Redmond
History
Years ago, the Sammamish branch of the Duwamish Indian tribe used the Redmond area for food collection, hunting, and fishing. In 1964, an archeological site was discovered near the Clise Mansion in Marymoor Park and explored until 1970 by a team of University of Washington archeologists. The Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site is currently listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Over Redmond’s first 40 years, population grew slowly from 303 residents in 1912, to 573 residents in 1950, and 1,426 in 1960. 2000 estimates had the population close to 50,000. In 1963, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge was completed and today, the population has multiplied to over 40,000.
Description
Much of Redmond’s glory comes from nature in Lake Sammamish and its valley, which was carved out by glaciers and is flanked by wooded hillsides. There are numerous views of Mount Rainier to the south. Some of Redmond’s glory comes from human endeavor the park system is always a works in progress.
Redmond enjoys a diverse and growing economic base. Redmond is home to some of the major high-tech firms in the country, including Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Allied Signal Avionics, Primex Aerospace Company, Spacelabs Medical, and Physio-Control. Redmond is also the headquarters of such businesses as Eddie Bauer and Genie Industries, and is the regional headquarters of Safeco Insurance Company. The city’s strong retail sector was dramatically enhanced by the Redmond Town Center, a 1.4 million square foot commercial development.
The effort to meet the needs of people benefiting from this economic growth has brought its own boom. Redmond is the fifth largest city in King County, with the fifth fastest growth rate from 1990 to 1997. The high concentration of high-tech, high-paying jobs ranks Redmond 20th of 522 urban areas in affluence.
Residents
With Microsoft and Nintendo having their headquarters in Redmond, a younger work force has been recruited in the technology field. Young professionals, as well as an increasing number of families enjoy Redmond as their home.
Rental Housing
Redmond has a variety of housing opportunities and neighborhoods. Multi-family housing is the fastest growing component of the Redmond market. There has been an explosion of apartment and condominium development in recent years. In the downtown district, there have been a handful of new projects completed recently that are primarily mid-rise condominium style buildings. These buildings offer an assortment of units and floorplans and have more of a city feel. Redmond offers the largest assortment of townhouse style units in the area. Prices in these newer properties range from about $1.45 to $1.85 per square foot. Outside of downtown Redmond there are a number of larger, sprawling complexes that have a more suburban feel. Most of the time the units are a little larger in these types of complexes, with the prices ranging from about $1.15 to $1.65 per square foot.
Fun Stuff
Befitting a city on the move, Redmond acquired 48 acres of parkland in the first eight months of 1998, bringing its total acreage to 1,315. Altogether, the city has 34 facilities with a wide variety of uses. The largest is the 800-acre watershed preserve, the location of much of the eight miles of new trails opened by the city in 1998. Other notable facilities include the teen center, operating out of the old firehouse, a senior center, a county-operated swimming pool, a collection of farm animals at Farrel-McWhirter Park, a downtown clock tower and eight neighborhood parks.
Developed in the early 1970s, before the freeway reached Redmond, Marymoor Park preserves a broad expanse of the Sammamish Valley. Marymoor is an active regional county park, including such features as a climbing wall, a field for radio-controlled airplanes and a velodrome - an oval bicycle track for organized racing. An off-leash exercise area offers dogs and their owners a chance to socialize.
Redmond also has the distinction of being known as "the Bicycle Capital of the Northwest." The State's only indoor-cycling velodome is located in the City along with an annual bike race through the streets.
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temporary housing
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