DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWUP: Harbor Flats now leasing

(WSB photo, March 2022: HDC’s Brad Padden, STS’s Craig Haveson, Atelier Drome’s Michelle Linden)

Two and a half years after what, we noted, was the first apartment-groundbreaking ceremony in West Seattle since 2014, Harbor Flats – immediately north of the bridge, at 3417 Harbor SW – is leasing, The joint venture by Housing Diversity Corporation and STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor) has its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy from the city. The development team says that’s “a significant milestone.”

(Photo courtesy Housing Diversity Corporation)

Harbor Flats has 115 units, and 15 are already leased. The unit-type mix is 91 one-bedrooms, 24 two-bedrooms. They’re meant to be “affordable to renters earning 64% – 105% of area median income,” according to the project team. The building has 56 offstreet parking spaces, including two for disabled people; as construction got under way, the team described a “puzzle parking” system. They say street improvements are the only construction components yet to be completed. You can take a look inside here.

P.S. The same team behind Harbor Flats is currently building Keystone at 9201 Delridge Way SW.

32 Replies to "DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWUP: Harbor Flats now leasing"

  • West Seattle Mad Sci Guy October 28, 2024 (8:35 pm)

    Mildly confused. Is there an upper income limit to rent here? Or only a solid chunk of the building that is MFTE?

  • Lauren October 28, 2024 (10:03 pm)

    500 sq. ft. 2 bedroom units? Must be for ants. 

    • Wondering October 29, 2024 (5:46 am)

      Lauren, my thoughts exactly!!!

    • Jason October 29, 2024 (10:43 am)

      My god people are entitled with space… 500 sqft is literally more than enough and they’re likely targeted for single professionals who want an office.

  • TZ October 29, 2024 (7:19 am)

    $2,429 for rent in a 418sqft apartment!

    • Jason October 29, 2024 (10:41 am)

      And they’ll sell out quick. Prices are competitive for newer build. Market is the market.

      • TZ October 29, 2024 (8:12 pm)

        If that is market value, I suppose those in need of a shoebox are unfortunate. 

  • PSPS October 29, 2024 (7:21 am)

    1 BR 1 BA 363 SF unit (about 19′ square) = $1,600 per month. Using the standard affordability calculation, one would have to take home $64K per year to make it work.

    2 BR 2 BA 521 SF “MFTE” unit (about 23′ square) = $2,024 per month. Using the standard affordability calculation, one would have to take home $80K per year to make it work.

    • Bdubbs7 October 29, 2024 (8:36 am)

      This 363 SF unit works out to $4.40/SF, which is substantially more than our very nicely trimmed townhome at $3.27/SF. While the total rent is a lot less, on a square footage basis I’d hardly call it affordable. $1,600 for some that small is pretty darn steep in my opinion.Sorry, but this is crazy.

      • CAM October 29, 2024 (4:57 pm)

        Price per square foot for smaller spaces will always be higher than for larger spaces. Just like smaller portions sizes will always cost more per ounce than larger portions sizes. That isn’t remarkable in any way. Welcome to the bias this country (and all countries with only a few rare exceptions) holds against single people. 

    • Joe Z October 29, 2024 (8:55 am)

      Seattle median household income is $120,000 so those affordability numbers pencil out. It has also been shown that building new units leads to lower rents in older units due to supply and demand. Obviously that is an expensive $/square footage and whether that location is desirable or not is TBD (close to downtown and on bus lines but not very walkable).

  • Mike October 29, 2024 (9:12 am)

    More parking and traffic problems coming up.

    • Anne October 29, 2024 (10:11 am)

      At least 53 vehicles will be off- street- better than many builds. Traffic-no doubt-especially if folks are leaving this building around the same time -turning onto Harbor Ave right at a stop light- the parking garage back up & Harbor Ave backup could be problematic for sure.  

      • TP October 29, 2024 (10:34 am)

    • Jason October 29, 2024 (10:42 am)

      Not if they take busses

      • CarDriver October 29, 2024 (12:53 pm)

        Jason;TP. While they may bike/transit to work 99% of the tenants WILL have a car and of those that have visitors-friends; family 99% of those will drive. 

        • Jason October 29, 2024 (2:35 pm)

          Proof of 99% or this is just hyperbolic nonsense…let’s see that proof. You don’t even know who the tenants are. Show me the data and back it up with a link.

          • CarDriver October 29, 2024 (4:12 pm)

            Well, after the newest apartments were built around the junction suddenly there were LOT’S of cars parked around the ‘hood that weren’t there before. I noticed and businesses around them noticed. Coincidence?? If you label this reality as “hyperbolic nonsense” so be it. It’s no more “hyperbolic nonsense” than those that believe NONE of these tenants will own a car and people will sell their cars if their choice of residence has no off-street parking. And, you believe they’ll have NO visitors that come by car?

      • newnative October 29, 2024 (12:53 pm)

        You know the buses haven’t been running on Harbor for some years now? They’d have to go uphill to Admiral (no crosswalk) or a jaunt under the bridge to Avalon.

        • reed October 29, 2024 (1:59 pm)

          @newnative big deal. the C line stop is 1/4 mile away.

        • Jason October 29, 2024 (2:36 pm)

          Huh? 773 goes down Harbor all day.

  • Admiral-2009 October 29, 2024 (9:38 am)

    PSPS Seattle’s minimum wage is $20/hour ($19.97).  This equates to about $60K per year, add in a few odd jobs through the year that makes the 1 BR apartment affordable!

    • Sigh October 29, 2024 (10:26 am)

      So basically just work all the time to be able to live in the area. Sounds about right.

    • Frog October 29, 2024 (11:56 am)

      I’m no math major, but $20 per hour with a typical 2,000 work year equates to about $40K.  You would need to work almost 58 hours a week with no vacation to get $60K, and that’s before taxes.  On the plus side, if you work that much, you would seldom be home, and wouldn’t care that your expensive apartment is so dinky.  As Mr. Klaus says, you will own nothing, and you will be happy.

    • Math October 29, 2024 (1:18 pm)

      $20/hour x 2000 hours (50 40 hour weeks and 2 weeks of vacation) = $40,000 not 60k

  • Oerthehillz October 29, 2024 (1:48 pm)

    Haha I was going to say, if my son makes 60k per year on his minimum wage I’m kicking him out! 

  • Admiral-2009 October 29, 2024 (2:01 pm)

    My bad $20 hour equates to about $40k a year without OT.  A young couple both working FT sharing expenses can make it work.

    $30 per hour equates to about 60k a year

    • K October 29, 2024 (5:11 pm)

      And this is one of many reasons people stay in unhappy or abusive relationships rather than leaving.  You shouldn’t be required to have a partner to afford housing.

      • Free world free choice October 30, 2024 (10:57 am)

        You can get a roommate. Switch your room mate if they turn out bad. No one’s forcing anyone to be in an abusive relationship.

        • WS Res October 30, 2024 (11:30 am)

          As a couple therapist, I can absolutely say that I’ve had clients who have had to stay housed with emotionally and even physically abusive partners because they had no other options. If you’re on the lease, you’re liable for the rent, and if you can’t afford two rents, you can’t leave.

  • Space matters October 30, 2024 (11:06 am)

    Why are all these newer constructions so small? Do people only sleep in their homes to not notice the shrinkflation?

  • CarDriver October 30, 2024 (11:45 am)

    Space Matters. Small units serve 2 purposes. It maximizes builders profits and gives the city a warm feeling that they’re “solving” the need for “affordable housing” and also “solving” traffic/parking issues because with no/limited off street parking they’re sure residents will happily sell their cars.

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