Burien, Washington - December 4, 2009 - In a move hailed as 'win-win' for the communities of Burien and Normandy Park, Bonney-Watson announced that it is selling its Parker Chapel property to the King County Fire District #2, who will use the site to build a new state-of-the-art fire station.

Bonney-Watson will continue to provide funeral, cremation and burial services to Burien and Normandy Park area families from its location at Washington Memorial Park in SeaTac.

"We have been privileged to serve families in this community since Dale and Louise Parker founded Parker Chapel in 1962," said Cameron Smock, president of Bonney-Watson. "Parker Chapel became affiliated with Bonney-Watson in 1989, and we have provided exceptional care to about 200 families each year since then.

"Bonney-Watson has been in the business of celebrating lives since 1868," Smock added. "However, this sale allows us to continue to serve this community in a different way, helping firefighters and medics save lives. We look forward to providing convenient funeral, cremation and cemetary services to area families from our larger, full-service location in SeaTac."

King County Fire District #2 will build the new station to replace their existing headquarters facility, currently located at 15100 8th Avenue SW in Burien. Fire Chief Mike Marrs said the new station, funded by a Capital Facilities Bond overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2008, is desperately needed.

"Station 28 has safety and seismic issues, lacks co-ed facilities and is outdated and deficient in a number of other ways," Marrs said. "This new site, located just five blocks away, will provide our hard-working fire fighters with a safer, more efficient facility while allowing us to maintain our excellent response times. In addition, the site will eventually allow us to add an onsite paramedic unit and bring our ladder truck closer to Burien's commercial district."

Dan Mathews, a Commercial Real Estate Broker at GVA Kidder Mathews who helped facilitate the transaction for both parties, said, "This transaction is a great example of how public and private interests can be met voluntarily when both parties agree to open cooperation while keeping the greater public interest in mind."

Marrs added that King County Fire District #2 is very grateful that Bonney-Watson agreed to the sale. "We approached them with the idea, and we appreciate their willingness to make this a great public win for the communities of Burien and Normandy Park."

Construction of the new fire station will begin in early 2010, and is expected to be completed within two years. The Department's existing station will remain operational until the new facility is complete.

About Bonney-Watson
Founded in 1868, Bonney-Watson provides funeral, cremation and cemetary services from five Puget Sound-area locations, including Burien, Capitol Hill in Seattle, SeaTac, Ballard and Federal Way. Family-owned since the beginning, they are now one of the oldest businesses in Seattle. As one of the region's largest funeral, cremation and cemetary service providers, Bonney-Watson is known for their inspired staff, exceptional care and community service.

About King County Fire District #2
King County Fire District #2, also known as the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department, exists to serve the two communities by providing valuable fire protection, hazardous materials and aid response, and emergency medical services. The Department is served by nearly 40 paid and roughly 20 volunteer personnel who staff two fire engines, one aerial ladder truck and one aid car.

About GVA Kidder Mathews
GVA Kidder Mathews is one of the largest independently-owned commercial real estate firms on the West Coast, with 202 brokers in nine offices in Washington, Oregon and California, performing $2.2 billion in transactions annually.