A small burst of East District design review activity moves through the board this week but none of the plans call Capitol Hill proper home. Instead, the review board will weigh the quality of plans for the third in a trio of first private developments in the Seattle Housing Authority-powered rebirth of Yesler Terrace as well as an Eastlake mixed-use project and a “streamlined” non-public review of a Central District townhouse project. Details on the Central Seattle development activity, below.

Reverb
CHS explored the tax incentive-steeped plan from Seattle-based Spectrum Development Solutions to build a string of three apartment buildings along the 12th Ave edge of Yesler Terrace just south of Capitol Hill as the developers brought their second project in the bunch — The Decibel — before the review board in April.

The third and final member of the triumvirate takes its first review bow Wednesday night. The Reverb is the only un-mixed-use building of the bunch as it includes no commercial space in its seven-story plans. It will, however, be shaped in the vision of Seattle’s tax bonus program providing a property tax break to developers for 12 years if they set aside at least 20% of their units for affordable housing.

Spectrum’s projects

• Anthem – 103 12th Ave – 120 units (120 affordable)/ 48 parking stalls/ 4,000 sf. commercial — under construction
• Decibel – 301 12th Ave – 75 units (15 affordable)/ 20 parking stalls/ 3,000 sf. commercial — design review
• Reverb – 1023 E Alder Street  –84 units (17 affordable)/ 40 parking stalls / no commercial — design review

Slated to replace a single-family style home, the new Mithun-designed building has six goals, according to the development proposal:

• Provide a strong pedestrian connection along E Alder Street to public transportation and 12th Avenue
• Create synergy with Decibel on 12th & Alder as well as Anthem on 12th at 12th & Yesler
• Encourage human interaction and activity at the street level
• Create a building that is sensitive to the scale and character of the neighborhood
• Maximize amount and quality of workforce housing
• Target LEED silver certification

Other projects

• Eastlake mixed-use: Also on the docket Wednesday night will be a planned four-story, mixed-use building in the Eastlake neighborhood at 2203 Eastlake Ave E. Eastlake is frequently held up as a bastion of support for some of Seattle’s anti-density activity but after reviewing Wednesday night’s proposal for the 50-unit, 1,600 square-foot commercial space building, there doesn’t seem to be much to object to in the plan from Capitol Hill-based architects Schemata Workshop. The project goes before the board starting at 6:30 PM Wednesday, also at the Seattle U A&A building. You can check out the design packet (PDF) for the project here.
• CD townhouses: A townhouse project slated for 14th Ave near Marion in the Central District isn’t big enough to trigger a full on design review but it does qualify for an administrative review slated to be completed this week. Designed by Playhouse Design Group for real estate investor Jarrett Johnson, the project calls for replacing a single-family style house and garage with two three-story townhouses. The net result: four new homes where one once stood. You can check out the design packet (PDF) for the project here.