January 8, 2016

Kirkland Urban may start soon, with housing, office and retail

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Demolition could begin this month to prepare for the first phase of Kirkland Urban, a 1.2 million-square-foot, mixed-used complex in downtown Kirkland.

Kirkland Senior Planner Angela Ruggeri said developers of the project — previously known as Kirkland Parkplace — could get a demolition permit by the end of the month. The first phase of design review has been approved by the city, and building permits are under review now.

Prudential Real Estate Investors and Talon Private Capital are developing the project on an 11.5-acre site adjacent to Peter Kirk Park. The full project could have up to 650,000 square feet of office space, 300,000 square feet of residential space and 125,000 square feet of retail.

Talon representatives did not return a phone call requesting comment about the timeline for construction.

The first phase includes two new office buildings totaling 383,000 square feet, 205 housing units and three small retail buildings. Ruggeri said a QFC store now on the site will move into one of the new office buildings.

The Puget Sound Business Journal reported that Tableau Software and Wave Broadband have completed leases for 175,000 square feet of office space in the complex. Both companies lease space in existing buildings now on the site.

One of the highlights of the project, Ruggeri said, will be the large public spaces. Talon officials have previously said plazas, courtyards and connections to Peter Kirk Park are an important piece of the complex.

CollinsWoerman is the lead architect, Weber Thompson is the residential architect and Hewitt is the landscape architect. Ryan Cos., a Minneapolis-based real estate firm with development, architecture and engineering, capital markets, construction and property management divisions, is also listed on project documents.