March 24, 2025

AvalonBay plans up to 2,500 Redmond units near light-rail station

The majority of the Eaves apartment complex in Redmond, at 15606 N.E. 40th St., now consists of 44 low-rise buildings. Those date to 1990, and have 374 units. AvalonBay Communities completed a new 214-unit midrise building there last year, replacing five original buildings; that goes by Avalon Redmond Campus. Let's call that Phase I in redeveloping the Eaves — a name that seems fated to disappear.

As expected, plans for more redevelopment have been brewing for the past few months. Those concern the other 27-odd-acres extending northeast from the new corner addition.

Earlier this month, AvalonBay filed a preliminary plan for its Avalon Redmond Technology Station, or ARTS, which could add 2,000 to 2,500 units in multiple new midrise buildings. The land would be divided into five new parcels — and thus entail five future phases of development over the next decade or so. Considerable greenspace would be preserved.

The entire complex, on the east side of the freeway, is a few steps northeast of Redmond Technology Station — and very close to the Microsoft campus, on both sides of state Route 520.

AvalonBay's Carl Shorett said in a statement, “The vision for the proposed ARTS master planned development is to work with existing zoning to provide a dense, highly walkable, urban neighborhood that takes advantage of its near immediate access to the East Link's Redmond Tech Station.”

CollinsWoerman is leading the master planning effort. Individual buildings aren't yet in design review. (Rutledge Maul Architects designed Phase I.) AvalonBay typically builds its own projects. SEPA review will be required for such a large effort, and public meetings will also surely follow.

The Eaves last sold in 1997 for $41 million to an investor group led by Tishman Speyer.