Earlier this year, Sound Transit asked for public comments on the future development of approximately 4 acres of land in the Kent/Des Moines area next to the new light rail line.
Now the agency is sharing what it heard from community members and wants feedback through an online open house on the updated site concepts for the land.
The land is currently being used to store construction equipment and house mobile offices while the future Kent/Des Moines light rail station is being built. Once the Federal Way Link Extension opens in 2024, Sound Transit will make this land available for transit-oriented development. Feedback from this open house will be used to inform the content of the request for proposals for the available sites.
The online survey is available through Nov. 15 at KentDesMoinesTOD.com. The survey is available in English, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali and Tagalog.
Here are some of the priorities and preferences Sound Transit has heard from its spring survey and engagement with community groups and stakeholders earlier this year:
• Build a safe, accessible and family-friendly station area that celebrates the diversity of the surrounding community
• Provide a mix of affordable housing styles and retail services for people who have a range of incomes
• Improve walking, biking and other modes of accessibility to and from the TOD site, light rail station, and broad community for people of all ages and abilities
• Provide space opportunities for small-scale businesses and retailers
The online open house questions are grouped by the following key areas that the Sound Transit project team needs your feedback on:
• Public and activity space
• Green space
• Affordable housing
• Retail and business space
• Community space
Sound Transit also will host a virtual presentation and live question and answer session regarding this development opportunity from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
Sound Transit is partnering with the City of Kent to create a vision for future development near the Kent/Des Moines light rail station, focused on the opportunities created through easy access to transit. The station area is part of the City of Kent’s plans for the Midway neighborhood.
In 2022, Sound Transit will expand Tacoma Link to the Hilltop neighborhood. In 2023 trains will reach Mercer Island, Bellevue and the Overlake area. In addition to the Federal Way Link Extension, 2024 will bring the opening of extensions to Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood and Downtown Redmond.
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