Major work finally expected to start soon at Equity Residential’s West Seattle Junction project site

That trailer is one of several signs suggesting that major work is imminent at the Equity Residential development site at California/Alaska/42nd. The former retail buildings on the site have been vacant for more than a year, with their previous tenants told to clear out by the end of July last year so the project could get going – then various dates for demolition slipped by, and the company finally stopped commenting publicly. Some wondered if it would somehow lie inactive and empty for years, something like a reverse version of Spruce, the former “Hole” (now well under way a few blocks east). But more of its permits have just been issued, like this one issued Friday, and a source close to another area development says they’ve been notified demolition is expected to start in the next two weeks. Here’s another sign:

On Saturday, Seattle Fire crews were working inside the west building, at California/Alaska; they told us they were holding drills, which is not uncommon for buildings on the brink of demolition (for which permits were issued last fall). The project, in case you’ve lost track, started under former owners Conner Homes, which sold the site to Chicago-based Equity Residential for $11 million in December 2011, after getting design approval and an (underground) alley vacation; it’s planned for two 7-story buildings totaling about 200 apartments, with ground-level retail and an underground parking garage with ~265 spaces. (Equity has not responded to our repeated requests for comment on the project’s status.)

14 Replies to "Major work finally expected to start soon at Equity Residential's West Seattle Junction project site"

  • DW September 17, 2013 (1:02 pm)

    That’s great news! Thanks WSB for tracking that down!

  • alki forever September 17, 2013 (3:22 pm)

    Bring back The Rocksport and football. Ugghh..

  • W Sea Neighbor September 17, 2013 (3:59 pm)

    FINALLY something is happening with this eyesore. I’m very disappointed that Equity has not commented. I seem to remember them saying something about wanting to be a part of the community, yada yada…

  • DTK September 17, 2013 (4:41 pm)

    Whatever happened to “Redline – Opening Spring 2013?”

    • WSB September 17, 2013 (4:53 pm)

      Different building. That’s 3295 Avalon.

  • AN September 17, 2013 (4:54 pm)

    How’s that going to work with the construction going on at the old pet-co? They were using the parking lot for employee parking and as a through way to bring in equipment. West Seattle is looking more and more like downtown Seattle with all the cranes

    • WSB September 17, 2013 (5:08 pm)

      Don’t know but they must have a plan – originally the Equity project would have been well under way before they got started. The docs I found online suggest the crane for this project would arrive about three months after demolition – one crane for both buildings. – TR

  • alki forever September 17, 2013 (7:19 pm)

    The Redline will be lucky if they ever open at all.. It takes mula to build something new.

  • AN September 18, 2013 (8:40 am)

    @Alki Forever, Redline is now accepting applications. Issues with the owners of the building, back a year or so ago, has been the hold up.

  • Jim&Joyce Cavanaugh September 19, 2013 (4:13 pm)

    265 apartments, and 200 parks. Building code should require one parking space for each bedroom – what a mess. Hope it’s held up for 50 years !

  • JN September 19, 2013 (9:04 pm)

    There should absolutely not be 1 parking spot per bedroom, the developers should be able to put in as few parking spots as they deem appropriate, that’s how a free market works. That is the reason why housing is so expensive, up to 1/3 of the rent goes to pay for the construction of parking spots! Of course, if anyone who doesn’t own a car automatically gets a rebate for the cost to put in that parking space, that would seem fine. http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/09/16/apartment-blockers/

  • WestSideGal September 21, 2013 (11:38 am)

    Great – so if there’s 265 apartments and 200 parking spaces that’s a minimum of 65 more cars parking on the street since proper transit service is declining. Makes perfect sense, does it not?

    • WSB September 21, 2013 (11:46 am)

      Other way around – there’s 200 apartments and 265 parking spaces, as noted in the story above – TR

  • WestSideGal September 21, 2013 (11:57 am)

    Oops, so much for speed reading. Thanks for the correction!

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