Wednesday, the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections will hold its public meeting on the land use application for the mixed-use development being planned to rise on the site of the former 15th Ave E QFC.
Capitol Hill developer Hunters Capital is requesting a departure from area zoning to allow an extra sixth story of height.
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The developers say their preferred “S” design would preserve the E Republican canopy, provide space for a larger 15th Ave E plaza to break up the retail facade and provide additional corner retail space, allow for a north podium deck, make room for a “pedestrian through block” breezeway on the south end of the project next to the old firehouse building, keep the back alley from becoming too tightly crowded, and allow for residential use of the alley.
The “S” design would create 170 new apartment units in a six-story building, with about 10,000 square feet of retail space, and underground parking for 99 vehicles.
To do it and preserve a prized European hornbeam tree while also healthily transitionitioning the project to the adjacent lower areas surrounding to the north, the developers say they need a departure from area zoning to allow the extra sixth story of height.
CHS reported here on the pushback to the proposal that triggered Wednesday meeting where additional feedback and public comment can be gathered before the city decides on the plan.
Wednesday’s virtual meeting takes place at 5 PM. You can learn more about the meeting and providing feedback here.
The “learn more about the meeting and provide feedback here” link gives me a 404 error.
I feel like I might want to show up to this meeting just to say “it’s fine, get on with it”, counterbalancing the inevitable complaints. The current zoning restrictions are unreasonably strict, and I’d love to see more activity on 15th.
Same here
Here here.
It’s time this project gets moving.
This is esp. true given the long-ago exit of QFC, which was projected to stay in place until construction started.
That obviously didn’t happen, so rather than “allowing the process to proceed,” the correct policy is to fast-track the project so the gaping hole in activity on 15th Ave. is rectified.
Part of that fast-track process needs to be ways in which the inevitable Nimby complaints — every single one of them disingenuous — are somehow, and in some way, neutralized.
Get. This. Project. Moving.
Also: any word on when construction will start on the Safeway site? I know the original plan was to demo/start building this summer, but didn’t the creepy cult in the dilapidated house on the corner sue for obviously-specious reasons?
Yes I really want to know when the new Safeway project is going to start as well because at this rate with QFC already closed and soon Safeway’s remodeling project starting possibly we might not have a grocery store on 15th ave for a while . And I am really hoping that in the new space where our QFC had been that we could get a Metropolitan Market , a Thriftway , or PCC Market preferably maybe a Metropolitan Market .
A Met Market would be great. I’m a big fan of the Queen Anne location.
Either that or a grocery outlet would be perfect there. Mostly saying this because if the Kroger Albertsons merger does go through on capitol hill we will only have three grocer options.
Kroger
Whole foods (parent company currently trying to sue the NLRB as unconditional)
Trader Joe’s (also trying to sue the NLRB as unconstitutional)
Me too :)
Agree! The Met Market is kind of expensive, but the quality is excellent.
More activity and people on 15th is great, let’s gooooo
For those wanting this project to move along – the only one to blame here is the developer. They admitted they would have no problem building a 5 story building here during design review. They just want an exception to zoning code. Therefore there is a delay.
The city needs to hurry up and deny their request. This meeting is pointless. Public opinion does not influence if zoning approved a departure.
I’m for big developers following the law just as everyone else does. As I write this it occurs to me hardly anyone follows laws here now and this is another example. The developer is approved for 5 stories, they could get going right away with their original 170 unit 5 story building rather than opting for a 6 story 170 unit building. If the trees are important then delete the walkway on the S side that goes between 15th and an alley. For those hoping for a grocery store don’t hold your breath, the retail spaces are too small.
This city is really short on 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, there’s almost nothing between tiny studios/1beds, and full houses/townhouses.
If this kind of delay is what’s necessary to alleviate that, we have a serious problem.
We do have a serious development problem. There have been proposals for exactly what you mention, two in fact on capitol hill that the city pressured the developer to build town homes instead of larger apartments that the developer passed on and may someday sell the property. This delay is unnecessary if the developer stuck to 5 stories and modified the plan to accommodate the tree but there are higher rents to be had with the 6 story design. There is a reason we don’t have affordable housing. Right now there are many units available in the city. A look at zillow shows more than 800+ but the prices are crazy.
I think it should be big enough for both new retail spaces when they get it done and a new grocery store because they could easily take the old QFC grocery store space and the old QFC parking lot because with the new development it is I believe supposed to have underground parking .
You are correct it could but that is not in the proposed design.