Two years have passed since then mayor and now councilmember Dean McColgan addressed the chamber of commerce of a 15-year-old city.

McColgan described a youthful Federal Way as an adolescent, a young and blossoming community that showed potential, but dealt with its share of growing pains.

Two years later, newly elected Mayor Michael Park-in his second stint in the middle seat of council chambers-addressed the same audience.

A few new faces welcomed the mayor's annual state of the city speech last Wednesday. City officials, Federal Way employees, and more than 200 chamber of commerce members packed in the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club on 320th Street to hear the mayor's position on how much Federal Way has matured during the past 24 months.

Park's speech addressed the work of several city government departments, but focused primarily on the success of Federal Way's economic development endeavors.

According to Park, 2006 presented the city with several of its most promising economic enhancement and expansion prospects, the former the mayor referred to as "a top priority for Federal Way."

In addition to the many accomplishments achieved in 2006, city staff, planning commissioners and city council members will work together in 2007 on a project to revamp the Community Business and Business Park zones throughout the city," Park said.

The mayor told the audience that the city will continue to promote multi-use facilities downtown and in the northern part of Federal Way. Park reiterated the often-made claim that Federal Way will lift height limits for new downtown structures to encourage this type of construction, a move many hope will help give the intersection of 320th and Pacific Highway South an urban feel.

As of last December, the city council approved a zoning change that allows newly-constructed mixed-use facilities up to 200 feet tall, Park said.

The southern portion of the city will lump together its Business Park and Community Business zones into a new designation, Community Enterprise.

The mayor also talked about Federal Way's commitment to tourism promotion and its plans to expand its appeal to out-of-town visitors in the upcoming year.

"We will continue the work already begun to roll out a whole new tourism-marketing campaign, with new materials and methods," Park told the chamber. "Look for new tourism maps and tourism brochures throughout the community by this spring."

In search of visitors' dollars, the city has forked over the funds to join the Seattle Sports Commission, a move which the city hopes will help it cash in on the large pot of tourist dollars spent on sporting events, particularly those geared towards youth.

Federal Way, Park added, will sit on the Commission's Board of Directors.

"Now, more than ever," the mayor said, "we will be able to position Federal Way as a location for a greater number of sporting events and competitions, with the accompanying economic activity that they create."

Park continued: "We will continue to partner with local and regional organizations as they provide a full array of events, festivals, and competitions in our community, and we will be looking forward to international-caliber sporting events in the future, such as Olympic Trials or National and International Championships."

Park also focused on the potential impact of the city's newest acquisition, the 4.2-acre site of the former AMC Theater in the heart of downtown and adjacent to the Federal Way Transit Center. The city purchased the property from the Cratsenburg family late in 2006, and hopes to make the site the centerpiece of its vision for downtown Federal Way.

"In December, the city council made its boldest step yet towards achieving our vision for a new and reinvigorated city center," Park said.

"Our vision for that site contemplates an intensive redevelopment with a full mix of uses and building types, including attractive public open space and a village-like atmosphere," Park told the chamber. "Given our new height limit, both mid-rise and high-rise buildings are possible," he added.

The city also continues to advertise itself regionally and state-wide to encourage successful business to relocate to Federal Way.

"We proactively marketed to the top 100 fastest-growing businesses in Washington State and have started to receive responses from interested companies," the mayor said.

The city council has also expanded its relationship with local businesses beyond its regular attendance at chamber functions. According to Park, the council now makes routine visits to area businesses to pursue its "goal of reaching out to the business community through personal business visits."

"On a weekly basis," Park said, "Economic Development staff has been visiting businesses throughout the city to get acquainted, make ourselves and our services known, and field inquiries, complaints and issues of concern."

The mayor concluded with a few inspirational words to the large group of Federal Way's most influential citizens, encouraging them to continue to support the council's efforts to improve the city's economy.

"I ask that you take away with you this afternoon, a renewed pride in your local government as we continue to achieve the highest standards for all of our residents," Park said.