This rendering is of the propsed development which is currently under appeal

The old Bank of America building, which is sitting on what has become the most controversial street corner in Kirkland, has its days numbered. Something else is needed on this important street corner. The question is what?

The corner of Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue map is in the heart of downtown and the City wants to see it redeveloped as a mixed-use building. The current plan is for an extension of the Merrill Gardens senior housing on the upper floors and four retail spaces, including the Bank of America, to occupy the street level. An appeal was filed and the project is before the City Council, serving as judge and jury in a quasi-judicial hearing.

This story has all of the stuff of great drama: ambiguous City codes, citizens filing appeals, City Council indecision, Design Review Board members resigning in protest, high stakes development and too many lawyers. These events are still unfolding and development in Kirkland is looking more and more like a soap opera — except real issues are at stake: the future of downtown Kirkland.

The players are familiar:

THE APPLICANT

SRM Development — a respected developer in Kirkland. The same company who developed the adjacent Merrill Gardens senior housing project as well as the Google campus in Houghton

THE APPELLANT

Citizens for a Vibrant Kirkland (CiViK) — a respected citizen activist group best known for their successful effort to prevent the City’s sale of another downtown location, Lake and Central, in 2004. The group describes themselves as “a community organization of dedicated citizens, committed to advocating for the present and future vitality and quality of life in Kirkland”

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