Kent East Hill Operations Center nears finish line
Published 12:02 pm Wednesday, March 4, 2026
The first building of the Kent East Hill Operations Center (KEHOC) is nearing completion after more than 25 years of planning and site improvements.
The city of Kent’s primary maintenance and operations staff will be moving from the 16,636-square-foot facility on Russell Road to the 83,000-square-foot KEHOC facility on SE 248th Street later this spring. The long-term vision for the plan began in 1999, but was delayed due to economic hardships in the Great Recession, according to the city.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Public Works Deputy Director Dave Brock said. “We’re excited to move into the new space.”
The previous facility, built in 1968, housed 150 to 200 employees and, despite repeated renovations and repurposes, it no longer met operational, space, or efficiency needs for the growing city. The old building will be used by other departments currently in temporary spaces.
“Kent experienced significant growth over the past three decades, expanding from approximately 41,000 residents in 1993 to nearly 140,000 today,” said Kent Deputy Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Brian Levenhagen. “As the community grew, demand for essential services increased substantially.”
Kent Police Department also is in need of more space for long-term evidence storage, which was split between four separate locations. Updated retention laws mandate the department must hold on to evidence for up to 99 years or longer.
The new facility will hold the majority of the Public Works operations, a portion of police operations, centralized evidence, the Parks Department East Hill crew, the city’s data center, and the Emergency Operation Center for Public Works and Parks for coordinating efforts during emergencies. The center also was built to withstand earthquakes and remain operational.
Original plans for the site included three buildings roughly the size of the new building. If constructed today, that design is estimated to cost $120 million. The city was able to redesign and consolidate into two primary buildings.
“While design and construction efficiencies were realized, there was insufficient budget to fully develop the site at this time,” Levenhagen said. “Future phases of improvements will include a fleet maintenance building, fueling and vehicle wash facilities, as well as additional parking.”
Along with office space for employees, the building has locker and drying rooms for the staff to change out of dirty or wet work clothes, storage for needed supplies, training spaces and garages for large vehicles. Sustainable features of the new building include a rooftop solar array, smart HVAC and energy-efficient lighting systems, and 25 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Construction on the building began in 2024. The city procured the pre-engineered metal building early in the process to accelerate delivery. The $38 million project was funded through a combination of city reserves, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the metal building component, and “other financing strategies.”
Mayor Dana Ralph will deliver her 2026 State of the City address on March 19 at the new $47 million Kent East Hill Operations Center.
“This year marked the substantial completion of the Kent East Hill Operations Center or KEHOC, a $47 million investment that consolidates critical maintenance operations into a modern, efficient and sustainable facility designed to serve Kent for the next 30 years and beyond,” Ralph said in a recent video message about city accomplishments in 2025.
