ReDiscover Downtown
We want to hear your thoughts on the Draft ReDiscover Downtown Kent Plan!
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The Kent community has come together to create a guide for Downtown that will take us into Kent’s next era!
The ReDiscover Downtown Kent Plan updates the City’s 2013 Downtown Subarea Action Plan, reflecting the vision and goals identified by the community for Downtown Kent’s future. The plan responds to evolving economic conditions, changing workplace trends, and regional growth expectations, while reinforcing Downtown Kent’s role as the heart of the city. Through targeted investments, land use strategies, infrastructure improvements, and partnerships, the plan provides a roadmap for creating a more vibrant, inclusive, and economically resilient downtown.
By providing comments on the Draft ReDiscover Downtown Kent Plan, you have the opportunity to share your feedback on the strategies, actions, and concepts for Downtown before they are finalized and adopted.
How to Provide Comments on the Draft Plan: Visit the plan review website. Navigate the different chapters of the ReDiscover Downtown Kent Plan and review at your own pace. As you read, feel free to provide your comments or feedback directly within the document. Please be advised that any comments you submit will be publicly visible.
Other ways to Submit Comments and Become a Party of Record:
- Email: Send comments to FutureKent@KentWA.gov.
- Mail: Mail your comments to City of Kent Long Range Planning, Economic & Community Department, 220 4th Avenue S, Kent, WA 98032.
- In-Person: Provide written or verbal comments at a public hearing held by the Land Use and Planning Board (LUPB) on July 27, 2026, at 6:00 PM PT. The meeting will be held in City Council Chambers, 220 4th Ave S, Kent, WA 98032. The agenda will be posted on the Meeting Center page on the Friday before the meeting. Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the City Clerk’s Office in advance of the meeting at 253-856-5725. For TTY/TDD service call the Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at 7-1-1.
All comments submitted by email or mail must be received by 4 PM on July 27 to be part of the official record.
A place for everyone, in the heart of it all
Downtown Kent is the heart of our community. It is also one of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) designated Regional Growth Centers (RGC), an area that should include a substantial number of businesses, governmental and cultural facilities, transportation connections, and residential development. Regional Growth Centers are areas where a dense mix of land uses make room for future growth, supported by a transportation network that is highly walkable and connected to transit.
The ReDiscover Downtown Plan is a roadmap for creating a safe, vibrant, mixed-use urban center — a cultural and economic hub for all of Kent. The Plan will create opportunities for infill and redevelopment compatible with the community's economic, environmental, transit, and other planning goals through short- and long-term strategies that meet regional requirements and encourage the kinds of development envisioned by the Kent community over the next 20 years.
Why Plan for Downtown?
Kent’s Downtown Plan was last updated over a decade ago. During this time, much has changed in Kent and across the region, so it is time to revisit the long-term vision of Downtown. New plans like the Kent Housing Options Plan, the Meet me on Meeker Street Corridor Plan, and the 2044 Comprehensive Plan have sparked some significant changes Downtown. And, new State and regional requirements also require a fresh look at our Downtown as an RGC and how it will evolve over time.
PSRC reviews local center and subarea plans, like our Downtown Plan, to ensure that they align with the statewide Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements for subarea planning, VISION 2050 regional goals, Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), and the PSRC VISION 2050 Regional Centers Framework.
Planning Context
Downtown Kent epitomizes the unique values that make up Kent today. Historic Downtown supports many beloved restaurants, cultural businesses, and memories. Newer commercial areas like Kent Station are popular retail and entertainment destinations. Development along Meeker Street has added needed housing, and major events at the ShoWare Center continue to attract regional visitors. Downtown Kent also provides important gathering places, like the library, Kent Commons, and Kherson Park. These are all essential components of an active and inclusive community that supports and celebrates the vitality of our Downtown!
The ReDiscover Downtown Study Area consists of the designated RGC boundary, along with some of the surrounding blocks that help form the fabric connecting the downtown to neighboring parts of the city, extending from Kennebeck Ave S to 64 Ave S (crossing over State Route 167).
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Central Ave Rezone: Zoning Map Updates
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The City has been working with the community to develop a long-term vision for Downtown Kent through the ReDiscover Downtown Kent Plan. Building on previous planning efforts and informed by community engagement, the Plan identifies opportunities to support new housing, encourage investment, strengthen economic vitality, improve connections between neighborhoods, and create a more vibrant, walkable downtown. As part of implementing the Plan and the 2044 Kent Comprehensive Plan, the City will be updating the Zoning Map for properties along Central Avenue and East Smith Street. These changes are intended to support the Plan's vision for downtown growth, redevelopment, and economicContinue reading
Who's Listening
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Phone (253) 856-5441 Email Kholdsworth@KentWA.gov -
Phone 253-856-5442 Email ceckel@kentwa.gov -
Phone 253-856-5438 Email dmitchell@kentwa.gov