Mortenson Advances 9.3-Acre Kent Manufacturing & Innovation Campus in Partnership With City of Kent

Mortenson is moving forward with the Kent Manufacturing & Innovation Campus (KMIC), a 9.3-acre industrial development in Kent, Washington, designed to serve aerospace, defense, space, and emerging technology companies seeking specialized manufacturing and R&D space in the Pacific Northwest.

The project is being developed in partnership with the city of Kent. In February 2026, the Kent City Council approved the sale of the 9.3-acre Naden property to Mortenson for $18.3 million, setting the stage for what is being positioned as a next-generation industrial campus in the Kent Valley.

Project Specifications and Site Details

KMIC is situated at the corner of W Meeker Street and Naden Avenue in Kent, just east of State Route 167, on an infill site totaling approximately 405,373 square feet. The campus is planned as two buildings, each up to two stories, with a total buildable area of 300,000 square feet. The project is being marketed on a build-to-suit basis, with space available in configurations ranging from 150,000 to 300,000 square feet, allowing for single- or dual-tenant occupancy.

The site is zoned Downtown Commercial Enterprise (DCE), which permits a broad range of manufacturing, industrial office, and R&D uses. The campus is designed to accommodate dock-high and grade-level loading with flexible column bay spacing. KMIC is also located within a foreign trade zone.

A key feature of the development is access to up to 20 megawatts of electrical power, made possible by proximity to a recently upgraded Puget Sound Energy substation. Marketing materials describe this power capacity as critical for advanced manufacturers and aerospace users, with Kidder Mathews noting that power availability has become as significant a differentiator in the industrial market as traditional metrics such as clear height and dock configuration.

Leasing and Design Team

Kidder Mathews is serving as the leasing and marketing agent for KMIC. The leasing team includes Matt Murray, SIOR, Executive Vice President, and Chris Corr, Executive Vice President. Ware Malcomb is the project's design firm.

The campus is being positioned for tenants in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, defense, space, and emerging technology sectors — industries that require both modern physical plant and high-capacity electrical infrastructure. The build-to-suit structure allows for customized layout, power delivery, and specialized tenant improvements.

Regulatory Progress and Timeline

The project entered State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review in spring 2026. The city of Kent issued a Determination of Non-Significance in July 2026, with a public comment period that extended through July 31, 2026. The project was described as a proposed development as of the September 2026 announcement.

Market Context

The Kent Valley is characterized in marketing materials as one of the Pacific Northwest's most concentrated industrial and advanced manufacturing corridors. The region is part of Washington State's aerospace and space industry cluster, and demand from power-intensive manufacturing operations has shaped the programming of KMIC from the outset.

The broader Puget Sound industrial market has seen elevated vacancy compared to post-pandemic conditions, but demand for higher-specification product — particularly space with substantial power capacity and build-to-suit flexibility — continues to draw interest from aerospace, defense, and technology users that require facilities commodity industrial product cannot support.

KMIC's land cost of $18.3 million reflects a price of approximately $45.14 per square foot on the 405,373-square-foot site, or roughly $1.97 million per acre.

Sources

• Kidder Mathews — New Details Released for Kent Manufacturing and Innovation Campus (September 3, 2026)