Kirkland Parkplace is slowly moving through Design Review

By on May 12, 2010 in Archived, Business, Headlines

UPDATED

May 13, 2010 @1:43pm The website, www.EnvisionKirklandParkplace.com is now functioning.

As the Kirkland Parkplace development slowly winds its way through the City of Kirkland’s Design Review Board (DRB) process, we present the latest renditions. Oddly, Touchstone Corporation, the developer of the project seems to no longer be hosting www.EnvisionKirklandParkplace.com as the link on their site is no longer functioning.

We look forward to learning more about when this project will emerge from the DRB and what schedule Touchstone has to begin construction given the current development climate.

About Rob Butcher

Editor and Scribbler of Kirkland Views.
View all posts by Rob Butcher →
  • camikeyes

    Interesting that the developer is no longer hosting “EnvisionKirklandParkplace.com” as the design they are proposing are VASTLY, HUGELY different than the propaganda hosted on the envision site. The designs are bulky, lack any brick or anything warm that blends with Kirkland. From what I've seen they look like huge steel and glass blocks and are frankly quite ugly and office-park looking, rather than inviting. Missing is the sense of a community gathering place we were all promised.

    I feel like we got the old “bait and switch” and that the developer is NOW so secretive about the plans is a slap in the face to the many residents who supported his plans. We should be pushing for the community to see what has become of the final designs so they can weigh in. The designs we were sold when this project was approved is nothing like what is now being pushed through. It's quite sad really how gullible we were.

  • harry berlin

    http://www.EnvisionKirklandParkplace.com works for me. Conspiracy solved.

  • http://kirklandviews.com Rob Butcher

    Hi Harry,

    Thank you for this information. I have updated the article.

  • shadowsprite

    The public is an important part of the government of the City of Kirkland. Most meetings at City Hall have a public comment time set aside on the agenda. The community has not been kept in the dark. All anyone has to do is check the City calendar for the DRB meetings to see when the meetings are and what the agenda is. It is the same with City Council meetings, Houghton Community Council meetings, and Planning Commission meetings. There really isn't a lot of secrecy–you just have to know where to look and be willing to show up for meetings.

  • shadowsprite

    I have looked at the Envision website but do not see anything that has been updated since 2008. They haven't been talking about the state of the arts movie theater and other entertainment venues during the selection that there is a movie playing for almost any age group. I don't know if it is true, but someone design process. I wonder where they will be located. Does anyone know? The sports club and hotel have already been designed. It would be great to have something similar to Lincoln Square Cinemas so we could walk to the movies and not drive into Bellevue. That theater complex has such a broad mentioned that the amount of office space in this development is equal to that of Lincoln Square.

  • shadowsprite

    I have looked at the Envision website but do not see anything that has been updated since 2008. They haven't been talking about the state of the arts movie theater and other entertainment venues during the selection. I wonder where they will be located. Does anyone know? The sports club and hotel have already been designed. It would be great to have something similar to Lincoln Square Cinemas so we could walk to the movies and not drive into Bellevue. That theater complex has such a broad selection that there seems to be a movie playing for almost any age group. I don't know if it is true, but someone mentioned that the amount of office space in this development is equal to that of Lincoln Square.

  • James Truhan

    I attend each DRB meeting and am disappointed that public interest in this very large project has apparently evaporated.

    The absolute worst time to weigh in will be at the end of the review process, after all the decisions are made.

    Where is the passion we saw during Council review?

    (BTW, posting on blogs doesn't count for “public involvement”).