After Totem Lake, a neighborhood that is experiencing a spree of significant growth, the next notable constellation of new commercial and residential development in Kirkland is occurring around NE 85th Street/Central Way. This corridor primarily consists of the city’s Downtown, which expands into the greater area known as Moss Bay, and the neighborhood of Rose Hill. Opening up the city’s zoning map, a nearly uninterrupted east-west band of mixed-use zoning can clearly be seen spanning the entirety of Kirkland. The clear disruptor in this corridor is I-405, a physical symbol of the city’s divisions in mobility and built environment.
The two main neighborhoods on this corridor demonstrate the dichotomy of fair walkability and auto-oriented development present throughout the city, and to the east and west of I-405 on NE 85th Street, these two vastly different environments play out.
Downtown Kirkland is moderately dense, walkable, and bustling with midrises, a central park, waterfront, public library, and amenities galore. Like other downtowns in the region, it’s very well served by transit. Meanwhile, Rose Hill is a low-density residential neighborhood with the vast roadway of NE 85th Street splitting it in half with parking lots, big box stores, car dealerships and services. Cars dominate, with only two infrequent bus routes serving the corridor.
But change is coming to this avenue. The Moss Bay neighborhood, which encompasses Downtown and runs south along the Lake Washington waterfront and northwest toward I-405, has recently seen a wave of medium density development complete with a fair amount more on the way. Meanwhile, Rose Hill is just seeing the completion of its first large mixed-use development.
The pending arrival of the Stride Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) North line, which will run 37 miles between Lynnwood and Burien, and accompanying car-centric redesign of the highway interchange at I-405 and NE 85th are also sending mixed messages about the nature new growth in Kirkland.
Let’s start out our examination of growth in the Downtown and Rose Hill areas of Kirkland with what development has recently come about and what is in store for the near future of this busy corridor.
