Madison Plaza Apartments on the rise in Kent

The Madison Plaza Apartments are on the rise in Kent, just under the large crane that shoots into the sky.

Crews are building a seven-story, 165-unit urban-style apartment building that will include five stories of residential units built atop a two-story parking garage and ground floor retail space, according to city documents. The complex is at 102 Madison Ave. N., between West Smith and West Meeker streets, just west of the Uplands Playfield Park and the Interurban Trail.

As proposed, the building is configured with entry points on three of the four frontage streets, with pedestrian-oriented entries and display windows along Madison Avenue and Meeker Street.

Pedestrian awnings, planters, benches and lighting are planned around all four sides of the building. Raised planter beds, benches, bike racks and trees located along the sidewalks will add utility, visual interest, privacy buffering between the residents and surrounding areas, and create a semi-public transition space between the building, sidewalks and adjacent streets and uses, according to city staff.

The approximately 300 square feet of retail space located at the southwest corner of the building will include a food and beverage use and will provide retail store frontage at Madison Avenue and Meeker Street. A two-story lobby is accessed from Madison Avenue via a main entrance featuring three entry doors, approximately 380 square feet of transparent glass windows, and contrasting wood siding material.

The building will also include an indoor fitness center, a game lounge and a 11,900-square-foot rooftop gathering and recreation space for use by residents of the building.

Construction started earlier this year and is scheduled to be done in summer 2021. Developer Imad Bahbah, a Kent architect, originally presented plans for the project to the city in 2016 with plans to open in 2018.

The Kent City Council granted the developer an eight-year multifamily tax exemption for the project in 2017. The developer still must pay taxes on the land value, but not on the building valuation. Mayor Dana Ralph signed the exemption in February 2018, and city staff issued a conditional certificate in May 2018 that is valid for three years and may be extended upon request by the developer, according to city staff.

Seattle developer Tarragon used the property tax break to build the Dwell at Kent Station Apartments, which opened in 2016. Auburn-based FNW Inc./Landmark Development Group received the exemption to build the 492-unit Ethos Apartments along West Meeker Street on the former city-owned Riverbend par 3 golf course. The first phase of the apartment complex has been built and the second phase is under construction.