Developers have included views of what the building would like at six stories — and five
The long journey to Hunters Capital redeveloping 15th Ave E’s old QFC block reaches a crucial milestone this week as the project faces what could be its final public design review session with hopes the board will approve the Capitol Hill-based developers proposal to build the mixed-use structure six stories high.
The design proposal for the project’s final “recommendation” phase of the city’s design review process was planned to be considered by the East Design Board in August but the complicated review was pushed back until this week.
The developers aren’t taking anything for granted. Designers have included renderings of what the building would like at both five and six stories in the packet for Wednesday night’s meeting.
In addition to agreement on the overall massing, design elements, and materials planned for the building, developer Hunters Capital is hoping the board will bring to an end uncertainty over the building’s height.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Details of the proposed tree preservation zoning departure
Wednesday’s hearing comes as city and advocates for streamlining the city’s development processes continue to push for design review reforms including a pilot program that would suspend review for new housing projects in Seattle’s downtown core and across First Hill.
On 15th Ave E, there is more hanging on this review process than usual.
CHS reported here in February as the city held a public hearing on the proposal triggered by opposition from neighbors over a requested zoning exception as Hunters Capital said it would need to build one story higher in order to preserve a prized European hornbeam tree along E Republican while also transitionitioning the project to the adjacent lower areas surrounding to the north.
In past sessions, Hunters says the design board member had been open to the zoning exception “provided the added height was modulated to support the zone transition.”
Hunters and Runberg Architecture Group are envisioning a “S-shaped” design for the project including a 15th Ave E plaza to break up the retail facade and provide additional corner retail space, a north podium deck, a “pedestrian through block” breezeway on the south end of the project next to the old firehouse building that will remain.
The building would include 172 residential units and market-rate rents in a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and townhouse lofts lining the back alley plus nearly 10,000 square feet of commercial space along 15th Ave E. The project includes planned underground parking for 101 vehicles.
With approval and the eventual start of construction hoped for in the next year, the existing block including the old QFC grocery store and parking lot and the adjacent 1904-built Moore Family building’s mix of a handful of apartments and small businesses will be torn down.
Though there are no announced plans for a groundbreaking, changes are already afoot. Much-loved neighborhood convenience store ShopRite announced its closure and the block’s Rudy’s is making preparations to move into the just-completed Hunters Capital development across the street — ground was broke on the five-story, nearly 70-unit mixed-use Capitol Hilltop Apartments in 2022.
The former QFC has been put back into temporary motion. The Punk Rock Flea Market is set to use the space as a venue for markets and events. The Quality Flea Center will operate through at least the end of the year.
Changes on 15th Ave E have moved forward at a steady but slow pace. CHS first reported on the property deal that put the block in the Hunters Capital portfolio in 2017.
God, would it kill these developers to do ANYTHING interesting with these buildings’ facades? I get they’re trying to maximize interior space, but these bland rectangles are the most generic things in the world & just exhausting visually
Talk to the city. Have them relax the design codes.
Bingo, don’t assume the developers don’t want to make nice things. Just as the federal safety regulations are a large part of why all cars and SUVs look the same now, design codes basically dictate a lot of the choices here.
That’s why you want all buildings built before design review torn down?
Well, they definitely didn’t say THAT, but I’ll bite–fact is, a lot of the buildings that went up before design review HAVE been torn down & replaced. The ones remaining that are beautiful, interesting, iconic, et cetera, benefit from survivorship bias–they’re still standing because they WERE decent.
Separately, the buildings from 100 years ago that we still get to enjoy now COULDN’T get copy/pasted the way modern buildings can since the advent of things like air conditioning, computer drafting, and remote design work. New buildings were built by and for locals & had to take into account things like local conditions & neighborhood character.
Yep, agreed. There’s more money on the line than ever & developers have shown that they’d much rather copy/paste flat tired designs in city after city to save a buck than actually hire architects who’ll design structures that provide or reinforce any semblance of unique character.
What exactly do you want? A fake craftsman?
We’ve done that, and they look awful/fall apart within 5-10 years. Not to mention the proportions and size and use case for a structure like this would never have been craftsman in style.
There’s far too much nostalgia involved in people hating on contemporary designs.
The crappy hardiboard buildings are falling apart just as fast, if not faster…. the junky condos that were built near my house were designed so that water pours off the roof into the windows. The paint job was ruined and I’m sure water was in the walls before they were even on the market…
Ughhhhh just builddddd itttttt, make it 200 stories high who CARES just BUILD
Totally agreed!
The design board isn’t the ones who approve the 6th floor, that falls to a city planner.
Reading their notes in the design review packet are hilarious as they call out the lies the developer is trying to make us believe. The area is zone for 5 floors. We could have already started building this housing if it wasn’t for the developers trying to make a couple extra million they’d get from an extra floor.
Yeah it sucks. We don’t have a housing shortage or anything. Why would anyone want to build more housing
Talk to the city council then. Departures are purely design related.
It does appear sdci based on some very suspiciously timed new draft rule from last week is altering the requirements to allow the request. I hope the appeal drags out for years.
The six-story version seems better all around – preserve the tree, break up the sidewalk massing. One story higher doesn’t seem to impact anyone’s views. I don’t understand the controversy.
The endless design reviews and whining from the community is why it takes forever to build here. You want more, cheaper housing? We have to accelerate this bureaucratic process. People are complaining about the aesthetics of the planned design? How does it look now? AWFUL! Anything sort of Soviet style block housing would look better.
I remember when they proposed the addition to the SAAM down the street. It turned out beautiful, the interior is so nice. It took FOREVER to be approved because an army of fools would throw up whatever ‘argument,’ and I use the term lightly, they could think of to try and prevent the development.
The resistance to development in Seattle is always so misguided, and the system gives these nimbys far too many opportunities to throw a wrench in the works. They need to be cut out of the process entirely.
Yep, it’s super gross now. This is what it used to look like, though, if anyone’s curious! https://www.historypin.org/en/explore/geo/47.623058,-122.312589,17/bounds/47.619775,-122.315582,47.626341,-122.309595/search/tag:seattle/sort/popular/paging/1/pin/1191583
who got rid of those bay windows?? that’s so depressing, what a pretty building it used to be
Want to accelerate the design review process and stop the whining from people who have to live around it? 1) Stick to the zoning laws 2) Have design criteria in place that melds with neighboring structures
3) Have defined rules regarding set backs, materials, codes etc. Other cities do this and the design and permitting process goes quickly because the developer and architects know exactly what to do to get an approved permit. Try building a shed in Seattle, dicipher the codes, prepare a plot and get a permit. No easy task
6 story version looks great. Build it already!
Bizarre that people fight over 6 stories. In any sane world we’d have 20 story buildings here.