Big new apartment complex anchors Broadway’s transformation

EVERETT — Under construction for nearly two years — and in the works for nearly five — a 140-unit apartment complex will open this fall in Everett’s Broadway corridor.

Construction workers are putting the final touches on the seven-story project, Kinect @ Broadway, at 3214 Broadway, south of 32nd Street.

This week the project’s owner and developer, American Capital Group, said it expects to complete construction by September.

The hard-to-miss building, in shades of gray, blue and yellow, fronts Broadway, with a main entrance flanked by a covered alcove and landscaped seating area.

The market-rate apartments add another bloc of high-density housing to Everett’s downtown, the Everett Station transit center and the southern portion of the Broadway corridor.

Ed Petersen of non-profit Housing Hope said the south end of the Broadway corridor has finally begun to pop.

“The transit center opened it in 2002 with the idea of people living nearby,” Petersen said. “Now we’re getting some momentum in that area.”

HopeWorks Station, a Housing Hope project, opened earlier this year at 3315 Broadway, with 65 units of affordable housing.

Nearby, Compass Health, a behavioral and mental health care provider, recently broke ground on a $26 million, 82-unit supportive housing project in the 3300 block of Broadway.

“Kinect and HopeWorks and the Compass Health project — those three residential buildings are beginning to generate a presence,” Petersen said.

Development of the Broadway corridor in the north end has centered around Everett Community College and the new Washington State University Everett campus.

In the next 20 years, Everett’s population is expected to rise to more than 175,00 from the current 111,000, and additional housing will be needed. According to the Snohomish County Housing Affordability Regional Taskforce (HART), housing construction in Snohomish County hasn’t kept pace with population growth. The county, with a population of 819,000, is expected to add 240,000 residents in the next two decades, exceeding 1 million by 2040.

The task force, a collaboration of local governments, community members and nonprofits, was called together last May by county Executive Dave Somers. The average cost for a two-bedroom apartment in the county is now $1,899 a month, according to the task force.

Rents at Kinect @ Broadway will range from $1,275 to $2,199 per month, depending on the size and floor plan. The building includes 286 spaces of parking in the building’s three-level garage. The first level is on the ground floor, with two more levels below ground.

Apartments are on floors three through seven. The second level houses a resident clubhouse and leasing office.

There are 15 studio apartments, 55 one-bedrooms and 70 two-bedrooms, each from 474 square feet to nearly 900 square feet.

All are pet-friendly. Residents can keep up to two cats and dogs, with size and breed restrictions, said Dave Sinnett, vice president of American Property Development, an affiliate of American Capital Group in Bellevue.

“Pet-owners make loyal tenants,” said Sinnett, of the decision to allow pets.

Apartment doors are keyless.

“You never have to worry about losing your keys,” Sinnett said.

A third-floor, open-air courtyard offers views of the neighborhood, Everett Station and the Cascade Range. Other amenities include a 24-hour gym, and a kitchen and entertainment area for residents.

In-person tours aren’t yet available, but there’s a virtual tour online at kinectbroadway.com.

The project, conceived in 2015, has undergone some tweaks over the years, Sinnett said.

“We were going to do affordable housing for seniors, but that changed,” he said. “It became a strictly market-rate project.”

“We’ve been working on this for five years,” he said. “It’s part of the Broadway corridor. We’re glad to be part of it.”

Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods