By Dennis Box The Courier-Herald

The dream of a downtown center for Bonney Lake is approaching the crossroads, and the direction taken over the next few months may be critical.

&#8220The (downtown) plan is a good plan, but this is where the rubber meets the road,” said Ken Freed, owner of the Windermere Real Estate office at 18008 state Route 410 E. &#8220Now is the time if we really want things to happen.”

Freed is a member of a downtown advisory group made up of business owners and other interested parties. The group met Jan. 23 to discuss the progress of the city's plan.

&#8220Things are happening,” Freed said. &#8220Once millions have been invested it will be tough to unwind.”

Mayor Neil Johnson met with Freed Friday to discuss the plan.

Johnson campaigned on moving the plan forward. Since he took office the city has purchased 4.5 acres of land behind the Bonney Lake Library costing $2.5 million.

&#8220We're in the process of making a lot of other moves that we can't make public,” Johnson said. &#8220We're still in negotiations. Once it comes out about what we've been working on it will be more clear to everyone.”

The mayor also said the city is working on an incentive plan that will encourage developers to follow the city's design standards.

Johnson said progress on the plan appears slow &#8220looking from the outside, but you have to be slow in government. The private sector can take chances and lose, not in the public sector.”

The mayor also pointed out this is the first real movement on the plan.

&#8220All the time I was on the council we couldn't get anything done,” Johnson said.

The plan envisions turning the triangular area between 184th Avenue East, Sumner-Buckley Highway and SR 410 into the true downtown area where people can walk to shops and restaurants.

Bonney Lake's &#8220main street” would be 184th Avenue East and a new City Hall will likely be located in the triangle.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.