KENT CITY

Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States. The second largest city in south King County and the eighth largest in the state, Kent has the third largest industrial area in the United States[citation needed]. Often considered an outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage. Nearby towns include Renton and Tukwila to the north, Covington to the east, Federal Way, Des Moines and SeaTac to the west, and Auburn to the south.

Kent was officially incorporated on May 28, 1890 with a population of 793, the second city incorporated in King County after Seattle. Kent was formerly known as Titusville, as evidenced by a Titusville Station sign on Gowe St.
Prior to development in the 1960s and 1970s, the Kent area was known for its fertile farmland and verdant pastures. It was once called the "Lettuce Capital of the World."

Kent's extensive park system includes over 60 parks, miniparks, playfields, skateparks, greenbelts, and other related facilities. These parks range in size from as little as 4,300 square feet (400 m²) to over 160 acres (0.65 km²).

In 2003, Kent was named Sports Illustrated's Sportstown of the year for Washington. In January of 2006, a major new entertainment center, known as Kent Station, opened in downtown Kent adjacent to the transit station of the same name. Kent Station is the realization of the City of Kent's vision to create a destination downtown that is the community's focal point and identity. Kent Station is a $100 million, 470,000-square-foot (44,000 m²) retail, education, entertainment and residential project. The project is strategically located adjacent to Sound Transit's Sounder Commuter Rail Station and parking garage, Kent's existing downtown and the King County Regional Justice Center. It includes a 14-screen AMC Theatres multiplex cinema, restaurants such as the Ram Restaurant & Brewery, Johnny Rockets, Pizzeria Fondi, Chipotle Mexican Grill and many clothing shops and other forms of entertainment. There are plans to add to Kent Station over the next few years including the new Kent Events Center (formerly known as Amiga), which will be the new home for the Western Hockey League team, the Seattle Thunderbirds starting in 2009. There is currently debate about whether or not there is enough road and parking infrastructure in place to handle the anticipated increase in traffic volume these projects will bring. The concerns in particular are along the valley corridors, such as Smith and James Streets.