Construction on new Totem Lake mall begins in Kirkland

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Monday marks a major benchmark for an old, run down shopping mall on the Eastside.

Construction on a new Totem Lake Mall in Kirkland officially gets underway.

After years of neglect, a developer has re-imagined the property.

Totem Lake Mall was a relic from the past with its big, boxy buildings surrounded by an enormous parking lot.

Those buildings have been torn down over the past few months, and the land, right next to I-405 in is getting a huge facelift.

The Village at Totem Lake will feature a luxury theater, retail and 850 high-end apartments.

There will be a big plaza and lawn with a kids play area, decks, a water feature, outdoor dining and new restaurants.

A Whole Foods Market will be the anchor tenant.

The California developers say they want it to feel a lot like University Village in Seattle’s University District.

Last year, when the project was announced, reporter Jeff Dubois asked the City of Kirkland about whether the roads around the mall could handle the extra traffic.

City officials said there needed to be some intersection revisions, but they've studied the car volumes on the surrounding streets, and they can take the extra trips expected.

There will be some extra work done on 120th Avenue to make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The project has two phases. At least one of them is expected to be done by the end of 2017.

Cox Media Group