1200 E Pike as it looked in 1959 (From Puget Sound Regional Archives via 1200 E Pike landmark nomination)
In November, CHS reported on the next wave of big apartment projects slated to continue transforming Capitol Hill in 2013 and beyond. We’ve learned of one more for the list.
Purchased by a real estate investment trust in 2007 and already rejected as an official city landmark, the 1900-era building at 1200 E Pike should see a restart of development activity in the coming year.
“Capitol Hill’s a great neighborhood,” a representative for Tarragon tells CHS. The development and construction management wing of privately-held Investco Financial Corporation is beginning the process of pushing plans forward to develop the corner of 12th and Pike and join the steady flow of new projects on the Hill.
The Tarragon representative said it’s too early to talk specific details of the coming project as the design process is not yet completed. She could not yet confirm whether the project will be planned to take advantage of the Pike/Pine neighborhood’s incentive program that allows developers to build extra height in their projects in return for preserving architectural elements of “character” structures — often, Capitol Hill’s last vestiges of the auto row-era past.
In 2011, a long, drawn-out process came to an end with the Seattle Landmark Preservation Board rejecting Investco’s request for landmark status for the building originally constructed in the early 1900s as a home and transformed over the years into one of the area’s first examples of mixed-use living. While the property does not appear on the Department of Planning and Development’s roster of character structures subject to special protections for developers seeking preservation bonuses, it is listed in the DPD’s “transfer of development potential” roster of Pike/Pine properties. The board cited “integrity” issues when deeming the structure unfit for landmark status noting the significant amount of changes it has undergone both inside and out since first erected in 1903.
This week, by the way, will bring a design review for the latest preservation-minded Capitol Hill development as the plan to transform the old Hollywood Video building into lofts will come in front of the design board Wednesday night. That project falls outside the Pike/Pine preservation overlay district, by the way.
Currently home to Bombay Bistro , the corner of 12th and Pike has hosted a steady succession of restaurants over the past decade as well as the neighboring B&W Antiques. Above, the handful of living units provide one of the more unique living arrangements left in Pike/Pine.
Investco paid $3.2 million for the property in 2007.
It seems that a history of changes is just what has made this an interesting building. A shame that it has to go.
The “Developers Profit Maximization Board” has spoken!
Oh, whoopee. Yet another flat-roofed rabbit warren with retail space that will change from lease year to lease year because the businesses can’t make a go of it when they are paying ridiculous rent plus taxes. Tasteless monotony at a price.
Capitol Hill welcomes its Condominium Overlords!
Well, not really. But when you have no choice, a smile is nearly as good as lube.
I hope it will house at least one each of the following: cell phone store, tanning salon, chain restaurant, dry cleaner.
let’s not forget a bank lobby with a lounge…
I’m sorry I missed tonight’s meeting about all of the APodment crap. Between that nonsense and the cookie-cutter McCondoization of the hill, I’d have left Councilman Conlin with an earful.
It’s time to demand a new, better landmarks board. Anyone with me? I’ll make the arrangements for us all to take on the fools at City Hall via one of their chummy Council meetings.
Who’s in?
Hit me up on Twitter @xtiangunther
Yep, another building with character being razed for one with no character…useless council and design board.
You didn’t miss much save for a LOT of people who were/are as angry as the rest of us but who did not have much of an opportunity to speak. You DID miss what was to be anticipated — a lot of doubletalk from Conlin and Sugimura regarding how/why these Apodment/micro housing projects have been allowed to take advantage of loopholes in our Planning/Building codes and count 7-8 dorm rooms per floor as ONE single apartment because they have shared kitchen facilities. (That equates to 49 or 56 of these live-in closets as being counted as only 7 or 8 units — oh, and that is replete with tax breaks for the construction because these things are parading as “affordable” housing.
We also did not get any further with respect to having a building moratorium declared on the continued construction of these Apodments.
It was good to see so many people in attendance at this meeting but we were blown off and I did not leave feeling that anything had either changed or been accomplished.
I’m outta here.
I’m not opposed to new construction in the neighborhood, new buildings in place of parking lots are a good thing. But this old building really adds flavor and character to the neighborhood and it really makes me sad to see it go.
I was there too. It was very disappointing. Richard Conlin does not seem at all engaged in the “apodmentization” of Capitol Hill and stated he has no interest in declaring a moratorium, or even in holding City Council hearings…he’s just going to continue to “monitor” and “talk about” the problem. He seems to be much more of a supporter of developers and doesn’t really care what members of the community think.
Even more disappointing was DPD Director Diane Sugimura, who seems poorly-informed on this issue….she didn’t even know how many apodment-type buildings are going up in our neighborhood, even though this data would be easy to obtain with a little effort (as the group ReasonableDensitySeattle has done)….and she seemed to have zero interest in closing the loophole which allows developers to claim they are building a “6-unit boarding house” when in fact there are 50+ separate units, with no design review and no parking.
I came away from this meeting thinking that many of our city officials leave alot to be desired. It’s clearly going to be “business as usual” with apodments.
…to rip apart and turn into sunless canyons of drunk yipsters staggering from microhousing unit to microhousing unit. If I’d wanted to live in an overpriced urban slum, I wouldn’t’ve moved here thirteen years ago.
I walked past a group of suits at 13th ave and pike yesterday morning. One was pointing at the orange/red auto parts building and saying something about it to the chorus. Rather than standing there and listening to them, I just took a photo.
Saw the same group walking up Pike St past Doghouse Leathers yesterday. Most likely going to the New Bullet Center on 15th as I know that there was a big tour yesterday by members of the City Council and others. Being a business owner on that block and a member of P/Punc, I have heard no rumblings from any of my neighbors.