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HIGHER LEAF | Man attempts to break in to Kirkland pot store with sledgehammer [8]
Blotter | Man arrested with four times the FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 legal limit of alcohol in bloodstream [9]
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Baseball | Kirkland team erases 13run deficit to take championship [7]
Kirkland fights for completion of state highway project in Totem Lake State House included project at last minute, Senate did not BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
T
he state House has included $75 million in its transportation budget for a project to build freeway access ramps at Northeast 132nd Street in the Totem Lake neighborhood of Kirkland. The House bill will have
to be reconciled with the Senate version, however, which does not include the allocation. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) project, approved by the state in 2005, but postponed and moved to the unfunded list, is considered by both the city and businesses in Totem
Lake as a vital update to Kirkland infrastructure in anticipation of the Totem Lake Malls redevelopment project, among others. According to the city, the soon-tobe new owner of the malls, CenterCal Properties, now calling
the project The Village at Totem Lake, hopes to have it open by late 2017 or early 2018. The proposed project, if included in the final version of the transportation package, would start no sooner than 2019. If the project is not included in this year’s transportation package, however, the city could have to wait until
2025 before trying to get it funded again. By then, City Manager Kurt Triplett said, they will be facing traffic problems caused by new developments. “It’s not just a 2025 issue,” he said. “It’s a 2018 issue.” The city has actively lobbied local legislators representing the 45th District, as well as other state legislators, to support the project, claiming conservatively it will bring in $140 million in state
tax revenue compared to the current $46 million. “From an investment point, this is a no brainer,” he said. One of the difficulties they’ve faced in getting it into the budget, Triplett said, is the impression that the project is a new proposal rather than leftover from previous legislative sessions. “This is not a project we made up,” he said. [ more 405 page 3 ]
Kirkland looks toward partnering with other cities to build ARC BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
As the city of Kirkland continues to look for potential sites for the Aquatics Recreation Community (ARC) Center, it is also seeking out possible partnerships to help pay for it. At a recent joint meeting between the Kirkland and Redmond City Councils, members discussed the possibility of creating a Metropolitan Park District (MPD) that would finance and manage new facilities both cities are looking to build. Yet, while the city of Kirkland plans to discuss the matter further, Mayor Amy Walen said she is doubtful an MPD with Redmond is feasible due to different stages of planning, as well as siting location preferences. Redmond, which started working on their Recreational Building Master Plan in 2013, has yet to complete it. They also have expressed a preference for their recreation center to be in their downtown, where they are currently conducting a site analysis. Kirkland, on the other hand, completed their Indoor Recreation Facility Plan in 2011 and hopes to place the ARC somewhere in the Totem Lake neigh-
borhood. One potential site is the Christ’s Church at 11725 NE 118th St, across from the Kirkland Justice Center. The owners have expressed interest in possibly selling the property, according to Kirkland City Manager Kurt Triplett. In the meantime, Kirkland is also looking at other cities to partner with, as well as local school districts, which for some seems appropriate due to the regional use of current Kirkland recreation facilities, such as Juanita Pool. The council has a planned joint meeting with the city of Bellevue in May, according to Triplett, and they’ve also had informal conversations with other neighboring cities. “We continue to actively solicit as many partners as possible,” he said. “We are definitely wanting to see partners, but we’re continuing forward to keep the conversation going.” Other possible partners include the Lake Washington and Northshore School Districts. LSWD was originally planned to be a significant partner with the city on the ARC, according to Triplett, but their financial involvement was stifled when their $755 [ more ARC page 2 ]
The Antique Mall building sits in the heart of downtown Kirkland next to the Heathman Hotel and the Kirkland Transit Center. A Bellevue developer has purchased the building and plans to construct a mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor and residential above. TJ MARTINELL, Kirkland Reporter
Antique Mall in downtown sold to Bellevue developer BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
Bellevue-based Continental Properties has purchased the Antique Mall property in downtown Kirkland, which has sat dormant for six years since the mall owner closed its doors. The property at 113 3rd Street, owned by Marilyn Dillard, sold for $12 million and was first put up for sale late last year by commercial real estate company Kidder Mathews. Sitting in the heart of downtown Kirkland, the property is
located two blocks from the waterfront, adjacent to the Heathman Hotel and next to the Kirkland Transit Center. The site was formerly occupied by the Antique Mall, which closed in 2009 after being the centerpiece for the downtown area for a quarter of a century. The Antique Mall opened in 1983 under co-owner Marietta Van Patten. The property is 41,994 square feet. As much as 9,261 square feet is unoccupied. The property is zoned for the Central Business
District and includes a 55foot height limit. This is not Continental Properties first purchase or project in the city. In addition to the Central Kirkland Condominiums, they are currently constructing a residential building at 4th Avenue and Central Way. Now that the purchase is complete, Continental has submitted an application to meet with city staff as they move forward with plans for redevelopment, according to City Planner Jeremy McMahan. Before they get
a building permit, they will need to have their plans approved by the design review board. Ellen Miller Wolfe, the economic development director for the city of Kirkland, called the property “pivotal” due to its proximity to the transit center. “We’re happy that the property has now been purchased,” she said. “We’re happy for the owner who has been thinking about this for a long time and is a wonderful friend to the city.” [ more MALL page 6 ]