Good things are coming to the business sector of Tukwila. Here are some possibilities to look forward to and to ponder.
The pedestrian and bicycle bridge opens before year’s end. Connecting the east side of the Green River to the west side will immediately improve access and movement for train passengers, hotel guests and others.
Washington Place will straight away impact the surrounding area (known as TOD or transit-oriented design area) when it opens next year. The former Circuit City site and now tallest structure in Tukwila will have a different name. With approximately 185 hotel rooms and 370 or so apartments, imagine the retail activity this will generate. Location! Location! Location!
The planned sports arena along the east side of West Valley Road fell through. However, one can see the desirability of the location. The nearby transit center for bus and train and now easy pedestrian and auto access to Tukwila’s retail shopping is a strategic game changer. The hotel customers and apartment residents make it even more attractive. There is little doubt that development interests will have their pens and pads out imagining the opportunities that will pencil out.
South of South 180th Street, there does not appear to be much activity. However, it is a matter of time before the right project comes along. The location is too attractive to expect otherwise. One can reasonably speculate that ownership is expecting to land a project, perhaps a campus of some sort. After all, would it make sense to lie fallow?
Very soon, perhaps by the time you read this, Kona Kai Coffee will have opened at the Sullivan Community Center in Tukwila Village adjacent to the new Tukwila Library. If it is anything like the Kona Kai Coffee in Kent, we can look forward to 100 percent Kona coffee at a very reasonable price. The vision for Tukwila Village has been that it be a community gathering place. Perhaps you and I will chat at Kona Kai. Question is: Who buys?
Tukwila Reporter columnist Chuck Parrish can be reached via email at chuckparrish2009@gmail.com.
