Kirkland also has some wonderful advantages, both natural and man-made. We have the waterfront, Lake Washington,

and a marina at our back door.   We have wonderful parks along the waterfront and throughout the city. 

 Kirkland is a very ”people friendly” town with great demographics.  The boulevard along the water is a great place to walk.  Marina Park,

downtown’s great waterfront park and beach, is mobbed with people in nice weather. (A little too cold today as it was only about 33 degrees.) Downtown is also hopping with people enjoying our restaurants,  galleries, and trendy shops. 

 However, the city of Kirkland has some questions to answer as to how downtown and Parkplace development will go.  Downtown Kirkland is at a crossroads with its growth and development.

Dr. Robert Gibbs spoke at Kirkland City Hall on Monday evening and posed these questions to help Kirkland think about its future:

• What do we want Kirkland to look like over the next ten years? 
• How much market share do we citizens want to have in the downtown?
• How much do we want to be a place for others to come share Kirkland?
• Do we want big box stores?  Do we want big box stores if the stores can have a tasteful presence?
• Do we want independent stores?

These are pretty important questions with a lot to think about.  Right now Kirkland downtown retail captures only 6% of the shopping potential out there.  People head over to Redmond Town Center

or Bellevue Square to buy their socks, shoes, and  undies.

• What part of the other 94% do we want?

Here’s what Dr. Gibbs suggested we need to think about  for our future downtown city core:

• Convenient parking and good on street parking
• Clear parking signs
• Beautiful and inviting shop windows with great merchandise on display
• Inviting, well organized shop interiors.
• The flexibility to walk short distances from the car to retail stores
• Well lit shopping areas for safety.
• Type of retail-the choice of stores is critical.

Here are some other thoughts Dr. Gibb shared with the group:

• Anchor stores will be the key. 
• Many retailers will modify their style to fit what is desired. 
• Our retail center and stores will need to be built to accommodate these choices. 
• Mixed use planning with offices and hotels will support retail.
• Red, my favorite color, is a great choice to encourage people to shop.
• (The color red may explain my love of shopping)

I have mixed feeling about the possible development, as I mentioned in a previous post, but if we manage our growth and make choices that have the most benefit to the most people, the changes can be exciting for the city.

There’s time to make your thoughts  known. The next Design Review Board meeting is scheduled at Kirkland City Hall on February 4th, 2008. To receive Parkplace updates from the city, sign up on-line. Contact the city council,  and, of course, feel free to give your opinions here! Oh by the way, Robert Gibbs has been hired to consult on the proposed Parkplace development, a very good thing!