No one mentioned any progress regarding the overall plans to revamp Kenmore Village, plans which seemingly have been on an indefinite hold for some time.

Still, speaking before Kenmore City Council, representatives of developers Urban Partners said they are making notable progress toward utilizing the existing retail space near the intersection of Northeast 181st Street and 68th Avenue Northeast, space that all but had been abandoned.

Urban Partner’s Amy Hoffman said her firm has reached lease agreements with both of Kenmore Village’s two remaining tenants, as well as a new business. The company also has hopes of renting space to other retail operations, including a local coffee shop.

Kenmore Village had been emptying out ever since the city announced plans for a major redevelopment of the property. Formerly anchored by a Grocery Outlet location and local fixture Ostroms pharmacy, both of which have moved to new locations, the retail strip presently is home to only the Kenmore Fitness Center and the European Deli.

In the spring, fitness center owner Tom Dooley said he felt as if he “had been thrown out with the bath water.” He added that he fully expected to be out of a lease and out of business by the end of July.

In June, in a move that became controversial to some, Kenmore officials handed Urban Partners leasing rights to the retail spaces in Kenmore Village. Dooley, for one, is more than happy they did.

“Since they took it over, for me anyway, there has been a complete turnaround,” Dooley said.

He added city officials, while they may have been well-intentioned, just never seemed to be in a position to run the center.

Dooley said his new lease keeps him in place until at least 2013 and maybe 2014.

Under its current agreement with the city, Urban Partners has until the latter date to at least begin the reshaping of the current Kenmore Village into a large-scale, 9.6-acre mixed residential/retail development.

First signed in 2006, the company’s exclusive development agreement had been about to expire, but the city agreed to what was at least the second extension of that pact at the same time they turned over leasing duties.

Hoffman identified the new business as Great Play, which will occupy the same space formerly home to the Little Gym. According to both Hoffman and Dooley, Great Play will also offer similar services as the Little Gym, services aimed at youngsters.

But the new business may include more high-tech offerings, according to Dooley.

Great Play’s owners could not be reached for comment. An opening day for the business was not announced.

Regarding the proposed coffee shop, Hoffman said that retailer might take over space previously leased to a Mexican restaurant. Only noting that talks are ongoing, Hoffman did not give any other details regarding the coffee store. She offered virtually no details on other contracts that may be in the works.

“We have some prospects we are talking with right now,” she said.

When they turned leasing functions for Kenmore Village over to Urban Partners, city officials said some of the existing buildings may have suffered too much neglect and could be unusable. Urban Partners’ Jeff Taylor said that hasn’t proven to be the case, that all the spaces appear viable.

Taylor noted vacant buildings tend to attract problems such as graffiti and other vandalism. He said Urban Partners has worked with local police and fire officials to keep such problems under control, adding his firm has tried to respond quickly to any incidents that have occurred. Taylor added Urban Partners may block access to certain areas of Kenmore Village, if local fire officials give their OK.

In the past, Urban Partners has blamed the weak economy for their inability to develop the revamped Kenmore Village as planned. Residents and others have criticized the deal that gave the company leasing rights at the cost of a $1 annual payment to the city. Mayor David Baker has defended the move, arguing that leasing commercial property is not supposed to be among the city’s priorities. He also noted that Urban Partners must pay the city $50,000 a year for every year the revamped Kenmore Village fails to materialize.