Tag Archives: denny

Residents booted to make way for ‘Substantial Rehabilitation’ of Capitol Hill’s La Quinta apartments

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A rendering of the planned new building and the neighboring landmark La Quinta

Thanks — and sorry — to the La Quinta resident who alerted CHS to the notice

Residents of Capitol Hill’s La Quinta apartments have been issued a 90-day notice to vacate as a planned redevelopment of the landmarked property including plans for a new twin apartment building behind the old one at 17th and Denny moves forward.

The March 5th issued notice cites “Substantial Rehabilitation” for the order. Permits to enable demolition of two neighboring houses to make way for the new construction are also in motion.

CHS reported here in 2022 as DEP Homes, a small real estate investment firm that lists an address near Judkins Park in the Central District, purchased the property including the landmarked building and the two neighboring houses for $4.2 million and set about a planned redevelopment that would add a twin five-story apartment building behind the 98-year-old La Quinta structure.

DEP Homes did not respond to CHS’s messages about the notice and the company has not responded to any of our inquiries over the past three years. DEP owner developer Cao Huynh is a prolific Seattle real estate investor. Capitol Hill firm S+H Works is DEP’s architect on the project.

(Image: Viva La Quinta/Jesse L. Young)

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With planned seven-story development inching forward, old Olive Way Improvement Company building faces demolition ‘under emergency conditions’

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(Image: CHS)

With reporting by Domenic Strazzabosco

Failing masonry appears ready to rip apart Seattle’s web of public reviews, permits, and financing windows to move a major Capitol Hill development project forward at the corner of Denny and E Olive Way.

City permit paperwork shows demolition approval moving forward “under emergency conditions” on the more than 100 year old, historic — but not landmarks protected — property once home to Capitol Hill classics Holy Smoke, Coffee Messiah, and In the Bowl. The facade of the 1917-era unreinforced masonry building is falling off, according to the filings, expediting the long awaited demolition of the old structures.

Filings show a traffic control plan, right of way impact plan, and haul route map being submitted for approval.

A plan for developing a seven-story, 106-unit mixed-use apartment building at the corner awaits but any work on construction is still a long, long ways off.

The project has yet to begin the public review process and will then need to await the alignment of economic trends and financing windows that has left many Capitol Hill projects on the back-burner.

The property’s developer has declined to comment on the situation and also directed the contractor being brought on to handle the demolition not to speak with CHS about the project. Continue reading →

City delays landmarks hearing for Capitol Hill work release facility that was once Seattle’s ‘Culture Club’

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(Image: King County)

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods has quietly pushed back a landmarks board hearing on a 21st Ave property the city calls “a pivotal location in Seattle’s African American heritage” that has most recently served as work release housing for the incarcerated.

CHS reported here in August on the 108-year-old Phillis Wheatley YWCA building slated for demolition at 21st Ave and Denny and the city’s plans for a hearing on possible landmarks protections for the structure planned for this week. Continue reading →

Woman reported shot in back in incident at Capitol Hill apartment building

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A woman was shot in the back and was hospitalized and police were investigating if more than one person had been in a Friday night incident at the Pantages Apartments on E Denny Way.

Police reported blood was also found inside a vehicle at the scene as they worked to determine where the shooting took place.

Seattle Fire and Seattle Police were called to the building around 10:30 PM to a report someone had shot a woman from outside the building. Arriving officers determined the shot had mostly likely not been fired through a window into the unit and took two people into custody, according to East Precinct radio updates. Continue reading →

Fix the L8! Campaign underway to sway City Hall to do more to ease the way for one of Seattle’s most notoriously late bus routes

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(Image: Fix the L8!)

(Image: Fix the L8!)

A campaign to fix a key bus line connecting the Seattle Center, Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union, the Central District, and beyond via Capitol Hill is raising awareness for its mission to improve the average on-time performance of the Route 8 bus. The campaign is focused specifically on the stretch of road spanning from 1st Ave to Fairview for the trip known as “Route L8” to many riders,

Nicholas Sattele, a volunteer with Central Seattle Greenways who is heading up the Fix the L8 campaign, pointed out that Denny Way is getting repaved next year without plans to add a bike or bus lane.

“Seattle pays higher transit taxes and in exchange, we get money to use for transit improvements,” Sattele said. “Route 8 is notably absent from that list.” Continue reading →

106-unit mixed-use development planned for Denny at Olive Capitol Hill site

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(Image: CHS)

The historic — but not landmarks protected — Olive Way Improvement Company building once home to Capitol Hill classics Holy Smoke, Coffee Messiah, and In the Bowl is being readied for demolition and redevelopment as a new mixed-use apartment project.

Early permit filings for the 1550 Olive Way project from developer Guntower Capital show plans for Runberg Architecture Group to design a seven-story, 106-unit building with street level commercial spaces for retail or food and drink, plus planned underground parking for around 22 vehicles.

At this point, any preservation of the 100-year-old structures elements does not seem to be in the plan. CHS reported here in April on the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board’s rejection of property’s nomination for possible historic protections. Continue reading →

Now open at Harvard and Denny: 90+ new affordable homes for Capitol Hill residents at risk of homelessness

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(Image: CHS)

By Soumya Gupta, CHS Intern

When the governor and the mayor show up to cut the ribbon in front of a new affordable apartment building in the heart of Capitol Hill, it’s a big deal.

This week, YWCA Seattle King Snohomish celebrated the opening of the new permanent affordable housing at 800 E Denny Way, where Governor Jay Inslee, Mayor Bruce Harrell, and officials cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the 91 new affordable homes for residents at risk of homelessness.

“The future entails an absolute right to housing in Washington State, and YWCA believes [in helping] that”, Governor Inslee said. “We need to thank the citizens for putting their trust in this investment.”

The new building is one of the latest examples of community organizations acquiring planned market-rate apartment projects across Capitol Hill for affordable housing. Continue reading →

Reminder: E Olive Way landmarks meeting — Plus, a history of protest not included in the nomination

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The corner in the 1970s

The Seattle Landmarks Board will take up the nomination of an unlikely Capitol Hill candidate for preservation Wednesday.

CHS reported here on the nomination for the auto row-era commercial property at 1550 E Olive Way and the corner of E Denny that is being presented as a formality in the process to redevelop the nearly 100-year-old complex. Continue reading →

After $38M Capitol Hill acquisition, YWCA opening new affordable building in 2023 — UPDATE

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A design rendering of the building

By Jadenne Radoc Cabahug, CHS reporting intern

By summer, the northeast corner of E Denny and Harvard across from Twice Sold Tales and the Pantages House will open 93 new affordable homes for residents at risk of homelessness after YWCA’s $38 million deal to acquire a planned microhousing development.

The YWCA Seattle King Snohomish chapter acquired the new building on 800 E Denny Way to be used as permanent affordable housing designated to address barriers for low-income households that are at-risk or experiencing homelessness in Seattle. The building has 93 units that are studios and one-bedroom.

CORRECTION: CHS originally reported the building would be focused on providing LGBTQIA+ inclusive housing for women. YWCA has clarified that the building “will be open to people of all genders.”

“This is one community project that we hope will be a benefit to those that want to live in Capitol Hill, and particularly in the Seattle area where it’s very expensive to live,” Patricia Hayden, YWCA’s chief program officer of King County said. Continue reading →