National retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Walgreen's areplanning new stores along Highway 99, north of 78th Street.McDonald's and Applebee's are proposing restaurants near the 99thStreet exit off I-5. Office buildings and smaller retail stores arealso under construction.

In addition to increased traffic counts, more married couplesand rising household incomes, more efficient exits off I-5 at 78thand 99th streets also are spurring development. The roadwork,currently under way, will widen and improve I-5 from Main Street tojust north of 78th at a cost of $ 41 million.

The development surge began last year when Columbia Credit Unioninvested $ 1.8 million in a new branch just off I-5 at 808 N.E.98th Circle. New memberships were at three times normal levelsafter the first several months, credit union president David Dosshas said. Applebee's is now expected to build just to the east;McDonald's on the west.