The 170-foot spires of the 115-year-old St. James Cathedral aren’t going anywhere but the offices of the Archdiocese of Seattle will be on the move after British Columbia developer Westbank said it is acquiring the properties and adding to its efforts on First Hill with new plans to create some 1,300 new apartments and homes across the neighborhood’s core.

The Archdiocese of Seattle, and St. James announced the plans to sell and redevelop four church properties on First Hill “to create an inspiring carbon-neutral community that enhances the future of the First Hill neighborhood, while also supporting the continued mission of the Catholic Church.”

Terms of the deal have been announced.

The four First Hill properties include St. James Cathedral’s Pastoral Outreach Center at 907 Columbia Street and the Archdiocese of Seattle’s buildings at 710 Ninth Avenue (Paul Pigott Building), 907 Terry Avenue (old Chancery Building), and 1104 Spring Street (Connolly House). As part of the agreement with Westbank, the 1902-built masonry Connolly House will be preserved, the Archdiocese said.

The deal will provide millions of dollars to the Archdiocese while also allowing the organization to consolidate its offices at a single location.

CHS reported here on further consolidation among Seattle’s Catholic communities as dwindling attendance and high costs marked two area churches for closure. The Archdiocese, meanwhile, hasn’t unloaded all of its First Hill real estate. It continues to hold the property at 620 Terry Ave where this 23-story senior housing tower now stands.

Westbank is already hugely busy on First Hill where it is developing a dramatic two-tower, 450-unit project at 707 Terry.

Westbank also plans for its new projects to tap into its partnership with Swedish Health Services and Providence Health to divert excess heat from its First Hill Campus to an energy sharing platform.

“Through this platform, Swedish will be able to share excess heat, which becomes a source of heating for other buildings connected to the platform, dramatically reducing the overall carbon footprint of the neighborhood,” Westbank says.

As part of the redevelopment of the older Archdiocesan and St. James Pastoral Outreach Center buildings, Westbank says it plans to create more than 1,300 homes “across the housing continuum,” and connected to the district energy system.

While no specific plans for affordable housing was included in the announcement, Westbank said the projects will “generate over $25 million” for the City of Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program which requires developers to either incorporate affordable units or pay into the fund for projects added to the densest areas of the city.

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