State of the City tracks Woodinville’s accelerating growth

Woodinville Mayor Mike Millman and City Manager Brandon Buchanan spoke at a State of the City presentation on Feb. 16 at Chateau Ste. Michelle winery. The presentation laid out the city’s rapid growth, particularly in the housing, commercial and recreational sectors.

Buchanan said the city intends to introduce at least 2,500 new housing units in the next five years to accommodate the expected 5,800 new residents.

“For a town of about 13,000, that’s pretty big,” he said.

Currently, five major housing developments are being constructed or expanded in the city: Woodin Creek Village, Eastrail Flats, Harvest Woodinville, Molbak’s Gardens District and Woodinville Townhomes.

Woodin Creek Village is expanding its downtown quarters with its Phase 3, 4 and 5 developments between Northeast 173rd Street and Northeast 171st Street. Phase 3 is currently under construction. Phases 4 and 5 will include 61 and 81 new residential units. The eastern edge of the development will be at the new Garden Way, an expansion of 138th Place Northeast that will run down to 171st.

Developers closed on the new Eastrail Flats in December. This mixed-use development, between Northeast 175th Street and Woodinville-Snohomish Road, will include 24,000 square feet of new retail space, 207 apartments and 64 townhomes. It also includes the extension of 133rd Avenue Northeast to Woodinville Snohomish Road.

The 20-acre Harvest Woodinville development in the Hollywood District at the intersection of Northeast 145th Street and Woodinville-Redmond Road. The upscale hub will feature various retail businesses, a 164-room hotel, 480 apartments, 31 townhomes and 45 farmhouses.

Molbak’s Gardens District is an ambitious, 20-year, five-phase project. It will include a reconstructed Molbak’s Home + Garden store, apartments, retail and office space and other undetermined features. In an interview with the Weekly last June, Molbak’s CEO Julie Kouhia said the district will feel like “a city in a garden.”

Woodinville Townhomes is under construction on Northeast 143rd Street at the intersection with 132nd Avenue Northeast. It will include 94 new residential units.

Also in development is the new 522 Innovation Center on 139th Avenue Northeast. This 170,000 square foot facility will be used for research, development and industrial purposes.

Parks and recreation projects are in development as well, like Wood Trails, a 53-acre forested park between the Warehouse District and Wellington neighborhood.

A stage and boat launch at Wilmot Park are in the design and permitting process, though construction for the project has not yet received funding.