The LakePointe project in Covington is on the road to leaving the picture page and becoming a place to shop, eat and live.

The 212 acres previously known as the Hawk family property, was home to the Lakeside gravel mine and an asphalt batch plant.

Colin Lund, director of development for Oakpointe, the development firm for the project, presented an overview to the City Council July 14. Oakpointe was founded by the Kirkland-based YarrowBay Group in 2000.

The LakePointe site is located off state Route 18 at Southeast 256th Street.

The plan for the property according to a release from Oakpointe is “a social focal-point that serves as a retail center, urban park and community gathering place.”

The plan is for restaurants, “entertainment venues, hospitality, professional and healthcare services.”

According to Oakpointe along with retail, hotel and office, 1,500 homes are planned along with parks and trails, “centered around a 20-acre lake.” There will be a peninsula extending into the lake with a pavilion park, shops and restaurants planned.

Oakpointe is in the process of petitioning to annex two parcels of the property into the city. The land to be annexed is about 80 acres and is in unincorporated King County. The balance of the 212 acres is already inside the city limits and the city’s urban growth area.

According to the city’s website the 80 acres are at the “northeastern edge of the city and classified in the Comprehensive Plan as Potential Annexation Area 1.”

More details about the project details, annexation process and timeline will be reported in subsequent issues.