A planned $135 million, 564-unit, market-rate apartment complex will dramatically change the look and the makeup of the West Hill in Kent.
The 12.5-acre development at 3101 S. 240th Street will include 10 buildings going up immediately west of Interstate 5 behind Lowe’s Home Improvement store. The apartments will be about one-quarter mile from the new Sound Transit Kent Des Moines Station for light rail when the Federal Way Link extension opens in 2026.
“We liked this location for multifamily housing given its proximity to the new transit light-rail station and the need for more housing in this area,” said Kathryn Joseph, real estate manager for Pahlisch Commercial, the Bend, Oregon-based developer, in a March 4 email.
Pahlisch has filed civil construction and building permits with the city of Kent for the vacant property.
“Timeline, if all goes well, would be to start before the end of this summer, otherwise it would start next year late spring,” said Joseph, who is based out of the company’s Vancouver, Washington office. “It would be about a three-year build.”
That puts completion around 2027 or 2028.
“I’m excited about this property,” said Kent City Councilmember Marli Larimer at a recent Committee of the Whole meeting. “I like that it has studios and three-bedroom units as well. That’s the type of housing we need in this area.”
The design includes 248 studio units, 151 one-bedroom, 143 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom units, according to Sam Alcorn, city senior planner. There will be several building types, two seven-story buildings with two levels of above-ground garage and five upper levels of living; two five-story buildings and six townhome-style units. A total of 675 parking spots will be available.
The project also plans to have a small commercial cafe and a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse with a pool and exercise area.
Seattle-based Studio Meng Strazzara is the architect for the project, the same company that designed the 365-unit Midtown 64 in Kent on West Meeker Street and the 492-unit Ethos Apartments along West Meeker in Kent across from the Riverbend Golf Complex.
Pahlisch has built numerous apartment complexes in the Bend and Portland areas of Oregon. In Washington, the company has completed a multihousing complex in Olympia and has one under construction in Vancouver.
Property tax exemption
To help acquire a market-rate apartment complex, the Kent City Council approved an eight-year property tax exemption for Pahlisch, the developer, on the value of the building. Taxes will still be required on the value of the land.
The council unanimously voted to approve the property tax exemption. The council approved similar tax exemptions for the development of the Ethos apartments across from the Riverbend Golf Complex, the Madison Plaza Apartments on West Meeker Street near downtown and the Dwell at Kent Station Apartments.
“The purpose of this exemption is for attracting residential growth adjacent to high capacity transit in the Midway area by the Kent Des Moines station, which is a core tenant of the city of Kent’s Comprehensive Plan, and the Midway Subarea Plan,” Alcorn, the city planner, said in a March 4 email. “Once the eight-year exemption is over, the city of Kent will benefit from the revenue generated by this development for the rest of its lifespan.”
The exemption, which kicks in once the project is finished, will save Pahlisch an estimated $143,100 per year or about $1.14 million over eight years, although the annual property tax on the land will change annually which will impact the cost, according to Alcorn.
The developer won’t have to pay building valuation taxes for eight years to schools, the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, King County, the city and other taxing districts.
Joseph said the property tax exemption helped the developer decide to build in Kent.
“The property tax exemption has been incredibly useful and played a key role in moving the project forward, as it helps lower overall costs and improve financial feasibility,” Joseph said. “By reducing the tax burden, the exemption allows for more flexibility in rent pricing, making the project more competitive while maintaining long-term viability.
“Additionally, it supports the ability to incorporate more affordable units or higher-quality amenities that may not have been possible otherwise. This incentive has been a crucial factor in ensuring the project aligns with market conditions and remains financially sustainable.”
A company called SUT 565, which is the developer out of Bend, bought the 12.5 acres for the project for $10.9 million in 2023 from Argus Investment Company, according to King County property records. The developer applied for an initial permit in 2022 from the city of Kent to build the apartments, according to a 2022 Kent Reporter article.
No sound barrier
Despite the apartments going up just west of I-5, no sound barrier will be built to curtail potential freeway noise.
“While this site is adjacent to I-5, buildings will be setback over 100 feet from the interstate,” said Alcorn, the city planner. “This project was reviewed by WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation) and WA DOE (state Department of Ecology) and it was determined that sound barriers are not a required feature in this circumstance.”
Second housing project
This is the second apartment project planned for the West Hill near the new Kent Des Moines light rail station.
Mercy Housing Northwest announced plans in 2024 for an $120 million project expected to include more than 220 affordable housing units, a six-classroom learning center, nearly 24,000 square feet of office and community space and approximately 4,000 square feet of retail/commercial space.
The Kent Multicultural Village is slated to go up in the 23600 block of Pacific Highway South between the highway and the light rail station. The village will be bounded by two new streets to the north and south, South 234th and South 236th.
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The apartments will be just one-quarter mile from the new Kent Des Moines Station for light rail, scheduled to begin in 2026. COURTESY IMAGE,
The apartment complex will feature several building types, including two seven-story buildings with above-ground parking on the first two levels. COURTESY IMAGE, Studio Meng Strazzara
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