For lack of “metallic champagne,” Capitol Hill’s newly completed Broadcast Apartments building will, indeed, face a rare post-construction design review Wednesday night. This public comment letter might sum up many reactions to the meeting:
But the effort to review the change in materials used on the project is required, the city told CHS last month when we reported on the brewing color issues at the 1420 E Madison development.
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The Kims want you to know All Seasons Cleaners, the E Olive Way drive-thru dry cleaners and home to on the Hill’s busiest little weekend flea markets, won’t be going away — not for a few more years, at least.
A manager from the dry cleaning shop tells CHS that the couple has opted not to sell their property and make way for new development. Continue reading
Tuesday night, seniors at Capitol Hill’s Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences celebrated their commencement ceremony as the school year comes to a close. Next fall, the private secondary education institution’s middle schoolers will be the first to attend class in the brand new $48 million Cardinal Union building that now rises with its mix of grey- and cream-colored bricks at the school’s 13th Ave corner.
“One of the things we really wanted to focus on was what makes for a great middle school building, and that’s integration and connection between separate spaces,” Rob Phillips, Seattle Academy’s head of school said about the new building. “We talked a lot about how middle school is like the estuary of a river, meaning the building would have features of an estuary so middle school kids could get in the main current that moves them towards high school, and sometimes they could eddy out and have a physical space they can go to get out of the fray of middle school.” Continue reading
Prep work at Capitol Hill Station
A major milestone has been reached in the construction process as everything from the final designs to proposed construction haul routes have been signed-off on for what could be the most important development in Capitol Hill’s history.
With a plan to begin shoring and excavation work before the end of June UPDATE: in July!, it is still springtime for the start of construction of the four mixed-use buildings and public plaza set to rise above Broadway and the bustle of Capitol Hill Station beneath, as the City of Seattle has issued the key Master Use Permits for the project.
While the paperwork came through and was posted publicly Wednesday, there has been no official announcement yet on when ground will be broken at the site. UPDATE: It’s official:
The design of the next waves of Capitol Hill redevelopment could get a refresh under a set of proposed design guidelines that would govern buildings in the neighborhood.
“I think there’s an acceptance there’s going to be growth and there’s going to be change,” said Patrice Carroll, an urban planner with the city who is helping with the development of the new guidelines.
The original guidelines for the area were established in 2005, then revised in 2013 to reflect a larger, citywide update. In broad terms, the guidelines give developers an idea for how a building should look, and what sorts of amenities are important to the neighborhood. Continue reading
(Image: City of Seattle)
A new project lined up to replace a surface parking lot on the northwest corner of 14th and Pine still needs to complete its earliest planning but already has a major selling point. If you want to live above a coming soon Capitol Hill Jewish delicatessen, have we got the apartment building for you.
Revolve Development has begun the permitting process on a four-story, 80-unit mixed-use apartment building that will wrap around Dingfelder’s Delicatessen. “Currently, we are in the middle of exploring different design options and hope to have a front-runner by the end of June,” Revolve’s John Schack tells CHS. Continue reading
The 70 or so residents living inside and the owners of an incoming restaurant don’t seem to mind one bit but a newly constructed Capitol Hill building has a major color problem and is likely headed back to the design review board to sort things out.
“We think it’s an extremely attractive building. It’s been very successful,” Trent Mummery tells CHS about the Metropolitan Homes development now standing on the northwest corner of 15th and Madison. “We’re puzzled why this issue is even coming up.”
The date hasn’t yet been set but the Broadcast Apartments could end up being one of those unusual — but not totally unheard of — Seattle projects to be approved by the design review board after its construction has been completed. Continue reading
Change is coming for Yesler Terrace. But, in the meantime, weeds keep growing. CHS found this work crew taking it easy on a slowly warming Seattle spring day not far from Washington and Yesler, just off Broadway. Continue reading
(Image: Earl’s Cuts and Styles)
At its annual fundraiser last week, Capitol Hill Housing announced some news about its Liberty Bank Building project at 24th and Union that hits right at the heart of the “inclusive” development.
Ready to be displaced by redevelopment of its longtime Midtown Center home, Earl’s Cuts and Styles will be moving into the Liberty Bank development, leaving its former home of 26 years on the corner of 23rd and Union.
Earl Lancaster, the Earl in Earl’s Cuts and Styles, is ultimately optimistic about the move. “I never thought I would have to move, but change is good,” he said. “The neighborhood is changing quicker than we would know, but I’m happy to be a part of it and continue to have a footprint in the central district, which is where I grew up at.” Continue reading
Wednesday, activists are planning to protest outside the opening of New Seasons in Ballard to bring attention, they say, to the private equity investment firm-owned grocery chain’s anti-labor, anti-union activities. In Madison Valley, another grocery chain is facing pushback but the circumstances are much different. A land development deal to build a six-story, mixed-use apartment building, anchored by a new PCC grocery store in the heart of Madison Valley is about to close but opposition from a neighborhood group, if successful, could stop construction from breaking ground any time soon.
Community group Save Madison Valley has opposed the scale of the project since Velmeir Companies agreed to purchased the property currently home to City People’s in 2016. Velmeir expects to receive final approval from the city in the next few weeks to begin work where the garden store currently resides. But a Save Madison Valley appeal could gum up the “master use permit” process.
“The area is ripe for development, but it’s been a development on steroids,” said Melissa Stoker, SMV spokesperson. Continue reading
