Lake Forest Park Towne Centre is a multi-purpose shopping center that also serves as the community hub for the city of Lake Forest Park, Washington. Built in 1964, the center is located on the eastern side of Lake Forest Park, on the western shore of Lake Washington in a suburb of Seattle on Bothell Way NE beside City Hall. The southeast side of the center abuts the Burke-Gilman Trail.
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre "is a true community center that draws a regional crowd and is home to several unique and organic local stores which collectively cater to the educated customer, thus serving as a daily destination. Friends of Third Place Commons offers over 1,200 community events throughout the calendar year at Lake Forest Park Towne Centre, attracting patrons from all over the Puget Sound region."[1]
The center was renovated in 1995 to increase pedestrian traffic and since Madison Marquette's requisition in 2006, has been undergoing smaller renovations, including the addition of a Ross Dress for Less and a Planet Fitness which both are scheduled to open in 2011.[2]
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre is anchored by Third Place Books, Albertsons, Rite Aid, Ross Dress for Less, and the upcoming Planet Fitness and features almost 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of gross leasable area on its 18 acres. Around 40 tenants are currently open and operating at Lake Forest Park Towne Centre.[3]
Third Place Books, a general interest bookseller, is one of the tenants of the center and serves as a community center for Lake Forest Park hosting free public events and other community activities.[4] Each Sunday, starting in May and ending in October, the Third Place Commons Farmers Market is held in the LFPTC parking lot.[5]