The New Kirkland Parkplace

When complete, Kirkland Parkplace will include some 1.2 million square feet of technology-office space; 300,000 square feet of retail space; a full-service hotel; 3,500 underground parking spaces; and about 160,000 square feet of public space featuring art installations, landscaped areas, pedestrian walkways, and other parts of the “public realm”.

The new Parkplace will preserve many of the best elements of the current project while bringing a whole new energy to the downtown area through the creation of a dynamic, mixed-use neighborhood. Following are the specific details on the development as defined by the City of Kirkland, through its approval of Touchstone's Private Amendment Request and subsequent Design Review Board meetings over the past 18 months:

New Zoning

The Kirkland City Council unanimously approved a new-use zone (CBD 5A) for Kirkland Parkplace. It includes the following highlights:

Building Heights:

  • Buildings up to 8 stories except along Central Way, which allows buildings up to 7 stories; additional restrictions and substantial setbacks along Peter Kirk Park

Setbacks:

  • Front Yard Setback: 0-foot setback along Central Way and 6th Street to create an activated pedestrian environment
  • Park Setback: Minimum 55-foot setback along Peter Kirk Park

Special Regulations:

  • The gross square area of retail uses shall be equal to or greater than 25% of the gross square area of office uses

For more-detailed information on Kirkland Parkplace's new zoning guidelines, visit http://kirklandcode.ecitygov.net/CK_KZC_Search.html

Design Guidelines:

The final Design Guidelines and Master Plan for the Kirkland Parkplace redevelopment, now part of the Kirkland Municipal Code, is available in its entirety here. These guidelines were created using the 8 Guiding Principles for the project, derived from considerable input provided by Kirkland's Design Review Board, Planning Commission, and City staff, in addition to a number of community groups and residents throughout the area who attended open houses and other public meetings.

The project's Guiding Principles of Intent include:

  1. Emotional Ownership by the Community
    • Incorporate the project into the story of Kirkland
    • Enable meaningful community exchanges
    • Inspire unique experiences and discoveries
    • Promote the coalescence of Community, Culture and Commerce
    • Provide a 'transforming experience' vs. a 'transaction experience'
    • Include neighborhood retail
  2. Site Planning "Connections"
    • Include public spaces such as plazas
    • Create clear vehicular access and parking
    • Create strong emphasis on the streetscape
    • Support active public spaces
    • Provide clear and inviting public access
  3. Places for People
    • Create easily accessible public spaces
    • Develop spaces that vary in size and offer choices for all ages
    • Provide safety and comfort
    • Integrate into the social life of downtown Kirkland
  4. Enhance the Pedestrian Environment
    • Promote Walkability: network of internal and external pedestrian connections
    • Create visual interest for along the street
    • Incorporate rich variety of materials
    • Provide and enhance pedestrian circulation and retail continuity
  5. Integrate Vehicular Access and Parking
    • Minimize the visual presence of parked cars
    • Allow parking to be utilized during nights/weekends for benefit of community and downtown
  6. A Mix of Uses = A mix of Building Types
    • Create a variety of building types, scales, and materials
    • Express a three-dimensional quality to the public spaces
  7. Appropriate Massing and Scale
    • Create pedestrian spaces with access to sun
    • Address surrounding edges
    • Consider scale, massing, and detail of individual buildings
    • Express human-scale, detailed street level building façades
  8. Sustainability
    • Establish macro-scale/site sustainable strategies
    • Pursue building specific sustainable strategies
    • Encourage tenant-specific sustainable strategies

Click here to read the entire Master Plan and Design Guidelines document.