The Kenmore City Council approved a purchase-and-sale agreement on June 11 with Kenmore Camera owners Jim and Martha Donovan for a portion of the Kenmore Village property that has been owned by the city since 2003. The property sale will close following a 90-day feasibility and due diligence period.

The city is selling a 54,000-square-foot piece of property, which includes a 17,000-square-foot building formerly occupied by Grocery Outlet. The purchase price is $1,250,000. Through a boundary line adjustment, the city will retain 15,000 square feet of frontage on Northeast 181st Street from the original parcel.

Kenmore Camera plans to be operating from its new location in 2013.

Kenmore Camera, a family-owned business based in Kenmore since 1974, is a premier provider of photographic equipment and services. The business is renowned for its extensive training for beginners and professionals alike, and many of its events will take place in this expanded facility in downtown Kenmore. This move will provide more than triple the square footage of the current store, which is just across Northeast 181st Street from the future location.

Jim Donovan remarked, “Kenmore has always been a great place to be in business and we’ve outgrown the present location. The move to Kenmore Village is going to be the perfect move for us both in size and location. We will be able to have everything under one roof including classrooms and storage. It couldn’t be better.”

The City Council sees this agreement as an important step in downtown redevelopment and supporting the expansion of a strong local business.

“We welcome this investment because it will benefit downtown redevelopment goals, which have been the focus of community interest and discussion over many years — and it ensures the long-term presence of an important Kenmore business,” said Mayor David Baker.

The city was engaged in a Disposition and Development Agreement with Urban Partners (later known as RECP/UP Kenmore, LP) for redevelopment of the 9.6-acre Kenmore Village property from 2007 to March 2012, when the parties mutually agreed to end the agreement. The Kenmore Camera agreement stipulates cooperation and coordination with future redevelopment to achieve a smooth function and fit between the properties.

The City Council will begin discussing options for pursuing redevelopment of the remaining Kenmore Village property later this week.