West Seattle development: Now there are two self-storage facilities proposed for Harbor Avenue SW

The newest redevelopment proposal for Harbor Avenue SW includes a 5-story self-storage facility. And, we’ve confirmed, that makes it the second self-storage proposal on the table for a half-mile stretch of Harbor SW.

The new proposal is for the former Sea-Way Marine (etc.) site at 2501-2625 Harbor SW, including the building currently being leased by Seattle Consignment.

(File photo)

The site was put up for sale three years ago, but property records do not show a transaction so far. Two years ago, this site had an early-stage proposal for a mixed-use apartment/retail building. But that apparently did not proceed, and now it has a new proposal, with a different team, describing the plan as to “construct 51,445 sq. ft. commercial buildings with 5-story storage facility and 29 parking stalls.”

After spotting that, we wondered what ever happened to the West Coast Self-Storage proposal for 3310 Harbor Avenue SW, half a mile south [map]. Recap: We first saw it in city files almost exactly two years ago; then, in January of last year, we reported on a company rep briefing the Alki Community Council about the plan, which he said would include a street-vacation request for part of 29th SW as well as a new building replacing an old industrial building at the site as well as the towing yard to its north.

Looking into online city files regarding this project, the status wasn’t obvious, so we contacted West Coast Self-Storage, and heard back from vice president Steve Tangney, the executive who had briefed the ACC last year. He described the project as “very much alive and in process with the city,” including the street-vacation process, which, he noted, is “lengthy … We are progressing through meetings with the Seattle Design Commission on the vacation issue. My next meeting with them is in April. Our public benefit related to our street vacation will focus on improvements to the Alki Trail along our site frontage. We will be widening and reconstructing this section of the trail and adding landscape trees, art, lighting and relocating existing power poles out of the trail.” A document in the online files, dated last November, shows that the Department of Construction and Inspections suggests SDOT approval of the street vacation (on which the City Council has the final say). Tangney also told WSB that they expect much of the process to be “complete by July or August. We are excited to come to West Seattle and committed to developing a first-class facility.”

For the other site, no storage-company name is listed, but the prospective development firm is identified on documents as Lake Union Partners.

3 Replies to "West Seattle development: Now there are two self-storage facilities proposed for Harbor Avenue SW"

  • Vanessa March 16, 2017 (9:31 am)

    Isn’t it amazing that we’ve accumulated so much crap, I mean stuff, in our lives that we’ll actually pay someone else a lot of money to hold onto it? 

    Dont forget about the gigantic West Seattle Garage Sale coming soon!

  • ACG March 16, 2017 (1:20 pm)

    I suppose people moving into the minuscule micro-apodments that are being build will be happy to have a place to store things. 

    • West Seattle since 1979 March 16, 2017 (4:45 pm)

      There aren’t really that many of those, compared to all the regular-sized apartments being built!

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