Two Years Later, Highridge Apartment Homes Rise From The Ashes Of Colby Square

On December 21, 2017 an arsonist set fire to the Colby Square Apartments at 2229 Colby Avenue north of downtown Everett, Washington. The fire went to three alarms and one resident, a 76-year-old woman died as a result of the fire. A month later a 40-year-old man experience homelessness and mental health issues was arrested.

Now renamed Highridge Apartment Homes, the complex is back with 15 brand new one-bedroom units. Jim and Rosy Addington are a local couple who have owned the building for decades. MyEverettNews.com asked them to reflect on the fire, aftermath and rebuilding process. Here’s what they had to say.

As you know, our building was destroyed in a fire on December 21, 2017. It would be impossible to thank the Everett Fire Department and the Everett Police Department enough for their hard work and dedication during and after the fire.

After getting over the initial shock, we started the process of figuring out what to do with the property.

While we have seen several buildings destroyed by fire not rebuilt in downtown Everett, we were determined to rebuild. We worked with our architect and contractor to create the building you see today.

The new building, Highridge Apartment Homes, is the result of this 2-year process. We are a family run business. We live right here in the Bayside community. It was important to us to keep as much of our business local as possible throughout this process.

With this in mind, we are delighted to have used the following Snohomish County contractors in creating this new building:

1) Goldfinch Brothers – providers of our doors
2) Chinook Lumber – providers of all the lumber and windows
3) Seattle Lighting – Everett location – provider of lighting
4) Judd and Black – providers of all our appliances
5) American Railworks – providers of our cable railing system
6) Scapes & Co – designers and providers of our irrigation and landscaping
7) West Coast Electrical Services – designers and installers of our fire alarm system
8) Boley Electric – Electrical Contractor
9) Above Plumbing – Plumbing Contractor
10) Superior Sole Welding and Fabrication – handrail and structural Steel Contractor

We could not be more delighted to have taken the burned out apartment building and turned it into what we hope is a show piece for our neighborhood. With less than half of the cost to rebuild covered by insurance, we have made a significant family investment in Everett and our Bayside community.

With an eye for the future, and with the plan to be here for a very long time to come, we have done a first for Everett – Highridge is the first apartment building in Snohomish County with Electric Vehicle Charging Stations built right into the parking lot.

In an effort to be as environmentally responsible as possible the building is equipped with 100% LED Lighting, and the irrigation system is 100% drip-line system that is computer controlled to minimize the use of water while still maintaining a thriving landscape.

To further improve our surroundings, with the City of Everett’s blessing, we also landscaped and irrigated the city property surrounding our building.

The finished building is a beautiful boutique 15-unit apartment building, perfect for those who want to feel pampered in their own home. Each apartment is as sound proof as possible, each has a washer and dryer, gourmet appliances, quartz countertops, walk in closets with built in drawers, and more.

For anyone looking for an apartment or any community member who wants to just stop by and see what we have created they need only give our family a call at 425-610-8289 or visit our website at www.highridgeeverett.com