well.

Fast forward a few years and Renton was transformed from being one of the worst cities in which to do business to becoming the poster child of how government should conduct business. Our staff was described as friendly and helpful and our permitting process was dramatically streamlined with the understanding that time means money in the development world.

This city quickly became the talk throughout the region as the “best” city to do business, a status that continues today.

Much of the thanks for Renton’s transformation goes to Sue Carlson, the city’s first economic development director. City leaders recognized that the future of Renton depended on making significant changes and Sue became their change agent.

City staff and people throughout the region are mourning her recent death following a courageous battle with cancer.

With a “can-do” attitude, Sue maneuvered through the city’s complex codes, land-use policies and onerous procedures and developed a roadmap that would help Renton become the vibrant community we enjoy today. Her enthusiasm, entrepreneurial spirit, determination and ability to overcome significant challenges resulted in thousands of new, high-paying jobs, major improvement to our downtown, a regional shopping center and a reputation that Renton is a leading city in this region.

Sue’s mark can be found throughout this community. She masterminded the move of auto dealerships to a newly created “auto mall,” freeing up property in the heart of the downtown for redevelopment. She followed this successful effort by attracting a developer to make a major investment in multi-family housing complexes surrounding a new town square that became the very popular Piazza. She knew that a rejuvenated downtown required many more people living in the area to support future businesses. Millions of dollars have since been spent downtown and more redevelopment is on the drawing board.

Sue worked tirelessly with city staff on trying to market the Port Quendall site (better known as Barbee Mill), which is now home to the Seattle Seahawks and an impressive new waterfront housing development. She worked closely with The Boeing Co. in making sure that their large parcel of surplus land would become a community asset, which is now a high-quality shopping and entertainment district. And she gets the credit for attracting IKEA and Fry’s Electronics to our city, providing significant sales tax revenues that help pay for city services.

Renton’s well-known slogan, “Ahead of the Curve,” was a result of Sue’s efforts that helped create a partnership between the city, schools and business community to market Renton to the region.

Sue’s success was based on her drive to take on new opportunities and challenges, and she was never deterred by obstacles along the way. In 1995, after months of continued haranguing, she convinced me to start the Renton Reporter. She argued that the people who worked and lived here were committed to improving the quality of life in Renton, and that a local newspaper that covered what was happening right in the community would help change negative perceptions here at home and in the region. I had worked with Sue in Redmond and I quickly learned that you couldn’t say no. She was smart and persistent, and her tremendous enthusiasm was infectious. My wife and I feel honored to have had the chance to become close friends with Sue and her husband, Rune.

Sue loved this community and her efforts helped to make Renton a desired place to live and work. She will truly be missed.

Memorial fund

A memorial fund has been established with the Renton Community Foundation. Donations may be made to the Sue Carlson Memorial Scholarship, c/o Renton Community Foundation, P. O. Box 820, Renton, WA 98057.

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