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,^[3] and acting as a driving force in anti-Japanese discrimination, agitating for what he called a "white man's Pacific coast".^[6][7] Beginning in 1907,^[7] Miller Freeman was a prominent voice calling for the segregation or deportation of Japanese immigrants, whom he saw as a threat to white prosperity.^[8] He founded the Anti-Japanese League of Washington in 1916 and was a vocal proponent for the state's 1921 alien land laws, the 1924 Immigration Act, and the 1942 incarceration of American citizens of Japanese ancestry in concentration camps during World War II.^[6]

Freeman Jr.'s father, Frederick Kemper Freeman Sr., led the development of what is now Bellevue Square, which opened in 1946.^[9] He also was involved in building Bellevue's first hospital, Overlake Hospital Medical Center.^[3] Kemper Freeman Jr. was born on October 23, 1941.^[1] He married Betty Austin in 1965 and has two daughters, Amy Schreck and Suzanne McQuaid.^[10]

In 1973, 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.^[11] He then began working full-time on the expansion and enclosure of Bellevue Square with his father, which re-opened in 1981. In early-1980, Freeman Jr. founded the Kemper Development Company,^[1] which has overseen the continued expansion of Bellevue Square as well as development of:

• Bellevue Place, a mixed use property that opened in 1988, housing office space, retail, dining options, and the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.^[12]
• Lincoln Square, which opened in 2005 with condominiums, a movie theater, a bowling alley, restaurants, retail, office space, and the Westin Bellevue.^[9]

In total, the three properties (Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place, Lincoln Square) makeup the Bellevue Collection, covering approximately 50 acres of land in downtown Bellevue.^[3] In 2016, 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.^[13]

Freeman Jr. often speaks out against mass transit. In 1995 and 1996, Freeman Jr. led a campaign opposing the creation of a regional transit authority which later became Sound Transit, arguing "the automobile has won".^[14][15] In 2004 and 2008, Freeman backed state initiatives to convert HOV lanes and bus lanes to general traffic.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Freeman has been a consistent opponent of Sound Transit's light rail plans. In 2002, 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.^[20][21][22] In 2008, Freeman campaigned against the plan to bring light rail to downtown Bellevue,^[23] and backed city council candidates in an effort to route the new light rail line alongside the I-405 freeway, away from population centers.^[24] Freeman sued Sound Transit in 2009, arguing that the use of the I-90 HOV lanes for light rail was illegal. The suit was ultimately rejected after being appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court.^[25][26] In 2011, Freeman supported Tim Eyman's Initiative 1125, a proposed tolling measure containing a subtle clause prohibiting any "non-highway purpose" for I-90.^[27][28]

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.^[29] Critics have accused him of being motivated by classism, arguing that a 2005 comment about the Southcenter mall indicates his disdain for those who can't afford to shop at Bellevue Square: "When you walk through the [Southcenter] 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."^[30][31]

Freeman Jr. holds leadership appointments in several community and economic development organizations in the Bellevue area, including:

• Co-chair of the capital campaign^[32] 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.^[33] The land for PACE was donated by Freeman Jr., who has also made a joint commitment with Microsoft to provide additional funding.^[3]
• Trustee for Overlake Hospital Medical Center^[2]
• Board Member of Bellevue LifeSpring, formerly Overlake Service League^[34]

• The Bellevue Collection
• Kemper Development Company
• Kemper Freeman Website