This past year saw a number of changes in downtown Redmond. Some people ask me, “Why are the changes necessary?”
The short answer is to manage growth as we planned it. When Redmond’s Comprehensive Plan, the document that guides our growth, was first adopted in 1995 and later updated in 2004, a deliberate choice was made by the community and city leaders to implement a well-defined vision. Future growth in jobs and housing would be focused in vibrant urban centers, the single-family character of existing residential neighborhoods would be preserved and Redmond residents would connect with the centers. Two decades later, this vision is nearing reality.
The construction on Redmond Way as part of the two-way street conversion with Cleveland Street should wrap up in fall 2017, while work on the new two-acre Downtown Park will finish in summer 2018. Revitalization of downtown continues to spur the growth of new shops, restaurants and services for our community. Additional hotels and apartments are in various stages of construction to keep pace with rising demand. Consistent with our commitment to provide a variety of housing choices, the city supports efforts to add affordable housing, including 74 new low-income senior apartments at Providence John Gabriel House, opening in March 2017.
In the Overlake urban center, two new hotels will open in 2017, along with nearly 400 new apartments, with another 600-800 units under construction. The transition of Overlake from a car-centric area to a more pedestrian-friendly urban center will take time but we are pleased to be moving in this direction. With voters’ approval of the light rail extension from Overlake to Southeast Redmond and downtown, it’s exciting that in just nine years, we can get on light rail from several stations in our community.
Redmond is a diverse community and that very fact makes us stronger together. Everyone who lives and works in Redmond will continue to be warmly welcomed and protected by our dedicated police force. Recent vandalism of signs at the Muslim Association Puget Sound is not representative of the residents in Redmond. Hatred and intolerance have no place in our community.
To continue addressing the growing issue of homelessness, we began a pilot program in July. We hired a homeless outreach coordinator to work with the Redmond Police Department to connect individuals and families in our community with shelter and resources necessary to move out of homelessness. In just six months, Kent Hay has helped numerous people find assistance and worked with human services agencies to host a drop-in resource center on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Redmond Library.
In 2016, Redmond residents indicated they wanted to engage more with their elected leaders. In response, we launched a Neighborhood Conversations series. These community meetings, which were held at three Redmond elementary schools, provided a wonderful forum for residents to talk face-to-face with the mayor and council and get answers to all their city-related questions. Stay tuned for more Neighborhood Conversations in 2017.
While 2016 saw many physical changes in Redmond, the fundamental priorities of our residents — to be a safe, clean and green, welcoming place, with a thriving business community, necessary infrastructure and a responsible, responsive government — continue to drive our decisions. I look forward to working with you as we move Redmond forward.
