Design standards high for Kimball Creek Village in Snoqualmie

Published 4:42 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

There is a new development in the Valley, but it does not have anything to do with Snoqualmie Ridge. Kimball Creek Village, a new 31,388-square-foot retail center and office space development, is currently under construction at the intersection of Snoqualmie Parkway and Better Way with a target completion date set for November.

The development will include some 21,000 square feet of retail space and 7,000 square feet of professional space on three retail pads located in the Falls Crossing master plan area of Snoqualmie. The retail center will also serve as the entrance to an 85-unit townhouse community to be built by CamWest Developments Inc.

Kimball Creek Village is being developed by Pallis Properties and Kollias Family L.L.C., and is designed by Freiheit and Ho Architects. All three companies are based in the Northwest and have extensive portfolios working on projects around Puget Sound. Gly Construction is the general contractor, with some of its experience including work on the Lincoln Square office building in Bellevue and the Microsoft campus in Redmond. While not owned by Kollias or Pallis, the townhouses will be integrated into the retail space as part of a “village street” approach.

The development has taken several years to come to fruition. Purchased by the Kollias family in December 2003 from Puget Western Inc., the property’s development plan for the mixed-use Falls Crossing Short Plat faced several major site design hurdles before finally being approved by the city of Snoqualmie in early 2005 under the Snoqualmie Preservation Initiative. The initiative is a series of growth management and preservation acts designed in conjunction with King County to guide the city’s future expansion.

The three buildings composing Kimball Creek Village will include two single-story retail buildings and one two-story building with retail spaces on the first floor and office spaces on the second. The spaces will mostly rent at $28 per square foot with a triple-net lease. So far, a sushi restaurant, a teriyaki restaurant, a Subway, a Garlic Jim’s Gourmet Pizza, dry cleaners, nail salon and a cigar and wine shop have already signed leases.

“We’re currently close to 50 percent preleased and anticipate once the buildings start coming out of the ground, we’ll lease the remaining spaces,” said Berge Hovsepian, an associate and broker with Pallis Properties. “The quality of this project is true Class A, unlike any other retail in the area,” he said. Hovsepian said that Pallis is considering selling condos in one of the buildings, but that option is still in its preliminary stages. There are no further plans to develop the site beyond that.

As part of its attempt to integrate with the small-town character of Snoqualmie, Pallis Properties’ stated intent is to build a quality, aesthetically pleasing retail and business cener for the Valley. To that end, the three buildings will be constructed of concrete and brick instead of wood frame, and will include such “high-end” accent features as metal and canvas canopies and sconce lighting. While there is no specific demographic, Hovsepian said the development is designed to serve the community at large; not just Snoqualmie Ridge.

“We believe in building projects that we will hold for the long term and not sell,” said Hovsepian, who emphasized the Kollias family’s “long-term hold” philosophy. “We are not a merchant developer that builds, leases up and sells its projects,” he said.

“Long term, we want to add a positive aspect to the community with much needed service providers in a pleasant setting that serves the residents and the city well, while being responsible stewards of the land that is being developed.

“The project was designed to not only meet, but exceed the city’s design standards,” said Hovsepian. “The buildings will fit in very well with the small-town character and charm that Snoqualmie possesses. Each space will have a unique store front, right out on the main roadway [Better Way] with pleasant pedestrian areas and a very welcoming feel.”

For more information about Kimball Creek Village, contact Berge Hovsepian at (425) 637-2828 or berge@pallis.net, or Sandy Pody or Tiffini Connell with West Coast Commercial Realty at (206) 283-5212.