West Seattle development update: Link gets its financing

(digital version of the rendering substituted Thurs. morning for photo taken Wed. nite)
From the Fairmount Community Association meeting at The Mount tonight: Harbor Properties unveiled that updated rendering of its apartment/retail project Link, while announcing it’s obtained financing, with construction likely to start at the 38th/Alaska site by mid-November. Link includes 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of retail; Harbor executive vice president Denny Onslow told the 30-plus Fairmount attendees that they haven’t signed up any retail tenants yet but are open to ideas; The north side of the building (left side of the rendering) suggests ground-floor cafe space; the building has some ground-floor housing on both the 38th SW and alley sides – “We want to put some activity into the alley,” says Onslow. He adds that construction should take about 17 months “and that’s really fast.” The contractor, Exxel Pacific, is the same one that built Harbor’s Mural (WSB sponsor), which Onslow says is now 95% rented. The financing is from U.S. Bank and an unnamed “private investor,” both of whom have worked with Harbor before, and according to Onslow, “this will be one of the few apartment buildlngs being built in Seattle right now.”

He says it was once envisioned that this and the so-called “Hole Foods” site would be built simultaneously, as “bookends” to the Triangle, but now that the latter is in limbo, they have stepped up the look of Link a bit, with a metallic finish on its north and south sides to provide reflectivity, and lighting. Also tonight, Harbor Properties confirmed to WSB that it is no longer pursuing a purchase of the 36th/Alaska motel property, though it does own some land north of that site on the same block, and it also owns the site at 37th/Alaska that’ll be used for construction staging (shown here) – slated to become more parking for Link when construction is done. (Also at the Fairmount meeting, crimefighting info from Southwest Precinct reps – that’ll be in a separate report.)

13 Replies to "West Seattle development update: Link gets its financing"

  • Louie October 21, 2009 (9:58 pm)

    Great News!

  • Donn October 21, 2009 (10:13 pm)

    Who is the financier? It is good that someone is lending money again.

  • Diane October 21, 2009 (11:24 pm)

    re “Who is the financier?”
    ~
    it’s in the story
    ~
    funny, I came home from this meeting to postcard in my mailbox from US Bank, offering me some kind of deal on savings
    ~
    I would love to know who is the secret “private investor”
    ~
    thanks to Sharon for inviting Harbor, and thanks to Harbor for the great presentation

  • TK October 21, 2009 (11:57 pm)

    yay!!!! that’s really good news.

  • dawsonct October 22, 2009 (1:35 am)

    “…they haven’t signed up any retail tenants yet, but are open to ideas.”

    Allow me to set off the hyperventilating ninnies;
    “HEY, howza ’bout a Trader Joes!?”

  • WSB October 22, 2009 (7:14 am)

    Dawson, sorry to tell you this, but it’s become an IRL meme too. Someone did ask that at the meeting, and Harbor said that while to their understanding TJ’s *is* interested in WS, the space in their building, and the parking, doesn’t suit TJ’s needs – TR

  • KSJ October 22, 2009 (8:08 am)

    It’s quite a relief to hear that a project of this size is getting financing. Hopefully it’s a good sign for the market, and for West Seattle.

  • La October 22, 2009 (10:01 am)

    Doesn’t that building look a lot like the Vulcan building over by Uwajimaya? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

  • dawsonct October 22, 2009 (10:09 am)

    I have no evidence, but I bet a whole lot of architecture these days started out as cut-&-paste; not much originality. Of course, then you get people complaining about Frank Gehry on the other end of the spectrum.

  • Kara October 22, 2009 (3:34 pm)

    Glad to see more apartments than condos!

  • Sharonn October 22, 2009 (8:44 pm)

    Some of the 14,000 square feet of commercial space may be utilized as office space as well. Remember that discussion last year of “what do you want” in commercial space in West Seattle? Here’s your opportunity to bring those wishes to reality. Lot’s of questions were answered last night but one that has surfaced several times today…we were assured that the back side of the building facing Alaska Street will be of the same quality and design as the prominent Fauntleroy side in the rendering. This will set the precedence for design in the Triangle and it looks like a home run is possible!

  • WSB October 22, 2009 (9:08 pm)

    thanks for the elaboration about the 14,000 sf – I was at another meeting with the Harbor folks today and they clarified that as well (I haven’t written up that meeting yet) – could be professional/commercial services as well as some retail, north side cafe etc. – TR

  • TK October 23, 2009 (1:29 am)

    “Doesn’t that building look a lot like the Vulcan building over by Uwajimaya?” Comment by La — October 22, 09 10:01 am
    ………………………………………

    I was thinking the same exact thing. My husband was working on that building during the construction so I know it quite well.

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