The large crane at Kent Station will soon be coming down as construction of the new 154-unit apartment complex gets closer to completion.
“The crane for the apartments will be coming down on the 16th of September, which is a real milestone for the crews working on the building,” said Kristen Link, senior development manager for Seattle developer Tarragon, in an email about construction and marketing updates.
Tarragon has decided to call the complex Dwell at Kent Station. The five-story project along Fourth Avenue North and across from the Maleng Regional Justice Center is about half finished and expected to be done next May, Link said.
Construction will start this month on the exterior of the building and continue with unit window installation, some of which are already up, and wrapping of the building with the Tyvek, a protective covering, in preparation for applying siding, Link said. Siding materials will soon go up and bring together the façade of the apartments.
Interior work will continue with electricians pulling the service wires from the meter panels to the individual units. The sprinkler contractors have most of the building piped. Plumbing contractors have completed waste/vent piping throughout the complex.
Signage and a splash website page to market the apartments and a contact list for interested residents is underway and anticipated to be ready in late October, Link said. Pre-leasing for the building will not begin until early 2016. Tarragon has yet to reveal rental rates for the apartments, a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Link said rental rates will be determined early next year.
Amenities will include a rooftop deck, two large outdoor courtyards, garden plots, barbecue area, fire pits, a fitness center, community lounge, bike room, lobby and a dog run.
Tarragon will receive a property tax break each year for eight years from the city for building the complex.
The City Council approved an exemption in April for Tarragon on property taxes on the building valuation, which is estimated to cost the city about $25,000 a year in tax revenue. The developer still must pay taxes on the land value. The tax exemption will save Tarragon nearly $1.7 million over eight years as it also won’t have to pay building valuation taxes to schools, the Kent Regional Fire Authority, King County and other taxing districts. Tarragon will save an estimated $210,000 a year in property taxes, according to city staff.
The council approved a property tax exemption waiver in 1998 to encourage development downtown. No developer had taken advantage of the tax break until Tarragon applied for it in order to help fund building of the apartment complex.
The construction of residential units was part of the planned unit development for Kent Station agreed upon between Tarragon and the city when it approved the building of the shopping center. Tarragon finished the retail phases but had yet to build any residential housing at Kent Station.
When finished, Dwell at Kent Station will mark the second large apartment complex to open downtown. The Platform opened last year just south of the shopping center along Fourth Avenue. Many renters enjoy the nearby access to the Sounder commuter trains.
As far as the naming of the apartments, Link said Dwell was chosen because of its residential nature and its connection to the rest of Kent Station.
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