West Seattle development: New Avalon Way apartment proposal, on the other side of the street

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

For the first time in a few years, a new apartment building is proposed for the south/east side of the heart of SW Avalon Way: An early-stage application has just appeared in city files for 3039 SW Avalon Way (map), to replace the duplex in the photo above. The north/west side of the street has seen far more action in recent years, with three projects in various pre-construction stages (30, a fourth under construction, and a fifth complete, but on the south/east side, nothing’s been proposed since the completion of Vue at 3261.

The documents on file so far for the new proposal say “approximately 60” units are envisioned for 3039 Avalon, with 20 underground parking spaces. Prolific multifamily-specialist firm NK Architects is attached to the project, which will, according to notations, go through Design Review. The site is zoned MR (midrise) like most of this stretch of Avalon. Since this is in the early stages, no formal application is in yet, so there’s no official comment period, but if you have an early comment, you can e-mail PRC@seattle.gov and refer to project #3022717.

To see what other new projects and updates we’ve reported on lately, scroll through the WSB development-coverage archive here.

wsgal October 27, 2015 (11:08 am)

They should rename Avalon Way to Avalon Valley…

Italiangirl October 27, 2015 (11:30 am)

60 units, 20 parking, again another bright idea for the neighborhood. Will they be driving ‘Jetson Mobiles” and parking the overflow on the roof?

WSB October 27, 2015 (11:35 am)

For context, this is still the area where projects don’t have to have any offstreet parking at all under current city rules, since RapidRide stops are close by.
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http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/LUIB/AttachmentProjectID63082015.02.23%20DDR2015-6.pdf

CMP October 27, 2015 (12:13 pm)

As much as I hate to see more housing going up along Avalon, which is overcrowded as is, if it means that eyesore of a building next door being torn down, then I’d be okay with this apartment building. Otherwise, I feel bad for people that live along that corridor. I looked at a building closer to Genessee back in 2001 and thought it was bad then in terms of overcrowding and lack of street parking!

JanS October 27, 2015 (12:33 pm)

one can’t take RR when they are full and drive right past people , as has been reported. Therein lies the problem. It sounds good on paper, of course. But the reality? Sometimes I think the city just doesn’t give a damn. I really feel sorry for the people who “buy” this theory, and move down there.. I sympathize as a resident of the Admiral District, where public transportation has mostly been taken away these days.

candrewb October 27, 2015 (12:51 pm)

RapidRide stops are in fact near by. Unfortunately they are butts to nuts by the time they get anywhere near Avalon…

chemist October 27, 2015 (12:58 pm)

I think the “frequent transit service” measurement should not count buses too full to take on passengers, which I hear happens quite frequently in that area.

b October 27, 2015 (1:39 pm)

Hopefully the demolition crew will get a little carried away and knock down that abandoned Pizza Hut-looking junkpile next door too. Anybody know the history of that place (3025 Avalon)?

WSB October 27, 2015 (2:00 pm)

Former church. Owned for 26 years now by something called the TJ Import-Export Corp. No currently pending applications. Pending complaint over site conditions, though.

WSobserver October 27, 2015 (2:22 pm)

Well that’s interesting, I always wondered what that building was, I guessed it was some remnant of an old tiki restaurant.

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Found this – T.j. Import-export Corporation was registered in Washington on 11/09/1988.Their headquarters are in 3025 S W Avalon Way Seattle , Wa 98126.

That’s the headquarters??

WSB October 27, 2015 (2:27 pm)

WSOb, the registered agent for TJ Import-Export is on the Eastside, per the official state corporations search. But it’s an inactive corporation.
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http://www.sos.wa.gov/corps/search_detail.aspx?ubi=601126873

b October 27, 2015 (2:46 pm)

Thanks for the info. The TJ corp is definitely “importing” plenty of trash and graffiti, so they’re 50% successful in their business at least.

Kimmy October 27, 2015 (3:12 pm)

An Importer-Exporter? I thought it was an architect.

JayDee October 27, 2015 (5:10 pm)

Any talk of concurrency has to address this C-line BS. Yes, butts to gonads is great from a full-bus perspective, but policy that ignores the nature of the most frequent transit line (1 stop across from KFC, one uphill from Luna Park) is ludicrous. Yep, there are bus-stops nearby BUT the buses are full.
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Ditto the 55 or the other routes that run this way. At the same time Metro is cancelling the 56/57/55 because they are the shortest routes. Well, they are unless you are walking to Downtown.

SueB October 27, 2015 (7:10 pm)

Does anyone at the city know about West Seattle’s bus problem while they’re issuing multi-family building permits?

Even at 7 AM, RapidRide is often too full for those stops on Avalon. I feel sorry for the people who live there – often the buses are so full they don’t even stop so that would-be riders are late to work. I got in trouble at work for being late, so I either get to the bus stop at 6:30 for an 8:30 job and hope at least one in a 45 minute span will stop, or I drive to the junction and park in the neighborhood to catch the C. Now the neighborhoods are turning into park & rides.

When C bus does stop along Avalon, it’s standing room only. Residents on Avalon haven’t had a seat on the bus since Metro introduced RapidRide and took away routes.

Friend O'Dinghus October 27, 2015 (8:17 pm)

Good one Kimmy! – A. VanDaLay

trevor October 27, 2015 (9:02 pm)

We need to charge more for the ferries. Too many people drive thru from Vashon Island. We need to charge fees for parking on public streets. We need more bus routes too we need to charge more for car tab fees for the people of Seattle and residents of Vashon.

Jackson October 27, 2015 (9:51 pm)

@Trevor huh?! Is everyone on WSB today stoned? You make no sense!!

Luke October 28, 2015 (4:36 am)

You don’t have to “feel sorry for the people who live there.” We don’t need your pity and you sound arrogant. I love the building I live in. I’ve lived on Avalon for 9 years now. It’s been great for my wife and I.

Rick October 28, 2015 (7:16 am)

“Nobody goes there anymore,it’s too crowded” Yogi Berra. What’s ironic is the newbies chiding us old-timers for being nimbyish,anti-progressive,complaining whiners,etc. will most likely join our ranks in 20-30 years but alas,I may not be here to say “I told you so”. I’ll live with it for now but will mourn the loss of character.

skeeter October 28, 2015 (11:34 am)

I don’t see 20 parking spaces as a problem. There is free street parking in the surrounding area. Even if you have to walk a couple blocks to your car that is good exercise.

Homeowner October 28, 2015 (2:53 pm)

What’s sad is as more apartments are built its the homeowners and longterm inhabitants that actually PAY. Higher tax rates, higher car tabs, higher bus fares, higher parking rates in local shopping areas, longer commutes on aging systems and new comer response is just to tax more. REALLY, research before you react. Renters are not bad but the burden is passed to home owners in the communities. Need a renter tax or higher bus fare for more bus additions.

Mickymse October 28, 2015 (3:41 pm)

Maybe if folks weren’t so quick to close doors in people’s faces, they would have heard from canvassers TEN YEARS AGO when monorail project supporters went door-to-door talking about how Avalon Way was zoned for these heights and would one day be a “valley” of apartment buildings.
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Perhaps we could have had rapid transit running BEFORE these buildings were built.
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Instead, politics are what they are… and now everyone will have to wait until at least 2026 or later in order to have light rail running anywhere nearby.

Btown viking October 28, 2015 (5:49 pm)

The monorail would have been a huge eye sore. Terrible idea. West seattle is in demand right now. Probably gonna look like Bellevue in a few years. Nothing we can do about it. Always about money

Cainipoo October 28, 2015 (8:02 pm)

Umm, if we’re really trying to roll with the whole “vision zero” concept the monorail would have been perfect. Although it might be an eyesore our monorail hasn’t killed anyone. Otherwise you get stuff like this:
http://m.kirotv.com/news/news/one-dead-after-incident-involving-sounder-train/nmyxz/

skeeter October 29, 2015 (8:36 am)

Homeowner – I don’t understand your response. What taxes and fees do you pay that “newcomers” don’t have to pay? We all pay sales taxes, property taxes, car tabs, bus fares, parking, etc.

Side note – I’m pretty sure we were all newcomers to West Seattle at some point. Well, unless you were here before the first newcomers on September 28, 1851 when the Denny party claimed Alki Point.

WS since '66 October 31, 2015 (11:42 am)

Btown viking: Know what else is a big eyesore? All of the cars on the viaduct at rush hour sitting there waiting to get on the freeway and viaduct. I often wonder how many of those who are stuck in traffic and don’t find it fun voted against rapid transit such as the monorail. I wouldn’t call light rail “rapid”. Many people on here complain a lot about transit and traffic. The monorail had 4 Yes votes and 1 No vote on various ballots and the 1 No got its way. We all could be enjoying the ride and less traffic for the last 5 years. It was scheduled to open November of 2009. Go figure.

AlkiBeach November 2, 2015 (3:03 pm)

Get over it already!!!

West Seattle get over your old-fart mind-set! The ‘old farts’ need to move aside so the rest of us can start concentrating on bringing some type of architecture flare to this ‘eastern-bloc’, ‘HUD-housing’ , “I need a parking space…” or “Save the Stale 70’s” looking architecture that you have required we embrace. It leaves ‘real’ architects and builders that have vision, shake their heads! So for the sake of the future of West Seattle – JUST SHUT UP!!!

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