Kennydale, Renton, Washington facts for kids

Kennydale is a neighborhood in Renton, Washington, in the United States. In 2008, about 4,840 people lived there. It is located along the southeastern shore of Lake Washington.

Kennydale is split by Interstate 405, a major highway. This highway runs north and south between Renton and Bellevue. The neighborhood also borders Newport Shores in Bellevue. The part of Kennydale on the lake side of the highway is called "Lower Kennydale." The part on the east side is known as "Upper Kennydale."

Lower Kennydale sits on land that slopes down to Lake Washington. From here, you can see many interesting sights. These include the I-90 bridge and tall buildings in downtown Bellevue. You can also see the south end of Mercer Island. The Rainier Beach area of south Seattle is visible too. To the south, you can see the large Renton Boeing plant.

How Kennydale Started

Kennydale was one of many communities created around Seattle between 1898 and 1910. A real estate developer named Clarence Dayton Hillman (1870–1935) planned these areas. Hillman often bought large pieces of land that had been cleared by logging. Then, he would sell them as smaller lots for homes.

Kennydale was one of his first projects. It began in 1898 and was first called the "Lake Washington Garden of Eden." Hillman named Kennydale after his wife, Bessie. Her maiden name was Kenny.

Changes and New Buildings

In late 2005, a lumber mill called Barbee Mill was located on Kennydale's Lake Washington waterfront. It had been closed since 2002. The mill sold its equipment and started tearing down its buildings. The land was then cleaned up.

The sale of this land was completed in September 2006. After that, construction began on a new community. This new area would have 114 fancy townhouses. A company called Conner Homes Co. built these homes.

In May 2006, the Seattle Seahawks football team made an announcement. The team is part of the National Football League. They said they planned to build a new team headquarters and training center in Kennydale. This land was already owned by the team's owner, Paul Allen. It was near the old Barbee Mill, right along Lake Washington. Construction started in October 2006. The new facility was finished in the summer of 2008.