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Community Profile - Kent: A Nice Place to Live |
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Written On: February 2006 |
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Written By: by Paul Schlienz |
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Kent is a city with many advantages, including a great location, a strong industrial base and affordable housing. From the vantage point of State Route 167, Kent spreads out over its namesake valley, the floodplain of the Green River. On clear days, Mount Rainier, approximately 40 miles away, spectacularly dominates the southeastern horizon. The Kent Valley is predominantly industrial today, but was once full of truck farms owned and operated by Japanese immigrants who were tragically displaced by internment during World War II.
Kent was incorporated in 1890, making it the second oldest city in King County. From its inception, it was an agricultural support town. Originally, hops were the dominant crop. By the 1920s and the advent of truck farming, Kent was known as the "lettuce capital of the world."
With the 1963 completion of the Howard Hanson Dam, flood control came to the Green River, and the Kent Valley was secured for industrial expansion. Boeing immediately took notice of this opportunity and began constructing the Kent Space Center in 1964. Many other firms followed Boeing to the valley.
Growing Industrial Center, Historic Downtown
Boeing remains Kent's largest employer. Its Kent facility, most famous for developing the Apollo program’s moon buggy, employs 4,000 people. Today, Boeing develops its integrated defense systems in Kent.
Other major Kent employers include REI's corporate headquarters, Starbucks main West Coast roasting plant, Mikron Industries, the Hexcel Corporation and Sysco, a huge food distributor.
With more than 45 million square feet of industrial space, Kent is one of North America's largest warehousing and distribution centers. Nevertheless, Kent still has vacant land that is available for office and industrial development.
Kent has much to attract business. Its location — halfway between Seattle and Tacoma, and close to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — is ideal for distribution. Less obvious to a casual viewer, but equally important, is the fact that Kent's city government has created a supportive environment where business can thrive.
There is no city business and occupation tax in Kent. Neither is there a municipal head tax. In addition, the city has made it a priority to create and maintain an excellent road system that can support distribution.
Three nearby colleges — Auburn's Green River Community College; Highline Community College, straddling the boundary between Kent and Des Moines; and the Renton Technical College — provide Kent’s business community with employee training.
The heart of Kent is its historic downtown, adjacent to the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks, which provide another important north-south link to Seattle and Tacoma.
Like many downtowns, Kent's central business district suffered as retail shifted to suburban shopping centers. Downtown Kent lost both Penney's and Ben Franklin to newer commercial centers on the East Hill, the city's largest residential area.
Downtown Kent, however, never died, and is now undergoing a noticeable resurgence. The business district is full of traditional storefronts that go back to Kent's earlier incarnation as an agricultural support town. Boasting a wide variety of shops and restaurants, Kent’s old downtown is full of activity and commerce. Empty storefronts, that tell-tale sign of urban decay, are exceedingly rare.
Downtown Kent remains the city's center of government. City Hall, one of Kent's major employers, never left downtown and contributes mightily to the vitality of Kent's traditional heart.
During the 1990s, King County selected a site near downtown Kent to build its mammoth Regional Justice Center. This complex, including a courthouse and jail, employs approximately 700 people. In addition, the Justice Center generates a constant, daily flow of jurors, attorneys, expert witnesses and people who come to watch trials.
Cleverly, the City of Kent found a way to use the Justice Center to help revitalize downtown.
"One of the negotiation points the City of Kent had with King County was that there be no on-site cafeteria at the Justice Center," Nathan Torgelson, Kent's economic development manager, recalled. "We wanted the people at the courts to access restaurants around downtown."
Kent Station's Fast Track to the Future
Within walking distance of both the Regional Justice Center and Kent's old downtown is Kent Station, an entirely new retail/restaurant/entertainment district, which is expanding. Designed along the lines of a traditional business district with streets and storefronts, in contrast to a shopping mall, Kent Station is proving to be a popular addition to the city. Among Kent Station’s tenants are a 14 screen movie theater and 11 new eating establishments. In addition, Green River Community College operates a branch campus at Kent Station.
Much more is coming to Kent Station. Currently under construction are 85,000 square feet of retail space. Later additions will include residential development and an expansion of Green River Community College's branch campus. A large plaza — to be the site of community festivals, a farmer's market, and a summer concert series — is envisioned as a connection between Kent Station and the old downtown.
Kent Station takes its name from an actual commuter rail station, which is immediately adjacent to the movie theater. The station is Kent's point of access to Sound Transit's Sounder commuter rail line, which runs along the BNSF tracks between Seattle and Tacoma. With two trains running north and two trains running south each day, the service is extremely limited. Nevertheless, it has proven popular, and the trains are filled with passengers. Future plans include expanding the service to 18 trains per day.
Kent Station is attracting investment into Kent's downtown. Plans are already underway to build a $12 million hotel/condominium project in the old downtown.
Increasingly Diverse Hometown
Kent is also home to 84,210 residents. Housing costs are lower in Kent than in many Puget Sound communities, and Kent’s location is often ideal for two-income households.
"I have met couples in Kent where one works in Seattle and the other in Tacoma," Kent’s Mayor Suzette Cooke said. "Kent is the natural place for them to live."
The Kent School District's excellent reputation is a strong draw for families with children. Kent also has an extensive and nationally recognized parks and recreation system. The city’s big, annual festival, Cornucopia Days, always attracts crowds from far beyond the city’s boundaries.
Kent's population is also becoming increasingly diverse. Mexican restaurants and markets are a common sight in Kent. On the city's north side is the unique and fascinating Great Wall Mall, a retail/restaurant complex that caters to several East Asian ethnic groups. On the East Hill, plans are under way to build the India Gate Mall. Meanwhile, Kent’s Ukrainian population is growing and increasingly visible.
The future in Kent is bright. There is every reason to believe it will continue to grow in residents, commerce and amenities.
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