Kirkland plans affordable housing, city services at newly purchased Houghton Village shopping area

The town of Kirkland strategies to redevelop the freshly obtained Houghton Village shopping space with a target on inexpensive housing and local community solutions.

The $14 million acquire with an eye towards housing and general public solutions is the 1st of its sort in Kirkland and, metropolis officials say, demonstrates in component how the town is planning for an influx of advancement and improvement on the Eastside. The Kirkland Town Council voted before this thirty day period to start off soliciting input from residents on the long run use of the website.

The property, which the city acquired last thirty day period, has 17,530 sq. toes of developing space on 2.2 acres in south Kirkland at 10702 N.E. 68th St.

Houghton Village experienced been anchored by PCC Local community Marketplaces, but the regional food stuff cooperative shut that site earlier this year. The town bought the website from a Kirkland operator who obtained the property in 1988, according to King County property information.

The metropolis compensated for the searching space working with a a few-calendar year interfund financial loan and designs to arrive up with a very long-time period financing plan for when the loan expires.

Beth Goldberg, Kirkland’s deputy metropolis supervisor for functions, stated it will consider at the very least three yrs to finalize the redevelopment ideas. There are about 10 tenants, which includes a teriyaki restaurant, cat rescue and dry cleaner, and the town has advised them they are welcome to continue to be, Goldberg explained.

City officials haven’t made a decision what kinds of provider providers may well be housed at the new enhancement, or what threshold they’ll use to determine “affordable” housing in an place wherever the regular rent for a 1-bed room apartment is $2,000.  

“It is dependent on what we hear from the group,” Goldberg stated.

Town officers have pressured, however, that the development will not be employed for permanent supportive housing, like the La Quinta Inn & Suites that King County bought previously this 12 months to present backed housing for individuals who are chronically homeless. That system has been met with criticism from some people of learners at close by universities.