(Image: CHS)
After years of process, pandemic, and soil remediation, construction is ready to begin on the five-story, nearly 70-unit mixed-use apartment building with underground parking for 21 vehicles that will reshape the corner of Capitol Hill’s 15th and Mercer.
The old Hilltop Service Station is being readied for demolition. A representative from Capitol Hill developer Hunters Capital said the project to replace it is finally ready to break ground.
CHS last reported on the development here in the summer of 2020 as the 523 Hilltop building inspired by the neighborhood’s auto row-era preservation projects collided with the city’s design review process and a push for a more modern approach to the structure.
In the meantime, years of soil clean-up has been underway — and there has also been economic tumult on the street.
The 15th Ave E commercial zone remains dented after QFC parent Kroger opted to shutter the neighborhood’s grocery store in a tiff with the Seattle City Council over COVID-19 hazard pay in the spring of 2021. The Hunters Capital-owned grocery building remains empty with Kroger reportedly still holding tightly to the lease.
While the sting of the QFC closure has carried on as a dull throb, the neighborhood’s restaurants and shops have persisted with some new energy ready to transform longtime elements like a new restaurant still working on taking over the old Canterbury space. The around two years of construction that will play out to create the new apartment building won’t necessarily help but it’s better than another fenced-off empty space.
The more than 50 years of automobile service at the corner will also be coming to an end. CHS checked in with the service station business in 2018 as the development process slowed and plans to close the garage were put on hold even as the gas pumps were shut down.
After Gary L. Bergamini, the owner of the site since 1960, passed away in 2016, his heirs placed the property with a trust and initiated a search for a buyer. The purchase came with some extra challenges for future development. An environmental study revealed issues underground that are commonly found below a longtime service station including leaky gasoline reservoirs below Hilltop. Hunters Capital announced it had acquired the property in a multimillion, just before Christmas real estate deal in 2019. The price tag was $2.75 million.
At 15th and Mercer, when the Studio Meng Strazzara-designed building finally opens for tenants and new businesses, the cluster of nearby businesses including longtime neighborhood favorites Flowers on 15th, Jamjuree, and Liberty will have new neighbors. And, the rest of 15th hopes, the old QFC space will be back in motion again.
But the start of Hilltop construction could also be a sign of things to come. Hunters Capital has said the ultimate plan is to redevelop the QFC block with what would likely be new multifamily housing and mixed-use development. It might be that, after years of waiting, these blocks of 15th Ave E will be rapidly transformed.
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Let’s gooooo!
awesome!
Hmmm, I was hoping for something a little less shopping mall mixed with plastics incinerator, but I guess this’ll work.
Seattle has given up on architecturally interesting buildings a long time ago. This city only builds plastic-y garbage now.
I’m just glad that Hunter’s Capital is in charge of this development. They are one of the few developers who do quality work, and who actually care about the neighborhood.
I absolutely agree with you, Zach. I managed a store at one of their properties and found them to be absolutely delightful folks.
Does anyone know how long the QFC lease is?
We reported it as “two years” remaining at time of exit
Thank you. I walk there frequently for coffee and it is amazing that people continue to jaywalk across 15th just as though it were still open. Even though the City spent a good deal of money on the crossing lights on the corner.
15th shouldn’t have cars there anyway. Another area that needs to be car-less.
Those of us with difficulties walking beg to differ. All of you who advocate for permanent bans on cars seem to imagine the world is filled with 25yr olds in great shape and with no physical maladies.
Not to mention it will be tough for businesses on 15th to receive deliveries if we permanently close the street.
If we want to close it, do it Fri/Sat/Sun after 1pm or something. Allow it to be used for fun but still keep it open for essential uses during the week / weekend mornings.
You’re being incredibly dismissive of wheelchair and scooter users that can’t drive. They are hurt most by car centric infrastructure.
Pedestrianized commercial areas always have times and places that deliveries can be made, this is a solved issue.
Lastly the more people can walk, bike, and use public transportation the healthier and fitter the population. Therefore leading to less people not being able to walk. Nothing hurts my back more than driving regularly.
You don’t care about disability justice just your own convenience and to that I say, me to imma Jaywalk all over caphill lol
Ya, that’s me, I will Jaywalk across every 15th or Broadway constantly. Why not, nearly got hit by a car running a red light when I had a signal on Broadway AND had someone honk and get mad when using the crosswalk without waiting for them to pass at 12th in the span of 15 mins
Cars don’t respect pedestrians at all, so why in the hell would I be courteous of cars.
15th Ave is a pedestrian space as far as I’m concerned.
I walk around Capitol Hill on a daily basis, and my experience is that the vast majority of drivers DO stop for pedestrians, especially if I am in a crosswalk, but at intersections where there is no crosswalk as well.
Ya, I see that most of the time as well but it only takes one person not stopping, rather just cross whenever there’s no cars in the middle of the street.
Also most of those intersections are legal crossings anyways, cars stopping is the bare minimum, the equivalent of keeping the safety engaged on your open carry
Jase, Great example of what’s wrong with people. Selfishness. By your logic, if I’m on a motorcycle, and pedestrians don’t ‘respect’ me, I can just drive on the sidewalk?
Nope, bc you’re in a machine that can kill people. I’m being a slight inconvenience, usually not even bc I don’t cross in front of cars. But at most being kinda annoying and adding a few secs to someone’s commute where you’d be endangering lives.
Regardless I’ll Jaywalk wherever I please bc as a car owner I believe there shouldn’t be cars on 15th. That’s all, the cars nearly running me over when I cross legally is the cherry on top, bc at least when I Jaywalk I’m doing it when there aren’t cars there by making it safer then crossing legally
So sad to see Jim, lose his beloved Hill top service center, The last honest car mechanic is gone forever from the hill. Manny, many of us will miss him. I lived on the hill for 35 years but rising rents will soon push me off. Goodbye Hill Top[..
Thanks to Jim and all the team at Hill Top Service Center. Much appreciation for your great help and integrity. Very best wishes going forward.
Agreed.
The replacement is utterly unacceptable.
“Beloved” things for those who’ve lived here for ages should remain in place, unchanged, so nostalgia and familiarity can be maintained for long time residents.
Changes of any sort are unacceptable. We must freeze this city in amber and never, ever look back.
This is the way.
Well, at last.
But I will miss seeing the back of one of my favorite eclectically designed houses located on Malden, the one with the Japanese maple on its back deck, while I’m munching on pizza at Olympia.
15th Avenue East is unfortunate in almost all ways and buildings architecturally. What is there was built expediently and largely long ago. The Walgreens is a joke. They took advantage of lax rules to maintain the back wall of the City People’s, and call it a remodel, putting up an ugly suburban type building, and gaming the rules on having windows, by putting them in front of merchandise and covering them with yellowing posters (and what gives with the store itself – shelves less than half full – a disheveled mess).
The entire strip is tacky by and large. Just take a look at every building. Few are more than one story and all should be replaced, including the disheveled one where the old Canterbury was. Drive to upper Queen Ann and experience a difference. Likewise many of the new buildings on nearby 19th north of John are attractive. It is up to property owners to decide but the city should have aesthetic standards that do not allow more mischief like the Walgreens to recur. Glad to see the Safeway being rebuilt soon with mixed use and housing along with underground parking. Do folks know that the current Safeway is about 20 years old and replaced a prior one with a parking lot in the front? And the Key Bank branch is a totally underused site along with a parking lot. Surely they know it and could put a new branch in the ground floor of a beautiful building.
This development is an opportunity to do something right, unlike the one across the street where the nail salon is. Ugly! Hunter’s Capital has a decent track record. If they put in good design there and the QFC lot, we will stand a chance of positive change. Until and unless we efficiently use and build up on arterials like this, don’t talk about upzoning residential single family streets en mass. I suspect that 15th will see major change as it is recognized that the one story clapboard stores, and the few with ragged and outdated housing above were built on the cheap and have run their course.