DEVELOPMENT: Demolition time for 5617 California SW

| Development | West Seattle news

Six months after our most recent update on a townhouse/live-work project planned for 5617 California SW [map], the site’s just been cleared. Going by today, we stopped after noting the 113-year-old house that’s held small businesses on the site had been demolished. City records say nine units – with the three live-works facing California – and four offstreet-parking spaces are planned – here’s a rendering:

If you’re interested in full design details, see the design packet here. Side note from city files: Under the Mandatory Housing Affordability policy, the developer will have to pay a quarter-million dollar fee since none of the units will be officially “affordable.”

DC October 22, 2025 (8:52 am)

How wonderful! Space for three new small businesses. And being just steps away from rapid transit, a perfect place for someone like me who doesn’t own a car. Do we know if they will have any bike parking? That would make it even better!

RH October 22, 2025 (3:46 pm)

Another MHA dodge, unsurprisingly.

John October 22, 2025 (9:55 pm)

How do you classify $225,000 as a dodge?

That quarter million supports ‘affordable’ housing.
- RH October 22, 2025 (10:51 pm)
  
  It’s dodging actually building an affordable housing development by paying the city to do it. Where does the city build the housing funded by MHA-dodging developers? In vicinity of these developments, or in less central and less desirable districts? I may be critical but I would gratefully receive information that details how the city uses the MHA fee revenue.
  - WSB October 23, 2025 (1:13 am)
    
    https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/codes/codes-we-enforce-(a-z)/mandatory-housing-affordability-(mha)-program
- WiseWoman October 23, 2025 (12:19 am)
  
  No it doesn’t it’s just a fee to the city to avoid affordability. There is no such thing as affordable housing here. The city helps developers Dodge everything.