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| Kirkland's Urban Plaza - a similar 6-story building is across from a "living street" / Credit Bob Yoder |
Check out this 6-story mixed-use building and it's architecture. See the use of glass for the façade? I'm sending this photo to the new Redmond Town Center owner asking him to seriously consider glass materials. The owner, Fairbourne, is building two 12-story buildings; I hope he will build with innovative materials and architecture. Residents crave a creative, sparkling downtown building that will make us proud to live here.
I've been told Google owns all the Urban Plaza land. A local office is on-site. Of course, they have deep pockets and can afford architecture that looks great. It makes me wonder why the city couldn't broker a deal between Microsoft and the previous RTC owner. What a huge opportunity. Well, we have Fairbourne instead. They're supposed to be a premier retail developer. Let's hope they know how to design outstanding buildings as well.
I believe Google purchased those buildings after they were designed and partially built.
ReplyDeleteBob, I lived in Kirkland when Kirkland urban was being designed and thought out. There was a lot of involvement in the community. Great concerns about step back still avoid large, blocky buildings and allows sunlight at street level and at the park levels. There was a lot of hope for better retail, to serve the community, which, of course, changed greatly from the time of inception to the time of near completion, but still fell far short…. No movie theater, no hardware store, no place to buy socks. Totem Lake has addressed more of that, I would like to see Redmond town Center to become more like they are. Enough housing nearby to keep the business is busy, and an eclectic interesting variety of Northwest inspired businesses, aong with some bigger stores to support at all. I’m not a huge lover of Kirkland urban, I think the density is too great, and the buildings too tall, and they don’t necessarily support a vibrant downtown as they create an environment where one doesn’t need to leave “the urban“. I predict when the weather turns, sour, most will choose to stay within the footprint, and not support the downtown businesses as so many had hoped. I truly hope I’m wrong, but I think it’s a fact of life here in the Northwest that we tend to stay closer to home when the weather is unfavorable. I hope that the Redmond town Center could come back to the experience. It was when it first opened, but shopping has changed. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea! Redmond need beautiful buildings like that to show we are modern and creative.
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