The start of construction on Burien's Town Square was celebrated Oct. 10 with a groundbreaking ceremony at Southwest 152nd Street and Fourth Avenue Southwest.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Jim McDermott, who together with the rest of Washington's congressional delegation have been instrumental in obtaining millions of federal funds for the long-awaited development, spoke at the event.

Complete coverage of the ceremony including pictures will appear in the Oct. 18 issue.

Town Square is the centerpiece of the cultural and economic renewal of Burien's downtown that began with the reconstruction of Southwest 152nd Street in 2002-03.

Economic revitalization of the central business district has been a goal of the city council since Burien incorporated in 1993.

The city and its partners in the project, the King County Library District and Urban Partners, will invest $138 million to create Town Square, with 41,000 square feet of open public space for community gatherings and events at the center of the development.

Town Square also will include a new Burien City Hall/King County Regional Library, about 43,000 square feet of new retail space that will bring about 200 new jobs downtown, approximately 400 high-quality condominiums and town houses.