June 6, 2013 – Source
A long-awaited Kent residential and retail project at a key downtown intersection will begin construction next month.
The five-story, mixed use building will contain 176 apartments, 3,100 square feet of retail and 35 public parking places in addition to parking spots for residents.
The project is being developed by Seattle’s Goodman Real Estate. The building is being designed by Studio Meng Strazzara.
The construction site occupies a strategic location near the Kent Station retail development and Kent’s historic downtown district. The project will be called “The Platform” because of its proximity to Sound Transit’s Kent Sounder commuter rail station and Metro’s Kent transfer station.
The apartment and retail project will abut the city’s Town Square Plaza Park with its interactive fountains and grassy areas. That park is just across the street from the Kent Regional Library.
The site at the corner of Fourth Avenue North and West Smith Street was once destined for another mixed-use project created by another developer. That developer began construction on the base parking garage, but halted work when financial problems emerged.
The city eventually obtained the property through foreclosure and razed the garage’s concrete shell.
George Petrie, Goodman’s president and CEO, said the developer believes the time is right to begin building again.
“Our confidence in the regional economy and Kent is strong. While we have numerous projects under development in the Seattle area, we are particularly excited to be the first new multifamily project in downtown Kent. We want to start showing apartments by this time next year,” Petrie said.
Petrie says Goodman plans to add a rooftop recreation area to the building.
“We’re also working with a nationally branded retail tenant to occupy the commercial space. As part of the design process working with this tenant, we are adjusting the building to allow for outdoor seating which will further activate that corner. We are excited about this opportunity and the vitality it will bring to The Platform,” Petrie said.
“I am thrilled that such a well-respected developer as Goodman Real Estate will help us meet the demand we have for quality, modern downtown apartments,” said Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke. “As the city’s new mayor, I inherited the unfinished parking garage seven years ago. Even after the city secured the property through foreclosure and tore down the garage, this prime corner remained an eyesore. Now, The Platform will complement Kent Station, ShoWare Center and Town Square Plaza as public attractions.”