Apartment complexes popping up in Covington

City has extensive plans to keep traffic moving throughout the city

If you live in or drive through Covington, it is no surprise that new apartment complexes are being built and traffic, at times, can be a nightmare.

A total of 526 new units are being built between three different properties and are set to open in the near future.

These are the newest additions to Covington’s housing and the first apartment complexes to be built in the city since the Adagio Apartments, Richard Hart said, Covington’s Community Development Director.

The only other apartment complex located near Kohl’s is home to 200 units.

Hart said there is little turnover at the Adagio Apartments.

They are usually 90 to 92 percent full at all times, he added.

“(These new complexes) will help from the standpoint of the market,” Hart said.

Cedar Springs

The more noticeable complex can be seen from state Route 516 across from the Red Robin.

This complex is called Cedar Springs and will house 170 of the new units.

This area will consist of studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments.

It will include a club house, recreation center, pool and a small wetland, pond, Hart said.

He said it is likely that Cedar Springs’ construction will not finish until late summer.

The Inland Project

The second area where two different properties are being built is called the Inland Project. The Project is located behind Safeway and is home to senior and affordable housing.

The senior housing is called Affinity and will house 156 units. Thirty two of those, Hart said, will be affordable housing. The units will range from studio, one and two bedrooms.

Applications are now being accepted for the senior living at Affinity. To contact Affinity with regards to reserving a unit, call 855-278-2729.

Keith James, Development Manager of the Inland Projects, said Affinity is expected to be more than half filled by the time the first phase opens in mid-May.

James added the complex is expected to be complete by the end of October.

The affordable housing is called Polaris.

Hart said the housing is for those with a moderate income which is 60 to 70 percent of the county’s average.

There will be 200 units in the Polaris complex and those will include studios, one and two bedrooms.

James said Polaris is set to open its first phase in mid-April.

The remainder of the complex will be complete by end of August, James said.

He added, applications are now being accepted for Polaris.

If interested, James said to call 425-358-2984.

Both the Affinity and Polaris complexes meet the city requirement for off site parking, Hart said.

Affinity has an underground parking area shielded by the buildings, away from the street.

He added that there will be ground floor retail space available under the Polaris complex.

In the future, this could include a restaurant, coffee shop or dry cleaners.

Hart added that there are no businesses set to be in the retail space at this time.

He said it is likely that it won’t be decided until the complex is complete.

The addition of senior housing will help the city, Hart said, because the 121 unit Covington Retirement Center has a waitlist for new residents.

Traffic Impact

“Anytime something new is built, it creates traffic issues,” Don Vondran said, Covington’s Public Works Director.

The city is armed with solutions to help traffic as much as they can with the addition of 524 new apartment units.

When Cedar Springs is finished, traffic will be able to turn right in and right out only, Vondran said.

A barrier will be built to prevent traffic from turning left out of the parking lot or letting vehicles block traffic on SR 516 waiting to turn into the lot.

In the next couple years, Vondran said, the city’s goal is to widen that stretch of SR 516 into five lanes. He said the project is 90 percent designed and they are planning to start construction next year. The city is working to purchase the right away and has been working with the Department of Ecology throughout the permitting process due to the fact that a bridge over Jenkins Creek will have to be built, Vondran said.

With the widening of the road, a turn lane heading westbound will be added and a U-turn option at the next light, by Home Depot, will be available for those wanting to head back into the city, he said.

Total construction time for the widening of the lanes on SR 516, Vondran said would be two summers, with the project finished in late 2018.

Due to environmental reasons, there are certain times of the year when construction can take place, he said.

“Not just widening lanes will help, alternate routes will, too,” Vondran said.

According to Vondran, roughly 30 percent of the traffic on SR 516 is passing through heading toward SR 18.

An alternate route that Vondran said the city hopes the 204th bypass will be complete in four to five years.

He said this would tie into the 256th exit on SR 18.

To address the traffic with the Inland Project, Vondran said the city will tie new roads into the round about near Valley Medical behind Costco.

He added, eventually the goal is to extend the road east to Wax Road.

Future Plans

Hart said the Kent School District is likely to move Covington Elementary to an area of land west of Kentwood High School if its bond measure passes.

The city has the first right to make an offer on the property and he added if the city were to purchase that area, the goal is to build a new town center.