Sammamish Town Center breaks ground after years of delay
Since 2008, there has been an adopted city plan to develop the central core of Sammamish into a town center with retail, housing, and public transit, but it never came to fruition due to political opposition and legal disputes, leaving empty fields of prime real estate adjacent to city hall.
On May 18, city officials, community members, and the developer of the project finally gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction for the Sammamish Town Center.
“The vision for this town center is an example of how cities can create great places, walkable communities with housing, retail, dining and parks,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine at the groundbreaking event.
The projects being planned are located in the southwest quadrant of 228th Avenue SE and SE 4th Street, across from Metropolitan Market. The first phase includes 38 townhomes in a development called Brownstones West, which will be completed in the next 18 to 24 months. A second phase, subject to regulatory approval, will add 48 more townhomes, possibly built concurrently with phase one.
The construction for the core mixed use space is expected to commence in 2026 and will take 18 to 24 months to complete. In addition to 82,000 square feet of commercial space for restaurants and retail, this phase will include 300 multifamily residences.
Between the townhomes and the multifamily residences, approximately 20% of the units will be reserved for affordable housing for residents at 80% AMI (Area Median Income) or less. That is equivalent to 80 units.
Local leaders, including Constantine, U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, and Mayor Kali Clark, were on hand to shovel dirt at the groundbreaking. They also highlighted the upcoming affordable housing units in their speeches.
“The development of the town center is a fantastic opportunity for our community to grow in a sustainable way,” said Clark. “It allows us to concentrate our growth and provide much needed diverse, affordable housing choices.”
“I want to thank Sammamish and thank our developers for helping solve the tremendous challenge we have in housing in our region,” Constantine said.
Traffic congestion, infrastructure capacity, and environmental sustainability remain areas of concern for some residents. From 2019 to 2022, an anti-development council majority blocked the town center development and fought a lawsuit against the state to keep it from starting. But after a series of council member resignations in 2022, the council became more friendly to development and affordable housing.
Several residents showed up to the groundbreaking event to express their support.
“Housing is not just a local concern, rather a nationwide problem,” said Kamlesh Nanda, a resident who is in his early 50s. “We must make room for more reasonably priced homes to share our great schools and amenities and reduce environmental impacts by reducing the urban sprawl.”
Matthew Samwick, the CEO of Innovation Realty Partners, celebrated the milestone after spending years acquiring the land and working through the permitting process for the town center project.
“This is really an exciting day for us, but most of all, it is a day of gratitude,” said Samwick.
Disclosure: Innovation Realty Partners is a sponsor of the Sammamish Independent.
