Designer Digs Into the Details of the Xing Hua Project

Building is slated to open in the summer of 2026.

By Andy Nystrom for the Mercer Island Reporter

On a recent scorching afternoon, it appeared as if the pair of massive mechanical orange machines were battling it out for the prime spot to ram their claws into the helpless buildings during demolition work at 7750 SE 29th St. on Mercer Island.

Some passersby curiously peeked through the fence surrounding the flurry of activity while wiping their brows of perspiration brought upon by the day’s heat.

Construction workers’ immense digging implements slowly but efficiently hammered and screeched away at the partially fallen sections of concrete that once housed businesses in this section of town. Dust filled the air.

The sun also shone down upon the territory — situated between 77th and 78th avenues southeast in Town Center — that will soon house the Xing Hua mixed-use development. The four-story residential building is slated to feature ground level retail and restaurant space near the sidewalk as a central component of the public’s experience, underground parking, public plazas anchored by large feature trees and a 20-foot wide public pedestrian connection, according to the city and Megan McKay, partner and lead designer with Johnston Architects of Seattle.

“The community’s experience of the building was the guiding principle of the design. Johnston Architects always strives to create a site-specific design and so look to the existing context for conceptual guidance. We identified, very early on, the idea of buildings embedded in lush landscape and Mercer Island’s strong network of community parks. This shaped the building’s site design strongly: it became a building set in a series of small urban pocket parks,” said McKay, an Island resident.

Construction cost of the project rolls in at $52.8 million, according to McKay. Regarding the project timeline, she noted that demolition commenced in June and has been completed, construction started with excavation for the new foundation and basement in July, and the building is slated to open its doors in the summer of 2026.

McKay said the current ownership and design team have been working on the project since 2018, following previous development exploration on the site by other owner-design teams.

“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be involved in the future experience of a community I love so much. We look forward to overcoming public apprehension about Town Center development as community members learn more about the project, its urban park spaces, and the improved pedestrian experience that should result from the completed project,” said McKay, adding that feedback to the city and social media comments revealed residents’ concerns regarding parking impacts and the desire for a meaningful amount of retail.

Xing Hua has been a technically complex project that required a large, tight-knit design team, said McKay, noting that general contractor R.Miller deeply understands the project.

According to the city, work includes removal of street trees, which is necessary to realign and widen the sidewalk, as required by the Town Center Code. Documents state that the full group of trees will be replaced at the end of construction and special soils, sidewalk systems and irrigation are required to ensure they obtain long-term health.

For more information, visit: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/xing-hua

This article first ran on August 1, 2024 in the Mercer Island Reporter.