But the strip isn't a vast wasteland of unused space. The area has other draws, as well, such as the post office, library and the administrative offices of the local school district. Still, when most people think of downtown Stanwood, they think of East Stanwood. It's taken awhile for people to find us. She and others hope the stretch between the two can be strengthened.
Challenges exist, however.
The floodplain matter forces builders to take measures such as flood-proofing buildings and digging deeper and stronger foundations. It could also complicate efforts to find a new fire station site because the old location, north of the Rite Aid and closer to downtown East Stanwood, may be prohibitively expensive to build. That's had quite an impact. A proposal to expand commercial zoning on the opposite side of Highway 532 left merchants in town shaken, including those in the newer development. Many feared that more commercial zoning would put existing businesses as risk.