Last week, we showed you the plans for longtime Capitol Hill developer Mike Malone’s planned transformation of the CK Graphics building at E Pike and Summit into an eight-story replica of what Mike Malone would have built in 1920 if Mike Malone was an auto-row era developer — with even more money.
We’ll find out what the East Design Review Board thinks of the whole thing Wednesday night when the Studio Meng Strazzara-designed project comes before public scrutiny for the first time. More on this project and the rare beast that is a microhousing project going through design review, below.
501 E Pike
Though they’ll only be showing massing renderings of the project Wednesday night, Malone said his Hunters Capital project will take advantage of Pike/Pine’s Conservation District incentives to preserve the old Dunn Motors building and build the project an extra story higher — and Malone told CHS the plan is to do it in a way that is truly faithful to restoring the old building’s spirit even as the new project reaches to the sky.
If the project is a model for talked-of strengthening of the conservation district’s incentive program, be prepared for some proscriptive requirements. Malone has been showing off the next phase of his design including materials and finishings that will mimic if not match the character structure it will tower above. When you see the massing, you’ll know it was also smart to make sure to get the word out early about the next stage — this sucker is big:
Design review, early design guidance application for an 8-story building with 118 residential units located above 4,000 sq. ft . of retail space and 6,000 sq. ft. of office space. Parking for 61 vehicles will be located below grade. Project also includes 31 bicycle stalls. Existing structure to be demolished.
Review Meeting: May 29, 8:00 PM Seattle University 901 12th Ave Pigott Building Room #204 Review Phase: EDG–Early Design Guidance Project Number: 3014780 permit status | notice Planner: Bruce Rips
2202 E Olive Street
As City Hall turns the cranks on slowly putting regulation in place to require design and environmental reviews of microhousing developments, a few projects of the ilk have already been forced into the process. A 33-unit apartment building slated for the corner of 22nd Ave E and E Olive St — near the Safeway — will be built boarding-house style as far as unit size goes. Each apartment is planned to average about 330 square-feet of living space. The Bazan Architects-designed building had its first run through the design review process last summer. In that session and a subsequent early design review, the plan has been tweaked to attempt to make for a better fit with a dozen units lopped from the plan and space for bike parking upped to around 30. No car parking here, you’ll note.
2202 E Olive St
Design Proposal (19.2 MB)
Review Meeting: May 29, 6:30 PM Seattle University 901 12th Ave Pigott Building Room #204 Review Phase: Recommendation past reviews Project Number: 3013256 permit status | notice Planner: Shelley Bolser
Justin, I realize that all you really seem to care about is driving page hits and advancing your own personal agenda, but your coverage of development issues is getting more pathetic by the week. How is the project at 22nd and Olive “of the same ilk” as the microhousing units that are being looked at by DPD and the City Council? Just because they are small?
By your definition, half of the apartment units on Capitol Hill are “boarding-house style” simply because of unit size. Have you ever actually been in a boarding house? Have you ever actually been in one the aPodments or other microhousing projects that have been built in our neighborhood? Can you honestly not tell the difference?
You’re really doing your readers (and ultimately your own credibility) a great disservice by attempting to froth up interest by using misinformation. Either get your facts straight or leave the editorializing to others.
Not sure what personal agenda this would supposedly advance but this project has been described as microhousing from the onset by the developer http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/07/12th-ave-development-reaches-last-step-in-design-review-plus-more-micro-housing/
Also, I’m not sure who to leave the editorializing to — you? Let me know.
I’ll assume that the answer is no, you’ve never been in a boarding house (or an aPodment project), so your characterization and comparison of the 22nd/Olive project to these housing types is pure ignorance. Are you also so ignorant as to not realize that these are loaded terms? Again, you’re not doing your readers any favors by spreading these half-truths and mischaracterizations.
As for your personal agenda, that’s for you to tell us. Maybe you feel as threatened by change as Carl Winter and his buddies at Reasonable Density. Maybe you’re afraid that if a project gets developed close to your million-dollar North Cap Hill house that you’ll have to fight for street parking (since your house doesn’t have a garage or any other off-street parking). Maybe you resent having to wait for a table at Victrola or Wandering Goose and you’d like to see some of these residents simply go somewhere else. Maybe you’re afraid of people who can’t afford or don’t desire the thousands of square feet of living space that your family has chosen. Or maybe you just don’t think that these people deserve to live in your neighborhood, since they obviously haven’t worked as hard as you have to earn “the good life”.
I don’t know your driving motivation, but anyone paying attention can see that your objectivity related to this issue is nonexistent.
Nonexistent :)
We’ve been writing about the issues related to aPodment and microhousing longer and more consistently than pretty much any other outlet in the city.
A selection:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/09/chs-pics-what-it-looks-like-inside-a-capitol-hill-apodment/
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/08/apodments-stay-away/
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/10/energized-galvanized-and-a-little-nimby-hill-community-groups-working-to-shape/
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/06/sometimes-a-big-surprise-micro-housing-trend-rolls-on-in-capitol-hill/
Whoa! Seeking a design and impact review for buildings(apodments or not) in a neighborhood growing at 130% of all projections? THIS is afraid of change? Who’s got an agenda now?
Point 2: Many people who are RENTERS not million dollar home owners have REAL issues with Apodments. Do your homework and quit with the immediate and dismissive labels- the knee jerk reactions. Additionly – I have a suspicion that Justin does NOT own a million dollar home.
Point 3: Do you really think issues related to density(a very good and necessary thing IF done with more attention to detail and long term effect on a neighborhood) can be dismissed as “having to wait for a table” somewhere?
I’m kind of surprised that I am responding to this post. The comments are so lacking in content, are restating the OFTEN repeated chagrin – and are hypocritical. You deserve to have your viewpoint on the table – to have your arguments heard without the immediate and dismissive labeling(as stated above) but guess what?
So do the concerns and arguments of those who disagree.
Go back to school. Learn how to debate honestly and open-mindedly.
Good Luck.
@KelleyMcCarthy: Well written, well said, and I agree with you. Thank you.
Project much, Fair and Balanced?
In my opinion, Justin is a very “fair and balanced” journalist. He has not been pushing any personal agenda at all…he has written a number of posts which contain both sides of this issue.
The 2202 E Olive St development is a type of microhousing I can support. Yes, the units are small, but not ridiculously so, and there does not seem to be any shared kitchens. The scale (4 stories) is reasonable and in-line with its neighbors, as opposed to some of the apodments on Capitol Hill which are bulky and tower over their neighbors. On paper, the building looks quite attractive, and apparently will include some nice landscaping. It includes no parking, but that is probably not as much of an issue in that neighborhood as it is in parts of Capitol Hill.
And, MOST IMPORTANTLY, design review is required! The City must have felt that this was a different type building than the boarding-house, apodment atrocities…because they required it as long as a year ago, before the apodment issue heated up.
But….crucial question….What will the rents be?
@original poster: I’d like to know where these supposed ‘half of the apartment units on Capitol Hill” that you refer to as “boarding-house style” units are? I’ve lived on Capitol Hill for 19 years and I’d love to be shown all these 330 sq ft units you refer to which seem to make up half of the avail. units on the hill. Those are your words, not Justin’s.
330sf studio apartments are not “boarding house”, style or otherwise. They are studio apartments. Per zoning code, per building code.
With aPodments, or any of the vernacular models through Capitol Hill that no one seems to mind, a) they are rented by the room, but multiple rooms count as a single dwelling per code and b) despite the use of the code in their favor, the developments are also seeking the Multifamily Tax Exemption: cake and eat it too.
The City’s Office of Housing has closed the MFTE loophole so any criticism of micro housing developments unfairly taking advantage of said former loophole is misfounded and a red herring.
I agree with Kelley. It’s time to quit the name calling – on both sides of the fence.
The structure this article is about IS considered by the city to be an Apodment.
I am tired of those against Apodments citing the “riff raff” that it will bring, the “crime”, the “undesirable” – but not all those concerned are in this camp.
Those who are for and support these buildings have good points to make – and I’m tired of them crying “classist” or “elitism” – not all those concerned are in this camp.
Why not have both sides of this coin listen to one another and come up with a solution that works and addresses the concerns of both sides of this issue.
And Calhoun, you ask if Justin has been in an Apodment. What about you? Have you been to any of the council meetings where these issues were discussed?
My apologies – the comment in the last paragraph of my post was responding to comments made by CHS Fair and Balanced – Not Calhoun. Sorry Calhoun.
Those of us that live in the nicer houses aren’t really impacted by this actually because our homes are zoned for single family units only. I can’t think of a multi family zoned house within 6 blocks of me in any direction. Just saying.
I live across from this proposed 22nd/Olive development. I think this type of building is totally suitable to this neighborhood.