Council OKs Totem Lake Mall project
Kirkland's Totem Lake Mall now can begin its gradual transition from a struggling, 1970s-era shopping center to a modern collection of shops, restaurants, a movie theater and, most likely, apartments.
The City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved mall owner Coventry/DDR's design and business plan for redeveloping Totem Lake, putting into motion renovations discussed for years under a succession of mall owners and city councils.
The council supported the plan despite the lack of a guarantee that upper-floor residential units will be built, as it has requested. The developer told city leaders of being approached by several residential-home builders, however, and said it's in the developer's best interest to quickly find someone to handle the residential part of the project.
The plan calls for the mall to triple in size and feature community space, such as a plaza designed for strolling that would feature decorative street lamps and benches. Shoppers would travel between stores by heading back outside, more akin to Seattle's University Village or Redmond Town Center than a traditional enclosed mall.
Coventry/DDR bought the mall in 2004 for $37 million and has a record of turning around underperforming shopping centers, including one in Long Beach, Calif. The council has pledged $15 million toward the $129 million project, which will pay for the community space, improvements to 120th Avenue Northeast and a portion of a future parking structure.
The schedule calls for completion within five to seven years, though some parts may open earlier.
City leaders have called the mall a top economic-development priority. They hope the new amenities will keep Kirkland residents in town and their sales tax flowing into the city. The mall pulls in about $661,000 of tax revenue and business-licensing fees annually. A revamped Totem Lake should generate $1.6 million in additional tax revenue each year, City Manager Dave Ramsay said.
Kirkland leaders are looking to the revamped mall, an expansion of nearby Evergreen Hospital Medical Center and a new transit hub to help revitalize the Totem Lake neighborhood, which has languished as bigger stores such as Lamonts and Gottschalks closed shop.
Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618 or kgaudette@seattletimes.com
