Two projects envisioned for Capitol Hill residents on the opposite ends of the earnings spectrum will take the final steps in the design review process Wednesday night. At 127 Broadway E, developers are looking for the final blessing on their plans to create a six-story loft-style apartment project that will incorporate the brick store and office building that has stood at the site since 1929. Meanwhile, at 422 Summit Ave E, a “workforce” apartment project is ready to rise six stories next to its much older multifamily neighbors.
127 Broadway E
There is a lot of history wrapped up in the Hollywood Lofts project. The old Del Teet furniture store was designed by, of all architects, Frederick Anhalt, and over the years has been home to a succession of Broadway businesses including the long-shuttered Hollywood Video. Today, longtime Capitol Hill real estate investor Ron Amundson is developing the project as his second foray into unlocking his many neighborhood holdings. The first project is also Dick’s-adjacent at 120 Harvard Ave E.
The Hewitt-designed mixed-use project will include 24 lofts, a restored facade and 3,600 square feet of restored commercial space. The building will also add one underground level of parking for 11 vehicles. Across the street, the Capitol Hill Station light rail project is slated to begin operations in late 2016 — around the time the Hollywood Lofts could be ready for move-in.
| Review Meeting: | June 19, 6:30 PM |
| Seattle University | |
| 901 12th Ave | |
| Admissions & Alumni Community Room | |
| Review Phase: | Recommendation past reviews |
| Project Number: | 3013985 permit status | notice |
| Planner: | Garry Papers |
Consultant and Capitol Hill developer Maria Barrientos talked to CHS about the lofts project last year:
“We’re keeping the building as intact as possible,” Barrientos tells CHS about the Broadway project. An existing skylight structure will be extended to become a European-style central court. Heavy old timbers from the building will be re-incorporated. At street-level, retail will remain but the upper floors of the existing structure will be melded with new construction to create a three-story building with two floors of living units and lofts.
“Broadway will be totally different,” Barrientos said. “The industrial lofts — we haven’t finished the plan exactly yet — but they will be either 1 or 2 bedroom.”
“Everybody else is building for the totally tiny units. We wanted to go after a different demographic.”
The city’s records show that no members of the public showed up at the project’s first step in the design process last December. Don’t despair, Ron and Maria. That’s how we say we like you.
422 Summit Ave E
Finally a place we poor people of Capitol Hill can hope to afford.
Designed to take advantage of the city’s affordable housing incentives that allow extra height for building’s in exchange for providing units available for a period at 60% of median income, the 422 Summit Ave E project also had a smooth go of it during its first visit to the East Design Review Board in December despite seven members of the public taking their turns to mostly lodge various complaints about the building blocking views and not being truly “affordable” for a long enough time — 50 years is the duration of the controlled rent in order to qualify for the height bonus, by the way.
| Review Meeting: | June 19, 8:00 PM |
| Seattle University | |
| 901 12th Ave | |
| Admissions & Alumni Community Room | |
| Review Phase: | Recommendation past reviews |
| Project Number: | 3014079 permit status | notice |
| Planner: | Lindsay King |
The Runberg Architects-designed project will rise six stories, provide 48 apartment units and include one underground parking area for 13 vehicles. There will be — shocker, we know — no retail space included in the building’s plans.
Wednesday’s board discussion of the project is likely to center around the request to skirt zoning rules regarding setbacks from property lines on the back of the structure.
Both building will a nice addition to the Cap Hill landscape. However I have a feeling all that will be left of the old Hollywood Video building will be the front, as that seems to the be the “standard issue answer” for perserving a building in Seattle.
Agreed. What happened to the building Porchlight coffee was in on 14th is a travesty. The developers might as well have torn down the entire structure.
FYI – the old Del-Teet building isn’t part of the Pike-Pine conservation overlay, so there’s no zoning incentive for the owner to keep the building. I’m really pleased they are conserving the building.
It was built for Del-Teet’s furniture business and has some odd features such as an unusually low -ceilinged ground floor. I’d like to see the conservation overlay extended north into Western Capitol Hill to protect all our older brick buildings.
Thanks — I should have included that again in this update
We wrote about the requirements — and movement to expand the definition of preservation — here http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2013/05/as-city-considers-strengthened-rules-for-pikepine-developer-says-8-story-project-is-how-preservation-should-be-done/
Oh, language is a funny thing, Ms. Barrientos. If you were “keeping the building as intact as possible,” you would be leaving it as it is.
The loft project next to Dick’s is sooooooooooooooooo BORING…..
What do you propose to make it “exciting”? Racing stripes?
IMO, good effort in the grand scheme of what’s being developed.
At least it will be less of an eyesore than the US bank building with its weird prow on top.
Not everything can be a landmark structure. It’s better to have builders who recognize and incorporate the history of existing buildings than someone who doesn’t care what gets torn down or whether what gets built fits within the living reality of a neighborhood.
We still have the three pieces of furniture bought at Del-Teet before it closed: a sofa table and a desk for my first 1976 Capitol Hill apt, then, my wife’s desk in the early 80s; all are still in use. Broadway still offered walk-to businesses that supported everyday life, such as a cobbler, 2 furniture stores, a full service (food store included) Fred Meyer, an independent gas station that knew its customers and helped with more than gas and repairs. I miss being able to ignore suburban stores because I could walk and get nearly everything I needed, but — everything has a life span and we’re coming full-circle with the growing emphasis on being able to walk again for what you need.
I’m sure millionaires are going to love living right above Dick’s.
Dick’s doesn’town the land they’reon. I can see a day when the Drive-In won’t be part of the Seattle landscape. Property directly across the street from Link is going to be incredibly valuable.