In 2018, when Sound’s Executive Leadership and Board team enlisted the real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield to conduct an analysis of client demographics and locations, it might have seemed more theoretical than real. But a couple of years later, Sound’s expansion plans, based on the information gathered, are now in full swing.
Sound, which added a new Kent location last fall, is looking to expand once again. The focus, this time, is on the Eastside. Over the next two years, the expansion will include the sale of existing locations and relocation to newer, more accessible facilities along the I-405 corridor to better serve the growing need. The new sites will be in Totem Lake, Cross Roads and Factoria, with an expanded location to replace one that is already in Snoqualmie.
“These changes are designed to provide better access to services for our clients on the Eastside – and to promote greater visibility and awareness for the community overall,” said Sound President & CEO Patrick Evans. “As always, we are moving forward with the expansion plans with both our team members and clients in mind and we will work with our teams to support them during our transition.”
Sound Executive Leadership and the Board of Directors developed the locations recommendations based on a white space study it commissioned with Cushman Wakefield in 2018.
Totem Lake
Our Bellevue facilities, Rainbow Creek and North Creek, have always been a challenge for our clients. Limited access to public transportation, coupled with their obscure geographic locations have made these locations difficult to access. For these reasons, Sound made the decision to relocate. Though the location will be listed for sale at the end of September, Sound will continue to lease the property until we are ready to move into the Totem Lake facility, a 7550 square foot facility in December 2021, after the remodel is complete.
With the announcement that Together Center in Redmond will be undergoing a significant remodel beginning in December 2020 (and being complete in 2023), we will temporarily relocate services from there to the new Totem Lake facility, until the Together Center remodel is complete. The Together Center model ensures that low-income individuals have access to multiple supportive services, including primary care, behavioral healthcare and even low-income housing.
Crossroads
Sound is currently in the process of selecting a site for its future Crossroads location, giving Sound a stronger presence in the central Eastside community. Our plan is to have that facility open and serving clients by mid-summer 2021. More information on this will follow in the weeks and months ahead.
Factoria
Once the northern and central parts of the Eastside region will be completed, Sound has plans to begin seeking a location in Factoria, which would complete Sound’s strategic Eastside expansion, with Factoria being to the south. This will provide better access for those clients who live south of and around I-90 that are challenged with getting to the current Northcreek and Rainbow Creek sites. We anticipate that the Factoria site will be open and serving clients by early 2022.
Snoqualmie
Sound’s Snoqualmie presence will be growing, with a new facility opening shortly after the first of the year in 2021. This larger location, of course, will enable us to provide more services in the Snoqualmie community. Our current lease at the old facility expires at the end of December 2020.
Sound’s acquisition of CPC in 2019 also fulfilled some of Sound’s other location expansion plans as recommended by the Cushman & Wakefield study. While these plans are currently underway, they are by no means the last of Sound’s expansion plans in the years ahead to better serve a growing community in need of quality behavioral healthcare services.
