August 6, 2019

Meet the new Redmond Square

Rendering by Tiscareno Associates [enlarge]

The block’s southeast corner, depicted here, would face the future light rail station.

Three years ago, through an LLC, Beijing-based Modern Land (aka Modern Green) paid $31 million for about 3.5 acres in downtown Redmond, at 16425 Cleveland St. and related addresses. It's generally called Redmond Square, for the old low-rise retail to be replaced. After the sale, Legacy Partners said it would develop the property with new owner MGRM LLC. Legacy may also have a stake in that entity.

The early plan, by Tiscareno Associates, had its first design review last Thursday, and it looks like this:

The irregular, almost-full-block site would be divided into east and west components, with a landscaped pedestrian connector running between Cleveland and Redmond Way. The site is also bounded by 164th and 166th avenues Northeast. It's almost immediately north of the elevated future Downtown Redmond Station (on Cleveland), where light-rail service will begin in 2024.

There would be two linked six-story buildings totaling about 615 units—probably rentals, possibly condominiums or some combination of the two. The two G-shaped buildings would have courtyards leading to the central connector, which the city of Redmond calls a woonerf in its meeting notes.

The city says that the site is zoned up to five stories, but a sixth story will be made possible by participating in the city's green building program.

There would be about 26,000 square feet of retail/commercial space in multiple bays. The largest bay, on the southeast corner, would face the light-rail station. The KeyBank on the block's northwest corner is separately owned, but will share future parking access.

Three levels of parking—two underground, one structured—would have somewhere over 600 stalls. The number isn't specified; and Legacy is requesting a number just under the usual one-to-one ratio Redmond requires for residential project. However, the parking would also be for shoppers. Bike stalls in multiple locations would meet or exceed the number of residents.

The early renderings include small terraces for many units. Roof decks aren't yet part of the plan; though there's some indication of rooftop solar panels.

A future boundary line adjustment will set apart a satellite chunk of land on the southwest corner, which is actually south of Cleveland. That will be developed later.