The city of Kenmore held its first ever State of the City address on Feb. 25. Kenmore City Manager Rob Karlinsey addressed the audience about many of the issues facing the municipality, including the city’s finances and five key initiatives.

The address was hosted by the Greater Bothell Chamber of Commerce and was held at the Inglewood Country Club, in Kenmore.

Multi-modal safety has been a key issue within Kenmore. Along with a new sidewalk grant and the Target Zero initiative for pedestrian and bicycle safety, the city of Kenmore is also working on more of highway 522 in the creation of safer sidewalks and bus stops.

Construction of the West A project along the 522 corridor is expected to begin before June, leading to traffic delays, but will ultimately improve the safety of the 522 corridor for bicyclists, pedestrians and commuters.

The downtown resurgence is well underway with new construction around Kenmore Village and Kenmore City Hall. The 9.5 acre lot, including Kenmore Village and the old Park and Ride, is seeing massive redevelopment.

The Spencer 68 apartments, on the site of the old Kenmore Park and Ride, are scheduled to be officially completed in August 2015.

Kenmore Village will also be taking a new shape. While Kenmore Camera and the Post Office will be staying put, the western half of the area will hold a new community building and town green, along with office, housing spaces and proposed fitness center.

The city’s plan for “Shop more, Play more, Find more, Kenmore” efforts were highlighted during the address, showcasing some of the Kenmore businesses who have incubated their business within the city of Kenmore.

These businesses include Lifestyles Express, a high-luxury lifestyle club, inventory and solutions corporation Synch, and arts-based support group Silver Kite.

The “Where to have fun” segment of the address showcased the before and after photographs of the Northshore Summit Park construction and the plans for a skate park in an empty lot behind Kenmore City Hall, scheduled to open in September 2015.

For many Kenmore residents, access to Lake Washington is vital, which led to the city’s acquisition of Squires Landing along the Sammamish River corridor. There are also Kenmore’s Hydroplane Cup and Waterfront Activities Center located at Squires Landing Park, where citizens can rent kayaks, canoes, rowboats and experience a Chinese Dragon boat.