The boarded-up Donalisa Motel, a downtown eyesore where the homeless occasionally lived and neighbors say drug deals were made, is gone.

It was known to neighbors as the “Meadow ghetto,” this two-story motel on Meadow Avenue in north Renton near one of the premier entrances to the city’s downtown.

But the demolition this week of the boarded-up, graffiti-covered building is only part of its story in north Renton.

“This shows where things can go with the neighborhood,” said George Daniels, a 20-year resident of north Renton who is president of the North Renton Neighborhood Association.

Daniels took cover with city leaders and administrators under a big evergreen tree as a trackhoe dug into the Donalisa on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.

“Where things can go” is the redevelopment of about 5 acres the Bryant family owns, including the Donalisa motel and their Bryant Motors, a dealership for International Trucks and Blue Bird and IC buses.

Russell Bryant held an umbrella for Mayor Denis Law as they watched the building come down.

Bryant declined to get too specific about his family’s redevelopment plans for the property. He did say the family eventually would move Bryant Motors to elsewhere in the city. Much has to do with economic conditions, he said.

The city is thinking mixed uses, such as townhomes and retail stores for the 5 acres.

Bryant said his business has worked with the City of Renton for the “better part of a year” on an agreement to begin redeveloping the property and in the meantime take care of some neighborhood concerns.

Chief among those concerns was the parking of buses and big trucks on the city streets surrounding Bryant Motors, especially Garden Avenue.

Now, under the agreement, the Bryants will park those vehicles where the Donalisa once stood. The city is requir-

ing that they also install lighting, fencing and landscaping to help offset any impacts.

The vehicles must enter the parking area via an alleyway, rather than a street.

Just as important to the neighbors are the improvements the Bryant family will make to the outside of its building. Vandals took their toll on the windows, forcing the Bryants to board up windows on the back side of the building. Neighbors also worried about cracks in the building, although the Bryants have said the building is sound.

The agreement with the Bryants also is part of Law’s efforts to create a multi-department code-enforcement initiative that through efforts such as working with the Bryants will show results the public can measure.

“These abandoned buildings are not only unsightly and often unsafe, but also reduce the value of adjacent properties,” said Law. “Our residents work hard to maintain the quality and appearance of their own homes and neighborhoods, and removing old abandoned buildings creates better, safer neighborhoods.”

The condition of the Bryant property and the parking of buses and other large vehicles there “has been a bone of contention for the community” for years, Law said.

Now, with the agreement in hand, the goal is to reach a “common vision” that addresses the needs of the city and the neighborhoods – and gives the Bryants the opportunity to redevelop their property, according to Suzanne Dale Estey, the City of Renton economic development director.

“We believe, as do the Bryants, that their property there has huge potential for a gateway to the city,” said Dale Estey.

Thousands pass by this property on Bronson Way, just across from Liberty Park, every weekday.

The city has met with north Renton residents to discuss the agreement. The community-wide discussions will continue as the redevelopment plans move forward.

During the two years of the agreement, the Bryants will “aggressively pursue” redevelopment that will provide the best uses for their property and the environment, Dale Estey said.

Law said the willingness of the Bryants to work with the city and the resulting agreement was “a great moment for us.”

Dean A. Radford can be reached at 425-255-3484, ext. 5050, or at dean.radford@rentonreporter.com.