Capitol Hill's construction summer: Undre Arms project latest on track to dig in

Capitol Hill's summer plans are starting to solidify -- they involve a lot of digging and big cranes. An apartment dweller of the faded and fabled Undre Arms has posted a picture of the 90-day notice remaining residents have received. Come August, it will be time to start tearing down the building and others on the lot including the homes of the Cobra Lounge and Thai Curry Simple.

Enlarge (Image via @sherpaco)

11 of the Undre Arms' 14 apartment units are currently inhabited according to filings with the city. 

Plans for the 6-story, 105-unit mixed-used development with two levels of underground parking originally began as a condo project prior to the economic slump of recent years. One sign of changed times is the revival of the project as apartments. Another is an increase in planned underground parking from fewer than 20 parking spots to, now, nearly 80:

Land Use Application to allow a 6-story, 105 unit apartment building above 8,116 sq. ft. of ground level retail. Two levels of below grade parking for 77 vehicles to be provided. Review includes demolition of three existing structures (totaling 8,573 sq. ft.) and 16,300 cu. yds. of grading. Demolition & grading all done under separates permits, per plans.

Monday, we reported on another project designed by Runberg Architecture Group being planned for Bellevue Ave E and described as a "workhorse" workforce project for affordable housing.

We reported in March that the 1111 E Union project was picking up steam and would soon be displacing existing tenants of the lot. The development's revival began back in August as Union and Madison, LLC started planning for the change to apartments from condos and to move forward with the near-$13 million construction budget for the project.

Undre Arms II would be a cool name for the project!

Businesses on the lot that moved to their spaces in the meantime are subject to demolition clauses and have been prepared for the coming day when they'll need a new home. Erin Cobb of the Cobra Lounge told us in March he hopes to move his lounge to a new Hill home.

The start of work in the triangular lot along Madison will add even more construction activity to the Hill this summer. We recently reported on eight projects currently underway on Capitol Hill and First Hill.

Now there's nine. Demolition has already occurred for the Bellevue Terrace project. Its neighboring Pine Street Apartments project hasn't yet forced the demolition of the crumbling Marion Apartments. The developer told us a groundbreaking date is pending the project's ability to secure a construction loan but we don't have information on whether a demolition in the meantime is imminent.

Joining this busy environment will be demolition work at 11th and Pine on the Sun Electric building  apartments and retail. Developers on that project had been hoping for a summer start.

Things are also moving forward for the Cascadia Center development at 15th and Madison following the project's victory over an appeal against its permits. The Bullitt Foundation is holding a free, public event at Benaroya Hall on Wednesday night to showcase the Center's green goals of net-zero waste. No construction permits have been issued -- there are still some additional discussions that need to happen with the City regarding the project's planned photovoltaic arrays.

The end of summer might add yet one more construction project to our midst. Planning for the streetcar line that will connect Pioneer Square to First Hill and Broadway is progressing. CHS attended a briefing at last month's Capitol Hill Community Council meeting where the City's latest plans for the line were presented. Part of that is talk of work beginning on the line later this year as the project pushes for an operational date in 2013. We'll have more soon on the briefing. In the meantime, the Seattle Design Commission will discuss the line at its next meeting this Thursday.

The summer construction schedule is so thick that even Capitol Hill's central park is in the mix. Cal Anderson's Bobby Morris playfield is slated to have its lighting replaced in a multi-month project beginning this June.