Kemper freeman biography channel
Frederick Kemper Freeman Jr. (born October 23, ) is the active chairman and CEO of Kemper Development Company, which built and operates Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place, and Lincoln Square, all located in Bellevue, Washington.
Kemper freeman biography channel 6 Kemper Freeman Jr. John D. In , Freeman campaigned against the plan to bring light rail to downtown Bellevue, and backed city council candidates in an effort to route the new light rail line alongside the I freeway, away from population centers. All of government's attention is on mass transit.Kemper represents the third generation of the Freeman family, who have been involved in the growth of the Bellevue community since He is a former Republican member of the Washington State House of Representatives from the 48th district and publicly active in conversations about traffic and transportation in Bellevue.
Freeman family
Kemper Freeman Jr.
is a third-generation resident of Bellevue, Washington. His grandfather, Miller Freeman, was active in state politics and public affairs, including promoting the development of a bridge connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, and Bellevue, and acting as a driving force in anti-*anese discrimination, agitating for what he called a "white man's Pacific coast".
Beginning in , Miller Freeman was a prominent voice calling for the segregation or deportation of *anese immigrants, whom he saw as a threat to white prosperity. He founded the Anti-*anese League of Washington in and was a vocal proponent for the state's alien land laws, the Immigration Act, and the incarceration of American citizens of *anese ancestry in concentration camps during World War II.
Freeman Jr.'s father, Frederick Kemper Freeman Sr., led the development of what is now Bellevue Square, which opened in He also was involved in building Bellevue's first hospital, Overlake Hospital Medical Center.
Kemper freeman biography channel He became a partner in Bellevue Properties, which managed his father's non-Bellevue Square ventures. In , the Freeman-backed group Sane Transit sued Sound Transit after the 1 Line was reduced in scope, alleging that a reduction in project scope required the agency to put the issue to another public vote. November 4, The initiative lost 53 percent to 47 percent.Kemper Freeman Jr. was born on October 23, He married Betty Austin in and has two daughters, Amy Schreck and Suzanne McQuaid.
Career
In , Freeman Jr. was appointed to a vacant seat in the Washington State House of Representatives as a Republican representing the 48th district. After serving for three years, he resigned from the seat to focus on his business in building and development.
He then began working full-time on the expansion and enclosure of Bellevue Square with his father, which re-opened in In early, Freeman Jr. founded the Kemper Development Company, which has overseen the continued expansion of Bellevue Square as well as development of:
- Bellevue Place, a mixed use property that opened in , housing office space, retail, dining options, and the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.
- Lincoln Square, which opened in with condominiums, a movie theater, a bowling alley, restaurants, retail, office space, and the Westin Bellevue.
In total, the three properties (Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place, Lincoln Square) makeup the Bellevue Collection, covering approximately 50 acres of land in downtown Bellevue.
In , Bloomberg reported all of Freeman's holdings had a worth of "about $2 billion" of which Freeman and his two daughters owned a majority stake.
Political involvement
Freeman Jr. often speaks out against m* transit. In and , Freeman Jr. led a campaign opposing the creation of a regional transit authority which later became Sound Transit, arguing "the automobile has won".
Kemper freeman biography channel schedule Download as PDF Printable version. Freeman called the plan a "major calamity", criticizing the plan's timeline, cost, and scope. However, his announcement at the station that he had come to work there prompted one DJ to quit in disgust, assuming that the boss's son had been installed above him to manage the station. Also, the greater downtown area has become more residential.In and , Freeman backed state initiatives to convert HOV lanes and bus lanes to general traffic.
Freeman has been a consistent opponent of Sound Transit's light rail plans. In , the Freeman-backed group Sane Transit sued Sound Transit after the 1 Line was reduced in scope, alleging that a reduction in project scope required the agency to put the issue to another public vote.
In , Freeman campaigned against the plan to bring light rail to downtown Bellevue, and backed city council candidates in an effort to route the new light rail line alongside the I freeway, away from population centers. Freeman sued Sound Transit in , arguing that the use of the I HOV lanes for light rail was illegal.
Kemper freeman biography channel 7 Sources: Robert F. Archived from the original on October 9, Join The Must List. Home People Kemper Freeman Biography.The suit was ultimately rejected after being appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court. In , Freeman supported Tim Eyman's Initiative , a proposed tolling measure containing a subtle clause prohibiting any "non-highway purpose" for I In , Freeman spent $, in opposition to Sound Transit 3, making up two-thirds of the nearly $, donated to the "No on ST3" campaign.
Freeman called the plan a "major calamity", criticizing the plan's timeline, cost, and scope.
Freeman's motivations stem from a belief that cars provide significantly more personal freedom than transit. He believes that socialist nations have failed in part due to their reliance on public transportation.
Critics have accused him of being motivated by cl*ism, arguing that a comment about the Southcenter mall indicates his disdain for those who can't afford to shop at Bellevue Square: "When you walk through the mall, the way the customer dresses just to shop there — the light blue and pink hair curlers, the shoes that flop, flop, flop along — it’s a completely different customer," said Freeman.
"Yet we are 12 miles apart."
Freeman Jr. holds leadership appointments in several community and economic development organizations in the Bellevue area, including:
- Co-chair of the capital campaign and member of the Executive Committee for the Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE), a series of five venues under construction in Bellevue that will feature theater, dance, and music when complete.
The land for PACE was donated by Freeman Jr., who has also made a joint commitment with Microsoft to provide additional funding.
- Trustee for Overlake Hospital Medical Center
- Former Board Member of Bellevue LifeSpring, formerly Overlake Service League
References
External links
- The Bellevue Collection
- Kemper Development Company
- Kemper Freeman Website