Many considered Mill Creek a bedroom community. As the community grew, residents sought ways to stay nearby. In 1992, the City of Mill Creek, with input from residents, designated a new mixed-use center as the Mill Creek Town Center. The master site plan encompassed 18 acres. Development started in 2002. At the groundbreaking ceremony for Mill Creek Town Center, a resident wore a T-shirt with the logo, “Mill Creek Town Center, The Place to Be.” That resident, “Red” Jacobson, would later buy the first lot and work with the City to design and develop the three-story mixed-use building on the corner of 153rd Street and Main Street. The first building, Park Place Center, opened in 2004 with La Palmera restaurant. The award-winning design of Mill Creek Town Center represents a sharp departure from conventional shopping center design. Features include shop-lined streets, offices overlooking public plazas, a pedestrian-oriented streetscape and a unique cosmopolitan character. It also includes several conservation easements. Initial retailers of the Mill Creek Town Center included a toy store, gift shops, a yarn retailer and several bakeries.