Economic development staff outline activation plan for Northeast 85th Station area; council tables townhome ban

Jen Davis Hayes, Kirkland’s economic development manager, told the Planning Commission at a study session that staff are actively marketing the Northeast 85th Station area to developers and investors, pursuing outreach with real-estate groups and running targeted promotions to show the area’s redevelopment potential.

Davis Hayes said the station-area plan — adopted in 2022–23 and centered on the NE 85th and I‑405 intersection where Sound Transit will operate a STRIDE bus rapid transit station — raised allowed heights and created incentives such as a pioneer program and tax‑increment financing (TIF) tools intended to offset upfront infrastructure costs. She said two early redevelopment prospects at the Lee Johnson site and a former retail center stalled when market conditions changed and financing became more expensive.

Why it matters: staff described the work as a mix of marketing, one‑on‑one developer outreach and practical steps to reduce redevelopment costs. “We don’t have grants. We don’t…