Landmark protections for its nearly 100-year-old exterior couldn’t save the 11th Ave Value Village, but the wide open auto-row era commercial space is poised to live on, possibly as Capitol Hill’s newest “marketplace.”
Developers from Legacy Commercial will be taking their first turn before the East Design Review Board on Wednesday to show off their preservation and development plans for the iconic 1917-built structure. Designs for the Kelly Springfield Motor Truck Co. building call for adding 65,000 square feet of office space above and adjacent to the 11th Ave building between Pike and Pine.
The three stories of new offices over Kelly Springfield would be set back 21-feet from the storefront facade and connected on the south side to a narrow five story office building that would fill-in the block’s current sunken parking lot. The project would include 12,000 square feet of retail space and 31 parking spots in an underground garage.
1525 11th Ave
Design Review Early Design Guidance application for renovation of an existing 2-story Landmark building (Kelly Springfield Building) including a 3-story addition above the existing structure and a new 5-story structure to the west. Proposal consists of 65,000 sq ft of office space and 12,000 sq. ft. of retail space. Parking for 31 vehicles to be provided below grade. — View Design Proposal (9 MB)
Review Meeting: June 8, 2016 6:30pm, Seattle University, 1000 E James Way, STCN- Student Center 210 Multipurpose RoomReview Phase: EDG–Early Design GuidancePlanner: Beth Hartwick
Architects from Ankrom Moisan have already gone through several reviews with Seattle’s Architectural Review Committee after the building was granted landmarks protections along with the adjacent White Motor Company building, home to The Stranger and Rhino Room. Legacy abandoned redevelopment plans for that building following several meetings with the ARC.
By preserving significant portions of Kelly Springfield, developers are proposing to leverage incentives offered in the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District. Plans call for a 10-foot height bonus for incorporating original “character structures” and facades in the project. Elements to be preserved include the building’s original heavy timber structure, brick facade, and stucco and tile exterior embellishments. Architects are also exploring having replicas made of the building’s original windows.
The project could also see a reconfigured streetscape along 11th Ave that would replace a handful of parking space with landscaped “bulbs.”
Angled spaces could be filled in with parklets later, to allow retail spaces to spill out onto the streetscape. The design team believes that the combination of the angled parking and the opportunity to create customizable parklets for future retail lends itself to the artistic and unique character of the Pike/Pine corridor.
Architects presented plans for the project to the Pike/Pine Urban Neighborhood Council in May, where P/PUNC chair John Feit said he was largely in support of the project.
Citing a gush of neighborhood support for saving the building, the preservations board voted 9-0 in January to designate Kelly Springfield an official Seattle landmark. An early component of Seattle’s REI history, the building was the long time home to Value Village until the thrift shop closed its doors last year. The retail space is currently home to V2, a temporary arts space.
Love to see more office coming to Capitol Hill!
This will destroy Capitol Hill. Period.
Give me a break – neighborhoods change. That is not the kind of building that needs to preserved in amber.
How fragile is your community if it could be destroyed by one building?
This one we simply have to stop–call the mayor. This one is poison to anyone who cares about Capitol Hill and cares about the area having any history or cultural charm. Simply terrible.
You don’t seem to be aware that this building was landmarked recently, so that much of it will be preserved, including the massive wooden beams in the interior. It won’t be the same, of course, but promises to be a reasonably attractive development.
A historic landmark in the heart of the pike pine conservation overlay should be repurposed not gutted. Develop the parking lot and transfer development rights to a more suitable site for redevelopment.
Preserve This Building – Make Cap Hill Great Again!!!
Looks like they’re doing a really great job of restoring the original facade of the building, keeping the heavy timber that’s visually striking & historically important, and giving the space some good dense utility. Good job!