Imagine Housing, Habitat for Humanity outline mixed-income project for Kenmore parcel

Imagine Housing and Habitat for Humanity presented plans on Feb. 27 for a mixed-use affordable housing development on a city-owned parcel in downtown Kenmore, where the city intends to bring a purchase-and-sale agreement to the city council in March to transfer the land to Imagine Housing for development.

The developers described a two-building project on roughly 0.8 acres near Safeway and the adjacent manufactured-home community that would combine an Imagine Housing rental building of about 100–126 units with an 18-unit Habitat for Humanity for-sale building. Troy Droz, vice president of real estate development for Imagine Housing, said the rental building would include studios through three-bedroom units and that the design emphasizes 2‑ and 3‑bedroom homes to serve larger families. Droz said the team is aiming to provide as much parking as is feasible and that the project includes an underground parking level the team estimates could contain “80-ish to 90 spaces” in the lower level, plus surface and courtyard parking; earlier renderings and materials presented to the city showed different counts as the design evolved.

The city’s Tammy Cork, housing and human services manager, described how the property became available and the public process: the city purchased the lot in 2022, issued a request for proposals in August 2023 and in December 2023 selected Imagine Housing’s proposal. Cork said a letter of intent has been signed by the project partners and that the pre-application permitting process has been initiated. She said the city plans to present a purchase-and-sale agreement to the Kenmore City Council in March for possible approval to sell the land to Imagine Housing.

Nut graf: The project, coordinated by the city, Imagine Housing and Habitat for Humanity, is intended to add permanently affordable rental and owner-occupied housing in Kenmore’s downtown core. Residents at the Feb. 27 meeting pressed the developers and city staff on operational details—parking counts and enforcement, daylighting and courtyard sunlight, heating/ventilation and air conditioning, and how rents and income limits are set—areas the team said will be refined during funding and permitting and detailed on the project FAQ online.

What the developers said: Imagine Housing said the rental portion will be managed by Indigo, a third-party property manager, and will follow income and background-verification rules tied to funding requirements and fair-housing laws. John Gill, chief impact officer for Habitat for Humanity, said Habitat’s homeownership program includes a selection and education process that typically runs six to nine months and requires financial qualification and homebuyer training.

The team described the development timeline as dependent on funding rounds. Troy Droz said the group is working to close financing and permitting in 2028 and that construction could take about 20–24 months once funding and permits are in place. Total project cost was described by the team as roughly in the range of $90 million; the city has set a discounted purchase price for the land at $1,500,000 (the city had purchased the property for $3,200,000). Cork said outreach and FAQs will be posted at imaginehousing.org/approach and other project materials will be updated as the design and funding progress.

Community questions and concerns: Residents repeatedly raised parking and traffic concerns for the downtown corridor: several asked for clearer, fixed counts and for staff parking to be addressed so resident parking is not displaced. Cindy Charley Boyse, a resident who spoke at the podium, asked whether rooftop and courtyard amenities would actually be available to residents, and whether parking was sufficient for three-bedroom homes; Droz replied the team “were trying very hard to get to a 1 to 1 ratio” where possible and that some parking is dedicated for community space use per code. Katrina, a Kenmore resident and North Shore School District nurse, asked whether the adjacent mobile-home park would be affected; city staff and the team said the manufactured-home community is not part of the project and is not being impacted.

Residents also pressed the team about indoor climate controls. Multiple speakers described experience with overheating in local buildings and asked whether units will include air conditioning or better ventilation. Droz said the team is evaluating options, including built-in ports for portable air-conditioning exhaust, and that exact HVAC equipment and unit-level specifications have not yet been finalized.

Affordability and income limits: The developers explained the project will use area median income (AMI) bands required by funding programs. Presenters said planned affordability bands for the homeownership units would target roughly 65%–80% AMI and that rental units will include set-asides at levels such as 50% and 60% AMI; slides shown at the meeting listed sample maximum rents in the roughly $1,900–$2,300 range for some AMI tiers. The team said actual rents and allowable income limits will be validated through required market studies and by funder rules and that final numbers will be posted as the project advances.

Next steps and outreach: The project team and city said outreach will continue: a follow-up convening is scheduled for March 18 (noon–2 p.m.) at the hangar and project staff will remain at tables after the Feb. 27 presentation to take questions. The city intends to bring a purchase-and-sale agreement to council in March; if the council approves, the team will pursue funding applications, finalize design and proceed through permitting and construction steps.

Ending: City and developer staff said more detailed technical materials, an AMI chart, and finalized parking and HVAC plans will be posted online and shared at future community meetings. The presenters invited attendees to consult the project FAQs and to meet with staff at information tables after the session.