An extant asset
Until recently, making the trip from Seattle to the eastern suburbs of the metro area on the other side of Lake Washington was a little bit of a trek. Now that Sound Transit’s 2 Line makes a quick crossing across that deep body of water possible, I plan on making the sojourn more often. And very recently, I did for the first time to Redmond Town Center.
1- The entrance to Redmond Town Center along 166th Avenue. 2 to 7- The shops lining 166th. 8- The former Macy’s store.
After a scenic ride on the world’s only rail line built on a floating bridge while Mount Rainier watched over us from the south, I rode all the way to the end of the new line past Bellevue’s ever more impressive skyline and Microsoft’s headquarters. And the final station is situated just across the street from Redmond’s largest retail facility.
Redmond Town Center lease plan ca. 2011. View the full PDF version here.
Having only been once before, more than a decade earlier, I noticed that Redmond Town Center hadn’t changed much save for some of the nameplates. The street running through the main corridor had been closed off to traffic and there was no longer a department store anchor, but for the most part the complex was just as I remembered.
The eastern end of Redmond Town Center’s main walkway along 74th Street.
On this trip I was surprised to see that even though it was Easter and most of the stores were closed for the day, a large number of people were walking its corridors. It was evident that, even though Redmond Town Center may not be a smashing retail success story like Alderwood or Southcenter, it definitely has its place in the community.
Redmond Town Center pamphlet ca. 2018. View the full PDF version here.
Redmond Town Center opened in 1997 between the core of central Redmond and Bear Creek. However, planning for the two-level, fully open air shopping complex began far off in the previous decade with plans that were much different from the retail facility standing today.
Redmond Town Center’s expansive, circular center court.
The first mention of a shopping center being placed at the site was nearly two decades earlier in 1978. That was when the former Redmond Golf Course was purchased by development company Winmar for a more conventional, fully enclosed facility to be built.
Redmond Town Center pamphlet ca. 2022. View the full PDF version here.
With the project finally getting the green light in 1988, the original monolithic structure was slated to include four department store anchors. These names included local labels Frederick & Nelson and The Bon Marché with national retailers Mervyn’s and JCPenney occupying the other two spots.
In the early nineties, however, the project was delayed indefinitely due to the bankruptcies of both of the Seattle based brands. However, while Winmar’s attention had been redirected to other projects within the company’s portfolio, there was still more than a small amount of interest in placing some sort of retail based destination on the property.
1 to 3- The lower level of the corridor leading from center court to the main entrance off of 73rd Way. 4 to 6- Redmond Town Center’s main entrance and façade facing the south. 7 to 11- The upper tier of the walkway just inside of the main entrance. 12- The northern stub leading to the parking deck.
Using the development of Seattle’s University Village as a template, Winmar decided to reimagine Redmond Town Center as a fully open air plaza in order to better integrate it with the city’s downtown core. The new design would focus more on junior anchors and smaller shops rather than traditional department stores.
Redmond Town Center pamphlet ca. 2024. View the full PDF version here.
Five years after being resurrected, the Redmond Town Center of today made its debut with more than 100 stores, several hotels and only one traditional department store. The Bon Marché, having survived their brush with bankruptcy, was located just to the main project’s east across 166th Avenue NE.
The western end of Redmond Town Center’s main walkway along 74th Street.
The Bon Marché’s tenure was a short one as, shortly after their takeover by Federated Department Stores just after the turn of the millennium, their nameplate was changed to The Bon-Macy’s. By the decade’s mid-point, the first two words were dropped leaving only Macy’s adorning the store’s façade.
Redmond Town Center Mallmanac ca. 2026. View the full PDF version here.
Macy’s departed for good in 2018 and, with nearby competitor Bellevue Square still seeing plenty of patronage and their accompanying dollars, it was apparent that no other department store would take its place. Just a few years later, the building was converted into offices for Amazon and the structure no longer appears on any of the center’s on site directories.
1 to 6- Redmond Town Center’s stores and Marriott Hotel along 164th Avenue. 7 & 8- The newly built Downtown Redmond Station of Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail 2 Line.
Today’s Redmond Town Center has found its niche as a hybrid facility hosting retail names such as Asian grocers H-Mart, Daiso, The Gap, White House | Black Market and Zumiez alongside medical clinics, dance studios and professional offices. This should ensure that the hub of downtown Redmond should stick around for a while.
References
Town Center -- Across The Tracks From Downtown Redmond, A Mall That Looks Like ... Downtown Redmond