The project site is bound by 2nd and 4th avenues and Smith and Harrison streets in Downtown Kent. The site is across the street from Tarragon Development's four-phase Kent Station project. The first phase of $100-million project opens next month with 14-screen AMC movie house, restaurants, shops and a branch of Green River Community College. Phase Two of Kent Station will include five additional retail buildings that will be filled mostly with national retailers. Phase III will be a residential development, either condominiums or apartments, and Phase IV will be a further expansion of Green River Community College.

Additionally, the City of Kent is proposing to develop a 33,500-sf Town Square Plaza development adjacent to the project site. The City's economic development director Nathan Torgelson told GlobeSt.com in June that the plaza will host the Kent Lions Club's Farmers Market, other community festivals, a concert/amphitheater venue, an interactive water feature and open areas for seasonal activities. The city plans to break ground for the development by the end of next year.

Project Springboard took a big step forward last week when two legal documents were approved by the City Council. The documents allow for the rearrangement of the project site's ownership and convey City land to the developer in exchange for construction of the parking garage.

Plan B Development general manager Ben Errez was not immediately available Monday afternoon for comment. Torgelson says the City of Kent is making numerous other improvements downtown, including a Wireless Fiber Hot Zone, additional public parking spaces in the City's Centennial Parking Garage and better pedestrian connections along 2nd Avenue, which links Kent Station and historic downtown.

Instant Insights /

GlobeSt.com UPDATE: Hotel, Condo Project Start Set for Early 2006

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