TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle celebrates the holiday season with community service throughout the Puget Sound. In November, the local franchise assisted World Association for Children & Parents (WACAP), ARAS and Kent Downtown Partnership.

Last weekend TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® team members Scott Doyea and Anthony Roberts picked up items at WACAP and delivered them to the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle for the Children’s Hope Gala. Approximately 300 people attend this auction, raising $300,000 annually to help the organization find homes for abused and neglected children. On the event’s Facebook page, a volunteer posted this: “TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® rocks! We couldn’t have pulled off this auction without your help! Thank you!”

In addition to this event, team members Anthony Canfield and Colin Gibson worked with Mary Trask of the ARAS Foundation to coordinate pick-up and delivery of donated items for the organization’s annual Harvest Festival on November 19. This year’s event was held at the Highland Community Center in Bellevue. During this annual event, low income families can “shop” for food, clothes and toys and receive free services like haircuts. This is the third year TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle has participated in the event.

“This is a fun time of year for a lot of us, but many in the Seattle area are struggling this holiday season,” says Rick Clendenen of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle. “We like to help out where we can, particularly in the communities where we serve. These communities have been good to us, and we want to give back wherever we can.”

From November 26 to December 3, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle will also participate in the Find It In Kent Holiday Scavenger Hunt, a week-long event sponsored by Kent Downtown Partnership. The goal of the project is to celebrate local small businesses and to introduce local shoppers to Kent’s downtown businesses. “Hunters” pick up a passport and map at participating locations, visit each business to locate the special holiday nutcracker and then turn in their completed passports at the Kent Library to be eligible for prizes. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle is one of the stops on the map. To learn more about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle, visit them online at http://twomenandatruckseattle.com or call 253-656-4322.

About TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle:

The Seattle area franchise of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is owned by husband and wife team Rick and Glenna Clendenen. The firm serves the Seattle area out of offices located in Kent and Kirkland and actively participates in the communities it serves. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK© offers a full-range of residential and commercial moving services, senior move management, packing services, supplies and workshops. To learn more about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle, visit them online or call 253-656-4322.

Welcome the holiday season by participating in the inaugural Find It In Kent Holiday Scavenger Hunt. Sponsored by the Kent Downtown Partnership, this free, family-   friendly event encourages shoppers to come to downtown Kent to visit local businesses.

Shoppers will pick up a passport and map at participating locations, then go to each site to find a special holiday nutcracker. Upon locating the nutcracker, participants will receive a sticker to put on their passports. Everyone who completes and submits their entire passport by December 3 will be eligible for prizes including a suite at a Seattle Thunderbirds game, $200 2nd prize, $100 3rd prize and $50 for 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th prizes.

Find It In Kent Holiday Scavenger Hunt – Sponsored by Kent Downtown Partnership

Sat., Nov. 26 – Dec. 3, 2011

• Kick-off Celebration on Nov. 26, National Small Business Day
• Visit 20+ Kent businesses to find a special holiday nutcracker
• Get your passport stamped and submit completed passports for prizes!

Call Kent Downtown Partnership at 253-813-6976 or Dana Neuts of Virtually Yourz at 360-920-1737 for more information.

Sponsored by:

Duane Weber Insurance

Allegro Performing Arts Academy

Kent Reporter

Virtually Yourz

BDP Design

Minuteman Press of Kent

Pick up your Passport & Map at any of these participating businesses:

Maggie’s on Meeker
AAA Pest Control
Duane Weber Insurance
ShoWare Center
American Colleges of MMA
Doug Jones State Farm
Candy Bouquet
Seattle Thunderbirds
Tork Lift Central Hitch & Tow
Tork Lift Central RV
Two Men & A Truck
Central Ave. Mini Storage
Children’s Book Shop
Children’s Thrift Store
Christian Science Reading Room
Treasures
Kent Library  (passport drop off location)
Airways Brewing Co.
Allegro Performing Arts Academy
Valley Bank

Or download the Passport and Map here (two pages).

After many months of trying to regain control of the unfinished parking garage at 4th and Smith Streets in downtown Kent, folks like Kurt Hanson from the City of Kent’s Economic Development Department are excited to see progress. In fact, after all of the hard work to get rid of the garage, Hanson said at today’s KDP Downtown Breakfast Hour that he ate his lunch near the demolition site several days last week to watch the garage’s destruction.

“It was very therapeutic,” Hanson said.

In its place, a new development called Kent City Center Town Square Apartments is being planned. Owned by Goodman Real Estate, Studio Meng Strazzara is working on plans for the  a mixed-used development, an urban style apartment complex with retail space and resident parking, in Kent’s downtown core. As the designs currently look, the development will sit four stories high and include 164 apartments ranging from studios to two bedroom apartments. The focus of the development will be on residential living with a grand lobby entrance and amenities for residents and a rooftop terrace.

“This is exactly what downtown Kent needs,” explained Charles Strazzara, registered architect for Studio Meng Strazzara.

The design review and permitting process will begin in November with building starting as early as next summer. Construction is expected to take approximately 16 months, so start to finish, the Town Square Apartment project could be ready for leasing in about two years.

“We’re excited,” Strazzara said. “We’re all really committed to making this happen.”

I remember one of my very first encounters on the Sounder train, heading back to downtown Kent from a Seattle Mariners game. The man sitting next to me said, “I’m sorry,” as I got up for my stop. When I asked why, he said, “you live in the armpit of South King County.” That was several years ago, and I didn’t agree with him then. After all, I really do love Kent, and I’ve always thought it had a lot of potential.

After attending Kent Downtown Partnership’s Downtown Breakfast Hour this morning, I know he was wrong, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Business owners, managers, representatives from the city and community members gathered to hear about all of the growth in downtown Kent.

Here are just a few of the exciting things in the works:

- Demolition of the unfinished parking garage

- Development of Kent City Center, a mixed use property on Smith Street between 4th and 2nd Streets

- Opening of Cal’s Classic American, a new restaurant at Kent Station

- Opening of a second location for Airways Brewing Co. on Meeker Street

- Improvements to downtown buildings and streetscapes

Kent, Washington is not perfect. Like all cities, it has its brights spots as well as its blight. But it has character. It has passion. It has residents who love it and believe in its feature. I’m one of them. Are you?

The Kent Downtown Partnership has revised the Downtown Kent Dining Guide to include some of downtown Kent’s newest restaurants including Airways Brewing Company (opening in downtown Kent later this month) and Cal’s Classic American Tavern.

Click here to download a printable map and list of downtown restaurants.

Seattle, Washington, September 8, 2011 – True to the company’s motto “Movers Who Care,” TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle recently participated in two local events, showing their commitment to the communities they serve.

The first event was Big Truck Day, an annual event hosted by the City of Redmond. Now in its ninth year, Big Truck Day was held August 26 and featured 22 big trucks including police cars, an armored vehicle, a recycling truck, a school bus and a moving truck from TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle. More than 215 kids participated in this year’s event which was held at Farrel-McWhirter Parker.

“It’s an opportunity for kids to get up close and personal with the big rigs,” explains Cindy Johnson of the City of Redmond. “TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle was a great addition to our event. They had these darling little moving boxes shaped like houses.”

Tera-Rose Layton and Anthony Clendenen of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle participated in the event as well, passing out the moving boxes and letting the children and parents walk inside the truck. Layton says the kids enjoyed running up and down the ramp into the truck, as well as getting “hands on” experience inside and receiving the moving boxes for their own personal treasures.

In addition to Big Truck Day, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle participated in Kent Downtown Partnership’s (KDP) first ever Hot Rod & Custom Car Show on August 27. As a member of KDP, owners Rick and Glenna Clendenen wanted to support the event which drew 75 cars and brought residents and visitors to downtown Kent. They passed out cup holders, pens and other goodies to attendees.

“This is one of the reasons we love TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®,” says Rick Clendenen. “We not only get to know and help our customers, but we can also be active in communities in the Seattle area.”

To learn more about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle, visit them online at http://twomenandatruckseattle.com or call 253-656-4322.

The Seattle area franchise of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is owned by husband and wife team Rick and Glenna Clendenen. Originally from the Midwest, the couple moved to Western Washington to expand the popular moving franchise. The firm serves the Seattle area out of offices located in Kent and Kirkland. In addition to back-to-school moves, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK© offers a full-range of residential and commercial moving services including senior move management. The company also offers packing services, supplies and workshops.

For more information, contact:

Rick Clendenen
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK©
253-656-4322
Rick.Clendenen@twomen.com
http://facebook.com/twomenandatruckseattle
Twitter:  @TMAATSeattle

Kent, Washington, August 30, 2011 – Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to sip, shop and sparkle at the sixth annual Wine, Women, WOW! celebration, hosted by Kent Downtown Partnership. This year the event moves to Saturday, September 10 and features pampering, shopping, wine sipping, beer tasting, food sampling, live music and more.

Wine, Women, WOW! will be held at the Kent Senior Activity Center (600 E. Smith St., Kent) from 5 to 9 p.m. It will include many new features. One exciting addition to the event is the ManCave, a 32-foot mobile game theatre with the latest in video games, six 50-inch TVs, a cigar bar, cocktails and more. Sponsored by Clowns Unlimited and Games2U, the ManCave is open to both men and women.

In addition, Wine, Women, WOW! will include a one-hour VIP event preceding the main event. Sponsored by Heritage Bank, the VIP hour will run from 5 to 6 pm and VIP ticket holders will enjoy complimentary appetizers, a hosted cocktail hour, and the opportunity to preview the pampering and shopping vendors, along with a few extra goodies including a color-changing “blinky” glass.

The main event runs from 6 to 9 pm and will include a variety of pampering services and shopping opportunities, as well as wine sampling, beer tasting provided by Airways Brewing Company, hors d’oeuvres and delicious treats. As an added bonus, guests may purchase raffle tickets to win a beautiful diamond ring donated by Bonaci Jewelers, a getaway weekend from Hawthorne Suites and gift card trees featuring gift cards and other items from local businesses. Guests will enjoy live music jazz and blues by the Still Got It Band, sponsored by Hanis Irvine Prothero.

“Wine, Women, WOW! has always been a fun event, but we wanted to bring back that ‘girlfriend feel’ this year with more pampering and shopping,” explains Barbara Smith, Executive Director for Kent Downtown Partnership. “We’ve also added a VIP event and a ManCave to make our guests – men and women alike – feel extra special!”

Bonaci Jewelers is the presenting sponsor for Wine, Women, WOW! Other sponsors include Clowns Unlimited, Games2U, Kent Station, Hanis Irvine Prothero, Heritage Bank, Airways Brewing Company, Tents & Events Party Rentals, Kent Reporter, Virtually Yourz, Café Pacific Catering, Teresa Clark of Silpada Designs, Pearson Chiropractic, Marti Reeder of John L. Scott Kent-Covington, Judy Woods, Valley Bank and MultiCare.

VIP tickets and tickets to the main event, including the ManCave, are available by calling Kent Downtown Partnership at 253-813-6976. VIP tickets are $50 and tickets to the main event are $25 in advance, or $5 additional at the door. Raffle tickets will be available for $5 with special pricing for multi-ticket purchases. For more information about the event, including a current list of sponsors and vendors, please visit http://winewomenwow.com.

All proceeds from the event benefit Kent Downtown Partnership, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. KDP’s mission is to develop and promote a vibrant downtown. To learn more about KDP, call Executive Director Barbara Smith at 253-813-6976 or visit http://kentdowntown.org.

For more information, please contact:

Barbara Smith, Executive Director
Kent Downtown Partnership
202 W. Gowe St.
Kent, WA  98032
253-813-6976
barbaras@kentdowntown.org
www.winewomenwow.com

Contributed by Lori Nevin of Urbia Fresh Cafe:

ANOTHER BUSINESS CLOSING IN DOWNTOWN KENT

 August 22, 2011, Kent, Washington — In an open letter to the Kent Community, Urbia Fresh Café would like to thank each and every one person that visited the Cafe over the last year. The business grew 53% while operating costs were lowered by 40%. The Urbia Connections Program contributed to eleven community organizations helping with support in over $2500 in cash and products. Urbia hosted many ad-hoc business meetings for Kent, and three ongoing meeting groups. Urbia participated in the Mayor’s initiative Kent 4 Health, the Kent Chamber of Commerce, and Kent Downtown Partnership.

The Cafe operated at 30% capacity. It needed to be at least 50% within the first year to continue. Therefore, this month the Café ends regular business hours and the shop is closing August 31. Urbia sends sincere thanks to those of you who were brave enough to try out yet another new restaurant at this location. Urbia will miss you all and provides a recommendation for independently owned restaurants: Maggie’s on Meeker, Golden Steer, or Pat’s Bar and Grill. These owners contribute greatly to the Kent community.

Please do your part to carry the vision of transforming downtown Kent, the sixth largest city in the state. Don’t wait until another downtown business is gone. Be a part of making Kent downtown lively again not just by spending your money locally or frequenting the national chains, but take walks through downtown, sit in the Town Square or on a corner bench, even go in to look in the independent shops and just meet the business owners. Find out how they contribute as your neighbors making a difference for downtown Kent.

Realtor® Marti Reeder of John L. Scott has been awarded the CRS designation – Certified Residential Specialist – by the Council of Residential Specialists, an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors®.  Reeder adds this designation to three others:  Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR), Accredited Sellers Representative (ASR) and Certified Foreclosure Specialist (CFS).

The CRS designation is earned by exhibiting the highest standard of ethics, achieving a high level of professional experience and sales, managing residential transactions and maintaining strong technical skills to keep up with today’s ever-changing real estate market. Fewer than 4% of Realtors® have earned the CRS designation. Reeder qualified for the designation by executing more than the minimum requirement of 75 transactions in the last five years plus the completion of numerous hours of continuing education courses in the field of residential real estate. As a Certified Residential Specialist, Reeder has specific training and expertise to help clients buy and sell their homes.

“I want my clients to know that I take my job – and their homes – very seriously,” Reeder said. “This is one more credential that exhibits my commitment to learning all I can to help them with their purchase or sale.”

Reeder is a broker/real estate agent with John L. Scott in Kent-Covington. She is an award-winning Realtor®, earning presidential honors from John L. Scott the last four years and “Best in Kent” in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Last December, Reeder also received the “Five Star Real Estate Agent, Best in Client Satisfaction” award from Seattle Magazine.  In addition to her work, Reeder is active in the Kent community as a member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Kent Downtown Partnership and Noon Kiwanis Club. This summer she is sponsoring a Relay for Life team called Friends 4 Life to earn money for cancer research.

For more information about Reeder, visit http://www.marti-realtor.com or http://johnlscott.com/martireeder. You can also find Reeder on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Biznik and YouTube.

Ladies, mark your calendars for a fun evening of wine tasting, shopping, pampering and guaranteed girltime! The Sixth Annual Wine, Women, WOW! is scheduled for Sat., Sept. 10 at the Kent Activity Center. This year’s WOW! begins with a one-hour VIP event from 5 to 6 pm, with the main event beginning at 6 pm and running until 9 pm. It will feature Washington wines, shopping from local merchants and pampering from some of your favorite area salons. And this year we’re giving the men what they asked for – a Man Cave.

The event is hosted by and benefits Kent Downtown Partnership, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting and growing a vibrant downtown Kent.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Wine, Women, WOW! online or contact KDP at 253-813-6976.

Wine, Women, WOW!
Sat., Sept. 10, 2011
Kent Activity Center, 600 E. Smith St., Kent, WA

VIP Event:  5 – 6 pm
Main Event:  6 – 9 pm

Commercial real estate broker Chad Gleason recently announced that he has started his own commercial real estate firm, Gleason & Co., in Kent and Renton. As a full-service commercial realtor, Gleason provides property management, landlord representation, tenant representation and investment analysis services to businesses and property owners throughout the Puget Sound.

After four years with Retail Realty Services, Gleason left the Renton-based firm in January on amicable terms, stating that he was ready to fill the growing void in the Seattle-Tacoma-South King County area. Gleason provides a full range of commercial real estate services for small to mid-sized companies that utilize retail, office, industrial or multi-family space. Though other agencies service the same territory, Gleason focuses on personalized, one-on-one service and enjoys working in historic downtown communities like Kent and Renton.

“No one here is providing property owners with the service they need; everyone deserves first class service,” Gleason explains.

In addition to commercial real estate services, Gleason often serves as a project manager, connecting his clients with a team of experts like attorneys, property managers and other businesses who provide complementary services.

“I’m looking after my clients’ businesses all day long, so they can focus on what they do best,” Gleason says. “We make the connections so all of the pieces fit.”

In addition to managing Gleason & Co., Gleason is an active member of the Washington State chapter of CCIM in Kirkland and is a member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Kent Rotary and Kent Downtown Partnership. He is teaching a free leasing workshop as part of the business incubator series in Federal Way next month.

For more information about Gleason & Co., contact Chad Gleason at 253-656-5357 or chad@gleasonandco.com or visit him online at http://gleasonandco.com. Gleason can also be found on Facebook (http://facebook.com/gleasonandco and Twitter (http://twitter.com/gleasonandco).

With a backdrop of warm weather and sunny skies, Kent Downtown Partnership’s inaugural Autumnfest 2010 was a big success. From 4 to 8 pm yesterday, Kent residents and visitors attended the event which was intended to provide free entertainment as well as to expose shops, restaurants and businesses in the Kent Historic District. More than 20 businesses and organizations participated in the event, which drew more than 100 to the downtown core.

“Very nice evening. Weather was perfect, everything was so festive. Thanks to all the shop owners for staying open late. We had a wonderful time,” said Carol Briscoe on Facebook.

Participating businesses were flagged with Smiley Face balloons, announcing to guests that they had wine samples, beer samples, tasty treats or a combination of the above. Visitors checked in at the KDP Information Booth at Kherson Park to receive their invitation and passport and to have their ID’s checked. Using the passport as a guide, folks took a self-guided tour through the Kent Historic District, having their passport initialed at each of 18 stops. By visiting at least 12 businesses, participants became eligible to win a $100 gift card to be used anywhere downtown. In addition, Project U(th) hosted activities and a babysitting service for kids. They sold ice cream, pizza and soda as a fundraiser, and did karoake and other activities with local children.

At Kherson Park, live music was provided by 7 Second Delay along with dance performances by South Side Dance Force. Here’s a photo of the dancers in action, displaying a Zumba routine.

“Drove down from Snohomish to enjoy this “party.” Had a great time meeting shop owners and meeting in person friends from Facebook. Thanks, KDP, for stepping out and putting this event on,” Tom Dealy said.

Thanks to the Kent Downtown Partnership, local businesses and merchants and KDP board members who helped put on the event. Participating businesses included:

• Kent Downtown Partnership
• Management Accounting Specialists
• Project U(th)
• South Side Dance Force
• 7 Second Delay
• Cheryl’s Unique Boutique
• Fig and Feather
• Creamery Art Gallery & Frame Shop
• Treasures
• Maggie’s on Meeker
• Manderly Consignment & Gifts
• Pottery-fic Studio
• Lemon Drop Skin Care & Massage
• Perk Up Place
• Titusville Trading Co.
• Airways Brewery
• Intimate Pilates
• NW Electrology
• Petrik Photography Studio
• Earthworks Gem Design Studio
• Pat’s Bar & Grill
• Kelsey Keener, Edward Jones Investments

Event sponsors:  Kent Downtown Partnership, Umpqua Bank, Virtually Yourz, Cheryl’s Unique Boutique and Lemon Drop Skin Care & Massage Studio

Join downtown merchants and performers to celebrate autumn with Kent’s first ever Autumnfest 2010. Set for Friday, September 24 (4 to 8 pm), visitors to downtown Kent will enjoy live music, performances by South Side Dance Force, wine and beer tastes, tasty snacks, a scarecrow decorating contest, kids’ activities and much more!

Stop by the KDP information booth at Kherson Park (corner of 2nd and Gowe) to get your event invitation, passport and map and to have your ID checked (wine and beer “tasters” must be 21 or older to participate). Place your vote for your favorite scarecrow and get your passport stamped to be eligible to win a $100 shopping spree in Kent’s Historic District.

Participants to date include:

Airways Brewery
Cheryl’s Unique Boutique
Creamery Art Gallery & Frame Shop
Earthworks Gem Design Studio
Edward Jones
Fig & Feather
Kent Downtown Partnership
Intimate Pilates
Lemon Drop Skincare & Massage
Management Accounting Specialists, Inc.
NW Electrology
Pat’s Bar & Grill
Perk-Up Place
Petrik Photography
Pottery-fic
Rainy Day Treasures
South Side Dance Force
Titusville Trading Company
Treasures
Vitality Chiropractic

Call KDP at 253-813-6976 or visit Cheryl Wright at Cheryl’s Unique Boutique, 406 W. Meeker St., for more information or to learn how YOU can participate!

[Volunteers needed to work the KDP booth and to pour "tastes" at participating merchants.]

Sponsors include Kent Downtown Partnership, Umpqua Bank, Cheryl’s Unique Boutique, Virtually Yourz and Lemon Drop Skincare & Massage.

Contributed by Melanie Mosshart

Sunshine!  Lots and lots of sunshine.  That alone will bring Kent residents out from hiding in their homes for fear of getting wet in the rain-drenched Kent Valley.  On Saturday, June 26^th however, not only were people fleeing from their homes to get outside, they actually enjoyed getting wet ~~ in the fountain downtown!

What curious event brought mommies, daddies, children and even dogs in droves to the Kent downtown area?  The captivating and exuberant Kent International Festival, that’s what.  It wasn’t the sunshine alone this time urging people to get out and go.  What a glorious day to partake in the second annual International Festival in conjunction with the Kent Farmers Market in downtown Kent.

Children splashed, vendors vended, cooks cooked, and dancers danced!  The Kent International Festival offered a variety of entertainment, food and an assortment of unique items with an international flair.

Kent’s Farmers Market started on a little plot of land near the Library with perhaps 8 booths, each housing the fruits of local growers and craftsmen. The Kent Farmers Market has grown substantially since its inception, and is a grand mixture of photography, crafts, colorful flowers, fresh garden vegetables and plants in addition to a diverse array of distinctive gifts for every taste.

Taste?  Did I mention taste?  The International Festival touted delicious food, whether your taste buds were craving hot dogs, Mexican, Indian, Thai or Teriyaki, food booths filled the air with the tempting aromas of your favorite cuisine, enticing wanderers to wander over for a plateful of delectable delights.

Delight?  Yes indeed, the dancing was decidedly delightful and the crowds enthusiastic with each and every entertaining event.  There were dancers representing Ireland, India and Chili to name a few, bringing broad smiles to the throng of onlookers.  In addition, the martial artists, drummers and various variety acts truly gave the event its international flavor.  And of course, our littlest dancer brought many a chuckle and applause as she twisted, dipped and tapped her toes with the music like the women on stage that she so enthusiastically emulated.

Representative Dave Upthegrove could be seen coaching the dancers and encouraging the crowd to support the efforts of Harpreet Gill, the chair woman of this successful event.  As a Kent resident, I took great pride in showing off Kent’s International Festival this weekend to a visitor from San Jose, who was duly impressed as well.  I was so pleased to have heard about the festivities through local vendors, because I hadn’t been aware of it before.  I have marked my calendar to watch for next year’s festival, and my suggestion is that you do the same; because if you are able to attend next year with me, I have no doubt that you too will be captivated by Kent’s tribute to a diverse culture and community.

Kent Downtown Partnership (KDP) hosts its next Downtown Breakfast Hour on Friday, June 4 at the ShoWare Center’s Club Lounge (625 W. James St., Kent).

Networking begins at 7:15 a.m., followed by Mayor Suzette Cooke’s thought for the day, an update from the City of Kent, a rundown on KDP’s upcoming events, safety & security committee information and community starz awards. In addition, Kirk Davis from GRCC’s Small Development Center and Mark Albertson (Albertson Law) will present “Out Compete, Get More Customers.”

For more info. or to RSVP, contact KDP at 253-813-6976 or via email.

This KDP event is being sponsored by:

Suzanne Cameron, Around the Clock, Inc.
Roland & Company, CPA PS
Judy Woods, Friend of Kent Downtown Partnership

On Thursday, March 4, the Kent Downtown Partnership hosted a property owners and commercial real estate agents’ meeting at Bittersweet Restaurant. Sponsored by Valley Bank, the breakfast meeting drew about 55 community members including downtown property owners, commercial brokers, property representatives, business owners, city officials and KDP board members. The mood was enthusiastic and participants were eager to hear what the city is working on in terms of economic development in downtown Kent.

After a welcoming statement from Valley Bank’s Mike Miller and the introduction of participants, Kent’s Economic Development Director Ben Wolters took the floor to discuss the city’s recent successes. He noted the Regional Justice Center, Kent Station, the rail station and ShoWare Center as having been some of the area’s most significant recent developments.

“The city has tried to attract businesses that are game changers,” Wolters said.

He further noted that the ShoWare Center has only been open for 15 months, and has already attracted more than 400,000 visitors to its hockey games, concerts, business fairs and other community events. These numbers are likely to escalate with the addition of the Kent Predators, Kent’s new IFL expansion team. The Predators play their first home game at ShoWare Center on Friday, March 12.

“Looking forward, the city is looking at another game changing opportunity,” Wolters added.

The targeted project is to build a facility for the Federal Aviation Administration which could potentially bring 2,000 employees to Kent – within half a mile of the downtown core. Currently, a dozen municipalities are competing to be considered. The first phase of the process is submitting a letter of interest to the GSA and FAA. The City of Kent has done that and hopes to provide a more detailed proposal in May. If the city advances to the next level of the bidding process, the city will make a presentation and proposal in August, with the final decision coming in December.
Other key projects in the works include Tarragon’s expansion of Green River Community College at Kent Station.

“Tarragon just completed a huge expansion of GRCC, with hundreds of new students, and a lot of energy, excitement and new opportunities,” Wolters said.

He also gave an update on the half-completed parking garage at Smith and Fourth which he called “an incredible legal soap opera.” The property is now in the hands of Washington Federal Savings. To date, there has been some interest in buying that space for office use, but there is no time frame for resolving the issue, developing that property or selling it.

Another meeting highlight included the city’s completion of Town Square Plaza which was an attempt to bridge the historic downtown district with Kent Station. Wolters noted there is still a gap between the two areas, but the city is hoping to do more integration. Wolters also commented that First Avenue is becoming a destination in downtown Kent, with its own personality and flavor.

Wolters said, “It shows what is possible in the rest of downtown if property owners and businesses come together. We are changing the market perception of this place.”

Wolters opened the meeting for questions and comments, and invited property owners to voice their concerns as well as the potential for opportunities. Participants asked about the status of the Howard Hanson Dam, potential flood risk, lack of parking, need for additional ball fields and an aquatic center, the Farmer’s Market, the need for housing in downtown Kent and more.

“What is the long-term vision for downtown Kent?” asked Paul Morford. “The city needs to take on parking. It needs to increase parking on a large scale.”

Wolters wrapped up the meeting by inviting participants to contact him directly with their concerns and ideas. A follow-up meeting is planned for later this spring. To offer your input, contact Ben Wolters at 253-856-5703 or via email.

Earlier this week the Kent Downtown Partnership and other downtown associations across the state issued press releases about the possible elimination of the Main Street program.

Despite the importance of the program to communities like Mount Vernon, Walla Walla and Kent, Governor Christine Gregoire has proposed eliminating the Main Street program from her 2010 budget. This loss of funding and state support could mean the dwindling of downtown associations statewide, further dampening local economies throughout the state.

For more information, visit the KDP blog for the full text of the press release and contact information for Barbara Smith, executive director for the Kent Downtown Partnership, an affiliate member of the Main Street program.

In a story in the Kent Reporter dated November 5 by reporter Steve Hunter, the community learned that the flood risk for the Howard Hanson Dam has dropped dramatically from early predictions. According to the article, a recent fix to the dam dropped the Green River Valley’s chance of flooding from a 1 in 3 chance to 1 in 32. Compared to the 1 in 140 chance offered by an undamaged dam, this risk is dramatically reduced, but a high risk of flooding still exists.

Read the full story here.

Thanks to the Kent Downtown Partnership for sharing this story.

October 5, 2009
For Immediate Release

Kent Businesses Encourage its Customers to “Find It In Kent” a New Shop Local Campaign

Kent, WA October 5, 2009 – Local consumers are urged to “Find It In Kent” as part of a just-launched campaign to remind them about the benefits of spending locally.

Development of the campaign was a team effort by the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Kent Station, the City of Kent, Kent Reporter and the Kent Downtown Partnership.

The theme of “Find It in Kent – We Have What You Want” will be featured at local businesses in the form of flyers, window decals, and inserts in shopping bags.  The Kent Reporter will also have ads featuring the central theme.

As well as being urged to spend locally, shoppers are encouraged to visit www.Facebook.com/FindItinKent site. There, they can enter comments and impressions about shopping in Kent, the “it” they found, and be entered to win prizes such as Kent Station gift card, Kent Reporter movie package, a Kent Chamber gift, and a KDP gift certificate.

A downtown rally to promote the campaign is scheduled from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13. Campaign promoters will have signs to wave and display, starting from the corner of James and Central and dispersing from there. At 7 p.m., all the rally participants will gather at the ShoWare Event Center to attract the attention of people attending the Thunderbirds Hockey game.

The partners of the shop local campaign will have decals and posters available for local businesses wishing to participate. “We want to remind shoppers just how important it is that they look locally for whatever ‘it’ is their heart desires,” Smith of the KDP said.

The benefits of local spending outlined in the Kent campaign include: Spending locally invests in our future, supports our schools, maintains our parks, fixes our roads, sustains and creates local jobs. “This is a solid way to support your local community,” Keikkala of Kent Chamber said.

Kent businesses and community members are encouraged to use the materials produced and to join the rally on the evening of October 13. For more information or materials, contact any of the following:

Kent Chamber – Andrea Keikkala, andreak@kent.chamber.com, 253-854-1770

Kent Station – John Hinds, jhinds@KentStation.com, 253-856-2301 x 100

Kent Downtown Partnership – Barbara Smith, barbaras@kentdowntown.org, 253-813-6976

Kent Reporter – Polly Shepherd, PShepherd@KentReporter.com, 253-872-6600

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