Design review: The Central District’s Acer House and its Afrofuturist plans at 23rd and Cherry

(Image: CHS)

Imagine this: five-and-a-half stories of apartments in an Afrofuturist design on 23rd and Cherry with thousands of square feet of childcare and other retail spaces with a public courtyard. Of the 120 apartments, which range in size from about 400-square-foot studios to two-bedroom units between 700 and 800, 30% would be reserved for low-income residents.

Thursday night, the proposed Acer House project will move forward with its first pass through the Seattle design review process:


2210 E Cherry St

Design Review Early Design Guidance for a 5-story, 120-unit apartment building with 4 live-work units, childcare, and retail. No parking proposed. Project relies on a contract rezone. View Design Proposal  (23 MB)    

Review Meeting: June 10, 2021 5:00 PM

Meeting: https://bit.ly/Mtg3037717 Listen Line: 206-207-1700 Passcode: 187 663 1617
Comment Sign Up: https://bit.ly/Comments3037717

Review Phase: EDG–Early Design Guidance

Project Number: 3037717  View Related Records

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Planner: David Sachs — Email comments to [email protected]


Kateesha Atterberry, founder of the Urban Black commercial property management firm working on the development, says the team wants a childcare provider focused on “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.” Commercial spaces will likely include the existing Flowers Just 4 U, which might be the only Black-owned florist in the Pacific Northwest, with Atterberry saying she would additionally like to see a recording studio and other artists in the five micro retail spaces for small businesses.

On top of the housing affordability, Atterberry also hopes the project, known as Acer House, can be commercially affordable.

“Creating vibrant communities where businesses can thrive and contribute to the local economy is dependent upon them being able to afford the spaces they are in,” Atterberry told CHS in an email. “Our goal is to provide affordable leasing terms and access to resources for additional support. We believe in partnering with businesses to ensure their success because their success is our success.” Continue reading

Central Area Land Use Review Committee to host meeting on 23rd/Cherry Acer House development

The Central Area Land Use Review Committee community group will hold an online meeting this week with developers behind the Acer House project,  a five-story, mixed-use building planned to rise at the corner of 23rd and Cherry.

CHS reported on the project here in what developer Ben Maritz said he hopes will be the “first truly anti-racist private sector development” in the city by addressing issues of ownership, displacement, and equity a privately financed project.

The Acer House project is also seeking a rezone to allow an extra floor of height from the Seattle City Council. Legislation for the rezone is beginning its path through City Hall after being transmitted last month. The city’s design review process will also start soon with community feedback first on elements of massing and context and later on the finer points around the afrofuturist design and colors. Continue reading

With birria and churros, Carmelo’s Tacos opens new, just a little bit larger 12th Ave location

The Asada Tacos at the new Carmelo’s

Born as as a walk-up counter with the slimmest of seating areas part of the Hillcrest Market, tiny Carmelo’s Tacos is getting bigger with its new 12th ave at Cherry location now open.

“It’s been fun. A lot of people are coming out to try the birria and new items,” manager Miguel Cruz says. “We feel the support from the community. We’re grateful.”

Cruz said the new location is picking up speed, serving 100 to 150 people a day — still nowhere close to the staggeringly busy pace the original location inside the quick mart at Summit and E Olive Way has kept up through the pandemic. Continue reading

Central District project from Capitol Hill developer Liz Dunn takes shape on E Cherry

(Image: Build, LLC)

A long-planned project from popular Capitol Hill developer Liz Dunn to reshape a block of the Central District is moving forward.

The four-story, 38-unit, mixed-use building will rise on E Cherry replacing the 1920s era spaces home to the Twilight Exit and Tana Market.

The early design proposal for Dunn’s Cherry Valley, LLC project was approved after an administrative review by the city in November. Tuesday is the deadline for comment on the land use proposal for the project. Comments on the building’s environmental impact can be submitted to [email protected] referencing Project 3033413-LU.

During November’s design review, officials report receiving no public comment about the Build, LLC-designed project save for one complaint not germane to the proposal’s elements of bulk and scale. That commenter was complaining about the project’s parking. The developer is proposing none. Continue reading

Capitol Hill counter legend Carmelo’s Tacos opening new location on 12th Ave — this time, with tables

Thanks to a CHS reader for the tip!

(Image: Carmelo’s Tacos)

Add one more to our roster of Capitol Hill bars and restaurants to look forward to in 2021. Carmelo’s Tacos is expanding with a second location — and, when we can finally go back inside, this new Carmelo’s will have tables.

The new Carmelo’s is being readied to open at 12th and Cherry across from Seattle U near the Cherry Street Coffee and 12th Ave Square Park. Continue reading

At E Cherry’s Central Cafe, a call to the community to support Black-owned businesses

Bridget Johnson (Image: Gabrielle Locke)

By Gabrielle Locke, UW News Lab/Special to CHS

“COVID-19 can be a double-edged sword,” Bridget Johnson, owner of Central Café and Juice Bar, says. On one side, she has seen more professionals who work from home. “We hope that the customers we have gained continue to be loyal,” Johnson said.

Born early in 2020 before the pandemic delivered its hard hit to the Seattle region, Central Cafe’s short life on E Cherry has been an eventful one as its Central District community is also now full of energy and protest.

In these mindful times, Johnson says she makes conscious decisions about supporting local and preserving the environment with every aspect of running her cafe.

After helping her daughter with a project uncovering issues of pollution, Johnson and her family became more aware and thoughtful about how they can contribute to eco-friendly practices. It became important for her to support vendors who have those same values. The packaging all the way down to the business stickers is compostable and biodegradable.

Her passion for creative freedom in the kitchen translates into the menu. She jokes that her process is just like “dinking around trying to find what works and what doesn’t” and shares that, “It’s the best part. I want to find out what our customers want and then create that.” After learning that some locals eat Keto or Vegan diets, she came out with breakfast options to satisfy their dietary needs with cauliflower made sandwich wraps and switches, daily from a meat to vegetarian soup. Johnson also only supports local small businesses by offering their products at her café. Continue reading

Design reviews include First Hill Trinity Parish condo tower, microhousing project set to replace Central District’s Chateau apartments

The future of The Chateau in the Central District

Design reviews this week for new multifamily housing development on First Hill and in the Central District will feature projects that have also raised issues around displacement in Seattle.

Thursday night, the Central Area Design Review Board will take up its first look at the four-story, 70 or so-unit apartment building planned to replace The Chateau apartments on 19th Ave.

Design review: 119 19th Ave

City Council member Kshama Sawant said residents of the former Section 8 subsidized apartments won an “unheard of concession” thanks to advocacy work this spring after the building was purchased by developer Cadence Real Estate. Continue reading

Police announce arrest in 23rd and Cherry gas station shooting — UPDATE: Guns seized

Seattle Police say they have arrested a 25-year-old Renton man for his part in a shooting at a Central District gas station earlier this month that left a woman wounded after she was apparently caught in the crossfire.

CHS is not naming the man because he has not been charged but records show he was arrested and ultimately convicted in connection with this 2011 incident in which South Seattle gang members opened fire during a vigil for a 19-year-old who had been shot and killed. Continue reading

Born on E Madison, the Central District’s Twilight Exit marks 20 years

(Image: Twilight Exit)

We don’t know what May Day 1999 was like in Seattle — the WTO protests and “Battle of Seattle” would happen four months later — but we can tell you that on E Madison, the Twilight Exit was born.

This May Day, now resident on E Cherry where it has done its drinking and hanging out thing since 2008, the Twilight celebrates 20 years of Central Seattle good times.

As owner Stephan Mollmann noted to CHS, “She turns 20 today. One more year and she can drink.”

The original Twilight Exit moved from E Madison to E Cherry 11 years ago. Today, a six-story apartment building stands at the original site across from the 22nd/Madison Safeway. Continue reading

Fire scorches barber shop at 23rd and Cherry

A commercial building at 23rd and Cherry burned overnight leaving a barber shop damaged but the neighboring longtime Central District florist mostly untouched.

Seattle Fire crews were called to the intersection’s northwest corner just before 4 AM and arrived to find the building in flames. Crews battled the blaze and were able to knock it down before the fire spread through the building and damaged the florist shop.

Flowers Just 4 U moved to the corner last year after leaving its longtime home at 23rd and Jackson to make way for new development.

Update Barber Shop appeared to have been badly damaged in the fire.

The intersection of 23rd and Cherry was closed to traffic during the response and remained closed into the morning due to electricity being shut off around the fire. SPD was on hand to allow Metro bus traffic to continue through.

Seattle Fire says the fire is under investigation. There were no reported injuries.