MainStreet Property Group LLC, a real estate development firm, today announced the start of construction of The Carter, an apartment community located in the heart of downtown Redmond, across from The Dudley Carter Park and adjacent to a permanently preserved urban forest at 159th Place Northeast between Bear Creek Parkway and Leary Way. Construction is expected to be completed in fall of 2016.

“Today is an appropriate day for The Carter groundbreaking as it is Earth Day and this project is a true celebration of art, culture and most importantly the environment. Many environmental sensitive elements surrounding this project have specified a lot of the design here at The Carter. Also, The Carter is pursuing a US Green Building Council LEED Gold designation under the new multi-family category which is very exciting,” stated Kelly Price, president of MainStreet Property Group LLC.

Consisting of 180 units, The Carter will offer a mix of apartments ranging from studios, and one- and two-bedroom units, including lofts. There are also several ground floor live/work spaces with private raised patios. The five-story apartment community is a gateway to the City of Redmond and is less than one mile north of State Route 520 and three miles from Interstate 405, which will provide residents easy access to the region’s top employment centers in not only Redmond, but also Bellevue, Woodinville and Kirkland.

The Carter’s namesake is the internationally renowned local Redmond artist and woodcarver, Dudley Carter, who became King County’s first artist-in-residence at the age of 96 when he lived and taught at the Haida House Studio, which still exists in the adjacent park named in his honor. In celebration of Dudley Carter and the Redmond artist community, The Carter will feature a celebration of art, culture and the environment in a creative and approachable manner.

“The Carter project brings a new and exciting presence to the city. The project design interacts with and honors the adjacent Heron Rookery Park and the Dudley Carter Park across the street. This will be a cool place to live,” said City of Redmond Mayor John Marchione.

Residents will have conveniences of city living, while being surrounded by natural amenities with a direct pedestrian trail connection to the Sammamish River Trail and The Dudley Carter Park to the east of the property. The Carter is also within walking distance to a variety of shopping and entertainment including the Redmond Town Center, Trader Joe’s, QFC, Starbucks and numerous bars and restaurants located on Redmond’s Cleveland Street. Plus, The Carter is also a bike-friendly community with a custom made two-story storage facility specially designed to house 180 bicycles.

“One thing that is very obvious is how Redmond is maturing as a downtown core. New residents, retail, dining, shopping, parks and even a sculpture walk — it has been an unique emergence to observe over the last several years,” added Price.

The Carter apartment homes will feature unique custom interior spaces with specially designed kitchens featuring full-range hoods, stainless-steel appliances, custom cabinets with built-in storage systems accented by subway tile backsplashes, LED lighting throughout, built-in storage to maximize space and three distinct color schemes to choose from. The modern kitchens will have hanging storage, built-in shelves and modern cabinetry. Unique features, such as sliding barn doors, custom wood wall panels and built-in bench seating, will be available in some units.

Upon entering The Carter, residents will find themselves in a two-story lobby featuring solid wood stairs with steel accents and custom wood panels along the walls and ceilings. Museum-quality Pacific Northwest art will be displayed throughout. A two-story indoor/outdoor clubroom connected to a huge outside courtyard will be the epicenter of activity, and include the Skybox Lounge overlooking the nearby Sammamish River Trail and adjacent in-city protected Heron Rookery, which will feature a demonstration-style kitchen complete with large dining room table and fireplace; game room with shuffleboard, ping pong table, and gaming area; media lounge and conference/meeting space.

“Our collective team has poured over the details at The Carter and we cannot wait for our customers to see the results. Today’s groundbreaking is the first step in the process and we look forward to sharing the addition of The Carter to the Redmond community,” said Price.

WG Clark Construction will be the general contractor for the project, GGLO is the dedicated architect and Insite Property Solutions is providing the professional property management services. Washington Holdings is MainStreet’s capital partner on The Carter project.

Below: An artist’s rendering of The Carter.