It’s the second-furthest-along of the Junction megaprojects – Capco Plaza, which longtime local businessman Leon Capelouto is building between 41st and 42nd on the north side of Alaska. Capelouto was one of four developers, with 8 projects between them, who spoke to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly luncheon today, and we were there to get the latest:
Capco Plaza is the project with the QFC and Office Depot, 67,000 square feet of retail in all — including 7,000 sf that aren’t leased yet and “haven’t been marketed,” Capelouto explained — under 157 residential units.
Capelouto told the Chamber lunch crowd that Capco Plaza will be done in about a year. The Office Depot entrance will be at 41st and Alaska, and because of the grade change, the west end of the store will actually be under the QFC store where its customers enter at 42nd/Alaska. In addition to underground parking, there’s also parking immediately over the QFC, 116 spaces with an elevator that will go down into the grocery store and then, if shoppers choose, on to Office Depot.
Capelouto’s presentation also pointed some of what he described as “giving to the community” — to address concerns about pedestrian unfriendliness (voiced in this Design Review Board meeting we covered in June 2007), he says the sidewalk around the building will be at least 10 feet wide; at the southwest corner, by the QFC entrance, there will be a public outdoor seating area where people can “hang out,” intended to “integrate with the (Junction Plaza) park across the street.”
The lobby entrance for residents will be on 42nd, north of the supermarket. One more tidbit – plans for its exterior materials: So far, lots of “beige brick,” metal, and Hardy board. Next developer to take the stage was the other one with “only” one Junction project on the drawing board – although this one includes two buildings – Conner Homes, represented by Jim Miller, for the project going into this spot on 42nd/Alaska/California:
Miller announced that Conner has just submitted its request for a Master Use Permit (here’s the official city webpage showing that). He didn’t bring up the controversial alley-vacation request (the comment deadline is a few days away) his company is making, in order to close the north end of the alley so Conner Homes can dig it up to build one 300-plus-space underground parking garage for both buildings; that’s still part of the approval process that the project is going through – but he did mention the “departure” the project needs for its proposal to put the garage entrance on 42nd rather than on the alley.
The buildings have yet to get final Design Review approval, as well; Miller had some new drawings showing at least one feature addressing concerns that came up at the last DR meeting in May (WSB coverage here) – setback of the residential units – so the ultimate height of the building is not as apparent from the California/Alaska corner. As for the retail in both buildings, it seems to still be in flux – Miller mentioned there’s about 27,000 square feet of space, and while one big chunk of that is shown in drawings of the eastern building as, well, one big chunk, “it could be divided,” he said.
He also noted the first-level retail will be 17 feet high, four feet more than is customary; the housing units will total almost 200, averaging about 750 square feet each. No date is scheduled yet for the project’s next public Design Review meeting.
Miller was followed by Denny Onslow from Harbor Properties. Most of what he had to say was covered in this article we published earlier this week (after a recent meeting with him and with Harbor’s Steve Orser and Emi Baldowin, both of whom also were at today’s event), focusing on the company’s three planned West Seattle projects, starting with the one that’s furthest along, Mural on 42nd just north of Edmunds:
What you see in that photo we took after today’s luncheon is as tall as it’s going to get, according to Onslow. A few things he mentioned that weren’t in our earlier article: Its 136 apartments will be “smaller, trying to keep rents affordable,” averaging 700 square feet, with about a 1-1 ratio of parking spaces to units — “we’ll have Zipcars, we’re encouraging transit,” Onslow explains.
Regarding Link, Harbor’s 38th/Alaska property, a plan for rooftop P-patches is the only thing not mentioned in our earlier story; Link’s expected to be done by June 2010, a few months after Harbor hopes to break ground on its third project, the mixed-use building for the motel site at 36th/Alaska. That, he reiterated, is in a “much more formative” stage, no name, no sketches.
Last but not least was Eric Radovich representing BlueStar, which has three projects in the works. Tomorrow night, 5020 California – aka Spring Hill, “no relation to the restaurant … and we might change the name” – goes back before the Design Review Board (6:30 pm, Hiawatha Community Center; see the presentation here); it’s got 90 apartments and 4,000 square feet retail, replacing two old houses and one old apartment building. “The view from this location is unbelievable,” Radovich rhapsodized. If the rest of the permit/review process goes smoothly, he envisions demolition work at the site this winter, and 18 months of construction.
He also gave a brief update on Fauntleroy Place, which is now into the “digging a big hole” stage:
If you’ve somehow missed all the previous coverage, this is the Whole Foods/Hancock Fabrics project, plus 186 apartments, ranging in size from 500 square feet to 1200 square feet, with 500 underground parking spaces, and a conveyor system that will run groceries to the garage. Current projected opening date – February 2010. Right across 39th, “Gateway Center” remains in the “very early stages,” as Radovich put it, with nothing more than this drawing that was released when the project (at the site of the old Huling Buick showroom) was first announced last March (WSB coverage here):
Gateway Center – a name that Radovich says also “could change” – will have two floors of retail, 105 apartments, 320 underground parking spaces. The retail floors, with about 50,000 square feet, have drawn interest so far from potential tenants including fitness, restaurant, and drugstore companies. But he reiterated that it’s very early, saying they haven’t even chosen an architect yet (CollinsWoerman, who finished designing Fauntleroy Place, made the drawing you see above).
Chamber president Dawn Leverett kept the presentations on a tight enough schedule that there was a bit of Q and A time afterward; two questions in particular stood out: One, West Seattle Internet’s Bill Hibler noted that these projects together will bring in 2,000 or so new West Seattleites, and it would be preferable for retail to address what residents really need, so they don’t have to leave WS to find something. Radovich suggested it’s important for groups like the Chamber and West Seattle Junction Association (whose president Dave Montoure and executive director Susan Melrose were at the lunch) to compile information on what’s needed and who needs it, to help developers “close” deals with tenants.
Onslow then reiterated what he told us during that recent conversation — “When you get good residential (development) … jobs follow the people.”
The second question of note had to do with rents. An attendee confessed the new development left her “excited” yet “scared,” wondering if people will be able to live in West Seattle. Harbor’s Emi Baldowin said her company “tries to think how people can get to live in a great building” — and their solution is to offer some smaller units that have lower rents, 500-sf apartments at the lower end. “That gives the renter an option, sacrifice space to get the amenities,” she said, adding the financial big picture: “(For renters) it’s also about how much do you pay for gas, insurance, bus passes …”
Here’s the bottom line on the developments mentioned today:
CAPCO PLAZA (QFC, Office Depot, 41st/42nd/Alaska): “Halfway done,” open in about a year
CONNER HOMES BUILDINGS (42nd/California/Alaska): Applied for MUP, in Design Review, pursuing “alley vacation”
MURAL (42nd north of Edmunds): Open next spring
LINK (38th/Alaska): Site work likely to start next February
36TH/ALASKA: Construction likely to start in 2010
FAUNTLEROY PLACE: Expected to be open in February 2010
SPRING HILL: Design Review meeting tomorrow, demolition likely by year’s end
GATEWAY CENTER: “Formative stages”
We continue to watch permit applications, the Design Review calendar, and other sources so we can tell you as soon as a new project is proposed or a new meeting is set – you can also keep an eye on our Development category (all development-related WSB stories archived, newest to oldest).
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