Six years ago, the Beachwood Apartments at 4027 Beach Drive SW were momentarily in the spotlight because of community questions regarding their takeover by Seattle Sober Living. The organization stressed that it wasn’t a halfway house or treatment facility – just a building renting apartments to men committing to drug- and alcohol-free living. The years passed and it didn’t return to our radar until this past weekend, when a reader emailed to say the building looked empty. Checking the Seattle Sober Living website, we found the Beach Drive location was no longer listed; though in 2015 it was the organization’s only location, now SSL lists buildings in Capitol Hill and Kirkland. Unable to find anything else about the West Seattle building’s status, we emailed David Gould, director of SSL then and now (and a West Seattle resident). He replied:

We have found another property in the Seattle area which we believe is even better suited for our tenants. SSL is no longer renting the property at 4027 Beach Dr SW.

Speaking for myself and representing feedback I’ve received from tenants and their families, the West Seattle community is owed a debt of gratitude for welcoming us. This is a beautiful area and hundreds of recovering addicts who have come through the Beach Drive home hold a special place in their heart for this community. Lives have been changed. Thank you, West Seattle.

Alliance Multifamily is managing the building now. While stressing that he wasn’t speaking for the ownership, Gould said he had “heard it was going to be rented as standard housing.” And indeed, when we subsequently went over for a photo of the building, we noticed sandwich boards advertising “Now Leasing.”