Seattle Housing Buzz

While most of South Lake Union’s construction news have focused on glitzy office complexes and lifestyle condominiums, several affordable housing projects are also under construction or have been proposed for the area.

On the South-West of edge of SLU, Vulcan is currently constructing the Borealis Apartments. Of the 53 units available, 50 will be priced for those making 80% the median income.

Towards the Northend of the SLU district, a low-income senior housing project and an apartment for mentally-ill homeless persons are planned. The Low Income Housing Institute is developing the 6-story Cascade Senior Housing complex near Republican and Minor. The project includes 50 apartment homes for seniors (62 and older) who earn less than $27,250 per person/year. Construction is slated to begin in March 2008 with a 2009 completion date.

Cascade Senior Housing, image courtesy of Runberg Architecture

Nearby, the Downtown Emergency Service Center is planning a 6-story, 83-unit apartment complex to serve mentally-ill homeless adults. The DESC will begin construction around mid-2008. Both projects will include a library, computer labs, exercise facilities and common areas. They will also help assuage community concerns over the loss of affordable housing options for people in need who currently call the area home.

DESC, image courtesy of SMR

The mixture of housing options, businesses and recreation will help define SLU as a true urban center.

Tags: Affordable Housing, Low Income, South Lake Union

The South Lake Union Street Car will begin test runs on Monday, October 29th. To kick-off the street car tests, a press conference event is being held at 9 AM on the 29th. The mayor, representatives from SDOT and the manufacturer (from the Czech Republic) will be on hand.

The S.L.U.T., as it’s affectionately known, will begin operations in December and will cost $1.50 per ride. The current route extends from Fred Hutch to Westlake Center. I’m told rides will be free in December to celebrate its launch.

Tags: South Lake Union. Street Car

There’s too many townhomes sprouting up throughout Seattle you say? Well, it certainly seems that way as virtually all new developments within the city limits are either condos or townhomes. And, as more and more townhomes replace single family homes it seems to stir up peoples ire. But is it really that bad?

Considering land scarcity and construction costs it’s not that feasible to build single family homes within the city. And, as the population continues to grow and housing demand increases, townhomes provide a optimal solution - creating both quantity to meet demand and an affordable option in light of increasing single family home values.

So, are townhomes taking over the city? Well, not really. Townhomes are limited to areas zoned for lowrise housing, notably those with L1, L2 or L3 classifications. Due to zoning requirements, most developers favor L2 or L3 zoned properties as they can maximize the number of units that can be built.

Seattle only has a limited number of L2 and L3 zoned properties compared to single family homes. Most of the L2/L3 zones can be found in specific areas namely around downtown Ballard, the Licton Springs area north of Green Lake, along Greenwood Ave & Lake City Way, Fremont, the edges of Queen Anne and Magnolia, the south end of Capitol Hill, as well as the Central area and parts of West Seattle.

Since the lowrise zones are located in pockets, townhome developments are concentrated together rather than distributed throughout the city, thereby giving the impression of a townhome invasion. Current zoning does protect the vast majority of the city from townhome developments though it seems to be at the expense of several neighborhoods.

Seattle’s department of planning and development provides several resources specifying zoning classifications.

This link (PDF) provides a fantastic graphical overview of the various zoning classifications by color. The map easily identifies the limited areas of the city that are zoned for lowrise development.
http://www.seattle.gov/dclu/Research/gis/webplots/smallzonemap.pdf

This link breaks the city into grids that shows classification by specific area (blocks).
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/zoningmaps/zmapindx.htm

Finally, this link drills down to individual parcels within zoning classification borders.
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Research/Zoning_Maps/default.asp

Tags: Green Lake, Seattle, townhomes

Construction at the former site of Seattle’s iconic Twin Teepees restaurant at 7201 Aurora Avenue has begun. The 4-story mixed-used building will include office space and a 24-unit apartment complex called the Tyee at Greenlake.

The Twin Teepees was designed by Delland Harris and opened in 1931 across the street from Green Lake Park. A fire in 2000 brought an end to the restaurant which was subsequently razed in 2001.

Back in 1942, a young Colonel Harland Sanders managed the restaurant where legend says he perfected a recipe for fried chicken. Ten years later the colonel went on to start Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Tags: Green Lake

The American Planning Association (APA) released its 10 Great Streets and 10 Great Neighborhoods list. Among among the contenders the Pike Place Market district was selected as one of the 10 Great Neighborhoods in America.

The Pike Place Market neighborhood continues to lead by example. Its compact, pedestrian-oriented design and range of housing options served as the inspiration for the city’s Downtown Livability Plan, passed in 2006. Despite ongoing financial and other challenges, its community continues to fight to sustain its viability. It serves as a reminder that it is not just a mix of buildings that define a place but, rather, the mix of people that infuses a neighborhood with a distinct voice and personality of its own.

Read the full APA review of the Pike Place Market

Tags: Pike Place Market, Seattle

It has been speculated for some time that Amazon has been contemplating a move to the South Lake Union area. Initial reports indicated that Amazon was considering up to 1 million square feet of office space.

In today’s Crosscut, it now appears likely that Amazon will be moving its headquarters and consolidating in South Lake Union.

Though 5,000 employees would eventually be transplanted to SLU, it’s unlikely to have much of an impact on housing or condo sales in the short-term, since the move is only a couple of miles in distance. Longer-term, landing Amazon, Microsoft, UW and Group Health will add to the appeal of SLU. And, it bodes well towards enticing retail and service-related businesses to the SLU district.

Update 10/12/07 - Vulcan and Schnitzer announced plans to build a large office complex in the heart of SLU. The 1.5 million square feet complex, to be completed in 2011, will have just one tenant - Amazon, according to the DJC. The first phase will begin later this year with initial occupancy in 2010.

Image: Seattle PI

Read: Seattle PI - Vulcan reveals plan for six more buildings

Tags: Amazon, South Lake Union, Vulcan