Kent Station office space for Social Security Administration a mistake

I was disappointed to learn the Social Security Administration has, or is about to, sign a lease for the top floor of the new building at Kent Station.

It is very expensive, Class A, office space. This is a waste of taxpayer money. It is also not the type of entity needed at Kent Station.

It will not generate tax for the City and will offer no draw to the downtown area. The City of Kent sold the property and offered other incentives with the expectation of tax revenue flowing from the new businesses. That is lost with the SSA at that location.

Further, the history of the office at its current location, about one mile from Kent Station, has repeatedly shown that a few “clients” who come to the office have a lack of disregard for the property (the current space is in horrible shape), and are aggressive toward others. I trust that the majority of those utilizing the SSA are good and honorable people and it is unfortunate when a few people cast a poor image.

Unfortunately, those few are likely to make Kent Station a less attractive place to visit for many others. If Kent Station develops a reputation as an unsafe location, it will destroy all that has been created.

My business considered space in that building approximately six years ago and we were informed that the SSA was not the type of neighbor that would be safe or desirable for our employees and clients.

There is plenty of nice space available in other parts of the City for significantly less money (more than 2/3 off the price of the Kent Station location). The historic downtown is in need of good-paying tenants and this may be a better location for the administration. Historic downtown is also much less expensive. Further, the Postal Service is attempting to sell the old post office in downtown Kent.

The square footage of the Kent Station property and the post office is nearly identical. Why not go there?

This type of needless spending exemplifies the waste that occurs all too often.

We as citizens are now required to tighten our budgets due to ecomomic conditions outside of our control, and our federal government needs to lead the way – and not spend money on the best office space it can find between Seattle and Tacoma.