The planning work continues by city staff and others for future developments on Kent’s West Hill next to the light rail station and downtown on the Naden property.
Sound Transit staff is working with city staff about what type of transit-oriented development will be built on two parcels of property that total 4 acres next to the new Kent-Des Moines light rail station under construction near 30th Avenue South and Pacific Highway South. Sound Transit is currently using the properties for construction staging for the 7.8-mile extension from SeaTac to Federal Way scheduled to open in 2024.
The city of Kent adopted its Midway Subarea Plan years ago with a vision for a compact, mixed-use and mixed-income walkable urban center near the light rail line.
Transit-oriented development integrates transit and land use, helps create vibrant neighborhoods and supports transit ridership and considers local planning efforts, said Edward Butterfield, Sound Transit senior transit-oriented development project manager, in a June 8 report to the Kent City Council at its Committee of the Whole meeting.
Sound Transit, which owns the parcels, plans to have development concepts by August and hopes to find a development partner in 2022 that could lead to new housing and retail coming to the West Hill. The agency has worked with community partners and conducted online surveys to get ideas about what businesses and residents want to see developed next to the station.
Naden update
Bill Ellis, city chief economic development manager, gave an update about the Naden property on June 8 to the council. The property is just north of Willis Street and east of Highway 167.
Ellis said that the Seattle-based Newmark brokerage group is co-marketing and negotiating for the 7.7 acres on behalf of Avenue 55, the developer working in partnership with the city to find the best uses for the property. Eventually, Avenue 55 will collect letters of interest from tenants that might want to be part of the development.
Newmark has reached out to nonprofits that do job training or offer STEM educational awareness in Kent, and currently have leases that are expiring or in need of new space which blends office and production areas, Ellis said.
City economic development staff have initiated some dialogue with University of Washington’s Space Policy and Research Center regarding possible growth of related programming and instruction at the Naden site.
City staff have come into connection with local and regional manufacturers seeking production space to expand hiring and avoid spiraling costs in Seattle and Kent Valley for warehousing, Ellis said.
“There’s no proposal yet to bring to you,” Ellis said to the council.
But Ellis likes the city’s spot in the market with the Naden property.
“There’s a surge in demand for industrial space,” he said. “We are positioned well.”
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city gives Avenue 55 the exclusive right to negotiate and finalize agreements with the city regarding development of the Naden property.
The MOU is predecessor to a development proposal, which would need council approval before direction to staff by council to then negotiate a development agreement. That agreement also would need council approval, for final sale and disposition of the property.
The term of the MOU is 12 months from its effective date. It expires in February.
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A rendering of a new street and sidewalks to be built to connect the Kent/Des Moines light rail station to Highline College on the West Hill. COURTESY IMAGE, Sound Transit
