PIERCE COUNTY, Wash., May 6, 2005 - Cascadia Development Corp. today officially broke ground in Pierce County on the largest, planned community in the state of Washington, slated to bring an estimated 10,000 jobs to the region.

Cascadia will provide home sites, a business and industrial park, a resort-quality hotel and conference center, up to three 18-hole golf courses, a town center with retail stores and restaurants, seven schools and some 1,280 acres of parks and open space. The new, 5,000-acre planned community is located approximately 12 miles southeast of Tacoma and 18 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Patrick Kuo, president and chief executive officer of Cascadia Development Corp. of Bellevue, Wash., said he started 15 years ago with a vision of creating ideal living in a totally balanced environment, inspired by the world's greatest communities. Cascadia, at the foothills of Mount Rainier, today is classified as an employmentbased planned community in Pierce County's comprehensive land-use plan.

"By developing a world-class community, Cascadia will serve as a catalyst for the entire region," Kuo said. "We want a place where people can live, work and walk to schools, the town center, cultural events and recreational opportunities. Cascadia also will become a destination for business conferences as well as a retreat for those seeking the finest hospitality and golf amenities. All of this while preserving and showcasing the site's natural beauty."

Kuo said the community's centerpiece will be the Cascadia Institute,envisioned as a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting dialogue and cooperation among prominent researchers, technologists and scholars from throughout the world.

Joining Kuo at today's Cascadia launch were Sen. Maria Cantwell, Reps. Norm Dicks and Dave Reichert, Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg and Pierce County Council Chairman Shawn Bunney, among other dignitaries.

"Cascadia is not only a great addition to Pierce County, the entire Puget Sound region will benefit from the thousands of jobs and economic development this new community will create," said Cantwell. "Equally important, this development will take special care to protect the environment while accommodating growth."

Dicks added, "Cascadia will bring the next generation of environmentally balanced economic development and housing to Pierce County and the entire Puget Sound region in one of the most breathtaking settings anywhere."

Ladenburg, who also serves as president of the Puget Sound Regional Council, said Cascadia brings needed balance between conservation and growth. "Cascadia is a perfect model for establishing high-tech jobs and economic vitality while remaining committed to the environment and natural resources," Ladenburg said.

Approximately 300 community leaders attended the ceremony, which featured an honor guard from McChord Air Force Base, sculptures by renowned creative artist Doug Granum as well as performances by noted international cellist Jami Sieber and the Sumner High School Jazz Ensemble. Students from Sumner High joined the dignitaries in planting a rhododendron and western hemlock, the state flower and tree, to commemorate the groundbreaking.

About Cascadia and Cascadia Development Corp.:
Cascadia will be the largest planned community in the state of Washington, creating an estimated 10,000 jobs over its 20-year build out. This "totally balanced living environment" covers 5,000 acres and is classified in Pierce County's comprehensive land-use plan as an employment-based planned community, designating a mixture of housing, jobs, services and recreation. Cascadia will feature:
· 6,500 residences (1,719 in Phase 1)
· 626 acres of land for a high-tech business and industrial park, of which 500 acres will have Foreign-Trade Zone designation allowing businesses to be more effective and competitive in international trade. Within this area, 219 acres will be dedicated for a resort-quality hotel, with conference facilities and an 18-hole golf course
· A pedestrian-oriented town center with retail stores and restaurants
· 183 acres for seven schools (34 acres in Phase 1)
· 1,280 acres for parks and open space (460 acres in Phase 1)
· A state-of-the-art, integrated telecommunications network using "clean power" to ensure optimal performance and other high-tech capabilities
· The Cascadia Institute, a non-profit institution designed to promote international cooperation by hosting gatherings and consortia.
· A performing arts center to showcase music, dance, theater and other arts and cultural activities as well as sculpture gardens and art installations.

Cascadia will be built in three phases, beginning in 2005 with construction of roads,sewer and water systems to support the 1,690-acre, Phase 1 development. Construction of home sites, the school, business park, conference center, hotel and related amenities will begin in 2006. The first Cascadia residents and businesses are expected to take occupancy in 2007; the conference center, hotel and golf complex is slated to open shortly thereafter. Cascadia will be unique in having an elementary school open around the same time that initial residents take occupancy, in contrast to most communities where schools follow much later. Phases 2 and 3 will follow.

Cascadia Development Corp., based in Bellevue, Wash., was formed in 1991 by Patrick Kuo, president and chief executive officer. Key partners and consultants involved in Cascadia's development include: ESM Consulting Engineers, Federal Way; Goldsmith & Associates, Bellevue; Gordon, Thomas and Honeywell, Tacoma; Hayes Construction, Maple Valley; Miles Sand & Gravel Co., Auburn; Pacific Public Affairs, Seattle; Perkins Coie, Seattle; SWA Group, Sausalito, Calif.; Thompson Smitch Consulting Group, Tacoma; Tucci & Sons, Tacoma; Weisman Design Group, Seattle; and Woodworth & Co., Tacoma, among others. Kuo, an attorney by profession, worked for the law firm Perkins Coie in Seattle from 1987 until forming Cascadia.