The architectural schemes for the two Capitol Hill developments slated to come before the East Design Review Board Wednesday night are united by their failures. Given the amount of money at play and factors like investment fund “end dates,” you don’t see a lot of architects and developers allowing their projects to be held back but both the 4-story E Republican apartments and the 6-story “Taco Time” building destined to rise across from the Bullitt Center on E Madison have been on the remedial design review track. Wednesday, they’ll look to move a little closer to graduation.
1420 E Madison
You know it as the Taco Time project. After tearing down their fast food restaurant that stood on the site and seeking a buyer to develop the contaminated property, the family behind the Taco Time chain of restaurants held onto their E Madison land and are moving forward with a plan to create a six-story, 70-unit building on the site. Yes, TT fans, the fast food restaurant will likely one day re-open in the building.
Project: 1420 E. Madison St map
Design Proposal available (7.1 MB)
Review Meeting: April 17, 8:00 Seattle Vocational Institute 2120 S. Jackson St. map #401 Review Phase: EDG–Early Design Guidance past reviews Project Number: 3013776 permit status | notice Planner: Shelley Bolser
But first Capitol Hill architect Roger H. Newell needs to get his design through the preliminary round of the process. The project made its first run in January as the review board sat back, folded their arms and decided that the massing concept wasn’t quite worthy of the high profile, high visibility real estate across from the greenest commercial building in the world. Wednesday, it’s back to the drawing board with a newly fleshed out concept that Newell and the Tonkin family hope will live up to the building’s location and be sensitive to the old apartment building to the north.
[mappress mapid=”38″]
1406 E Republican
The 4-story entrant on Wednesday’s review docket from new development firm Revolve and architect schack A+D got on track after being held back last year. The 36-unit residential project with underground parking for 22 vehicles is now ready for what could be its final step in the process and comes to the table for its fourth review with a fleshed out design showing the project’s proposed finishes and modifications including an increased upper level setback to try to minimize the building’s profile.
Public comment throughout the project’s design review journey has been rough on the development as it sits in one of those transition zones between single-family and multifamily zoning. “Too big” and “does not fit into the neighborhood” summarizes the feedback (PDF).
It’s unlikely the design board will do anything about those four stories the zone allows — but it’s possible there might be yet more to be done to address requested zoning departures and the board’s previous recommendations. If so, neighbors would get a fifth opportunity to kick the project around just in case the first four weren’t enough.
Project: 1406 E Republcian St mapDesign Proposal available (2.7 MB)
Review Meeting: April 17, 6:30 PM Seattle Vocational Institute 2120 S. Jackson St. map #401 Review Phase: Recommendation past reviews Project Number: 3012837 permit status | notice Planner: Bruce Rips
