(Concept shown at Admiral Church/Homestead CLT event last October)

Last fall, Admiral Church finalized a deal to turn over its half-acre site to Homestead Community Land Trust, which would in turn build housing and a space for the church and its community partners. More than three months after this open house provided more details on the plan, a city Office of Housing grant has been finalized to fund part of it: $1,430,000, as part of the city’s annual affordable-housing funding round. After the city’s announcement on Wednesday, we checked in with Homestead CLT to see where the project is at.

First a bit of backstory – Admiral Church had been working for years to figure out a sustainable future to deal with its deteriorating building, while using its half-acre campus for community good, preferably including affordable housing. The church started working with Homestead in 2022 and announced an agreement in fall 2023 that is expected to result in townhomes on the site, all for sale, some at market rate, more at “permanently affordable” prices facilitated by Homestead holding the actual land “in trust.” The latter is made possible by funding Homestead obtains from both public and private sources.

So we asked Homestead’s Kathleen Hosfeld what the newly finalized city grant means to the project: “The City funding is one of several sources we need. It represents a little over half of the public funding to make the project feasible. Unfortunately, the project did not receive an award from the State in the 2023 funding round just announced. This means we’ll need to apply again next fall.”

The city announcement included some specific projected numbers for the housing that the project would create – saying the project would “construct 18 new townhomes, where 11 will be permanently affordable 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom townhomes.” However, Hosfeld tells WSB that the numbers are not final yet: “We are still in the scenario exploration phase – working to create a cohesive campus with a church facility that meets their needs, housing that meets our mission goals, and an overall design that fits with the neighborhood. As a result, we have not finalized the number of affordable and market rate homes. The funding amount awarded by the city can be amended if we reduce the number of homes. We will know more as we continue to learn about site constraints.”

More information for the community is expected in spring, she added: “We are hoping to have some concepts to share with the community in either March or early April for feedback.” If you’ve missed previous coverage explaining how Homestead’s model works – here’s their explanation.

It was a full house – more than 100 people of all ages, babies through seniors – when the West Seattle Big Band presented a holiday concert this afternoon at Admiral Church. We recorded three of the Christmas songs for you – first, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”:

Here’s “The Christmas Song”

And “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”:

(Jim Edwards directs the WSBB; Jenaige Lane and Greg Dirks were the vocalists in our clips; Bud Jackson sang later.) The rest of the program included some non-holiday selections too. The band, which spends much of its year donating its time to raise money for school music programs, donated this appearance too so the church could raise money (admission was free but a basket was passed) for its music program.

Watch for more public WSBB performances next year – their calendar is at westseattlebigband.com, along with history on this quarter-century-and-going-strong group!

CRAFT FAIR IN THE STYLE OF AN OLD-WORLD GERMAN CHRISTKINDL MARKT!

Saturday, November 18th
from 10 A-4 P at Admiral Church
4320 SW Hill Street
(in the North Admiral District just off California Avenue)

Beautiful, unique crafts and homemade holiday baked goods.
Bavarian pretzels, hot drinks, including hot chocolate and cider.
Christmas lights, evergreen boughs and holiday music.
Drop by for a holiday drink and find great gifts for family and friends!

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Admiral Church‘s agreement to turn over its half-acre property to Homestead Community Land Trust is just the first step in what’s expected to be at least a four-year journey to transformation of the site into new homes and a new home for the church.

The projected timeline is part of what was revealed at an open-house-style gathering in the church sanctuary this past Sunday afternoon, four weeks after the church and Homestead CLT announced the plan. As we’ve been reporting, the church had been on a years-long quest to secure a sustainable future – the costs of maintaining an aging building could not be borne without some sort of change. The plan will enable “affordable” homes, offered for sale, to be built on the site along with a new “flexible” space for the church and its ministries/tenants, which currently include a preschool as well as various community groups.

The architects working on the project, Third Place Design Co-operative, were in attendance, with renderings showing possibilities for how the church site’s future housing could look and feel. They told us the predominant housing type they’re considering for this site is “three-story townhouses.” The easels offered people at the gathering a chance to place dot stickers on images they liked, from architecture to amenities such as greenspaces between the buildings, porches, small fenced yards. Some of the featured images, they told us, were from a project under way now in Tukwila.

That’s an 18-home development on land previously owned by Riverton Park United Methodist Church, according to Homestead CLT’s executive director Kathleen Hosfeld, who was also at the Admiral gathering, standing by an easel explaining the “Net Zero” building philosophy for which they aim – energy-efficient, which in turn means lower utility bills.

Another Homestead rep staffed a general Q&A table, including how their model works (here’s how). 60-65 percent average mean income (AMI) is their sweet spot for potential buyers; 80 percent AMI is the ceiling to qualify. They are able to offer lower prices to qualified buyers because of subsidies from public (like the Seattle Housing Levy, which is on the current ballot) and private funding, These have to be the buyers’ only homes, and they can’t be rented out – the owner has to live there. If they want to sell their home, they can find a qualified buyer on their own, but most work with Homestead, which has a long waiting list. They even have a tiebreaker system if needed.

The open house ended with a moment of recognition for City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who helped connect Homestead CLT with Admiral Church years ago. Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom offered a few words of appreciation, telling the backstory of the church’s journey to this point (including this meeting we covered four years ago), and the councilmember briefly spoke:

We asked Hosfeld where the project goes from here: “What happens next is we start the design process. We need to engage the civil engineer, geotech and other advisers to study the site, and model out what we can build. That’s probably a 4-6 month process. Once we have some concepts to share, we’ll reach back out to the neighborhood for some input again. In the meantime, we’ll meet with the immediate neighbors across the street and make sure we set up a good communication system with them.” If all goes well, construction of the as-yet-undetermined number of homes could start in fall of 2025 and last about a year and a half. If you have questions for Homestead, you can email westseattle@homesteadclt.org.

SIDE NOTE: We noticed on the Homestead website that the first of its now-245 homes in trust was referred to as the “Delridge House.” Indeed, Hosfeld told us, it all began with a little house that was moved off the site of the Delridge Library to a site elsewhere in Delridge. The nonprofit made this video a few years back telling the story:

Hosfeld says the original owner of the “Delridge House” has since sold it – but as with the other homes they’ve acquired or built, it will forever remain in trust.

(Photo by Joanne Murray for Admiral Church)

One month after Admiral Church announced it was finalizing an agreement with Homestead Community Land Trust for the future of its site, this Sunday brings your chance to hear details and ask questions about the plan. The site will be developed into for-sale units, “most … to be made affordable to those who make less than 80% of area median income,” plus a new home for the church itself. How many homes and what type, too soon to tell, HCLT told us after the announcement last month, but not “single-family detached.” Construction could start in 2025. The agreement followed four years of soul-searching by the church on how to best ensure its future while contributing the most to the community. The meeting “to discuss the partnership and listen to the community’s vision for homes at the site” is at the church (4320 SW Hill), 1:30 pm Sunday (October 22nd), all welcome.

Backstory here.

HALLOWEEN BINGO, PIZZA AND COSTUME PARTY!
Sunday, October 15, 6:30-8:00 pm
Admiral Church, 4320 SW Hill St
FREE! Great costume and Bingo prizes! Community warmly welcomed!
Grand Prize: 3 nights in Scenic Leavenworth!
Questions? Text (206) 300-6974.

(Photo by Joanne Murray for Admiral Church)

For four years, we’ve been reporting on Admiral Church‘s soul-searching over how to best ensure its future viability, while utilizing its half-acre campus for community good, ideally including affordable housing. In April 2022, the church announced it had decided what path it would follow, working with Homestead Community Land Trust “to gift them the total of our real estate for the development of permanently affordable, ownership-focused housing (including) a flexible use space exclusively for Admiral Church’s ministries …” Now, a year and a half later, the church and Homestead have just announced they’ve formalized the plan. First, the announcement:

Homestead Community Land Trust and Admiral United Church of Christ have signed an agreement that will lead to the development of permanently affordable homeownership on church land in the Admiral neighborhood of West Seattle.

Under the terms of the agreement, Admiral Church will convey its land in exchange for the ability to continue its ministries in the Admiral neighborhood in a newly constructed gathering and worship facility in the new development, representing a cost that is significantly below the market value of the property. Admiral Church and Homestead’s agreement makes it possible for most of the homes developed to be made affordable to those who make less than 80% of area median income.

“Admiral Church seeks to open the neighborhood to households that have historically been disadvantaged and excluded from homeownership,” said Reverend Andrew Conley-Holcom, pastor of Admiral Church. “We selected Homestead as a partner because their model creates generational wealth for its owners and Homestead is committed to partnering with us and the surrounding community in imagining and developing the homes.”

Admiral Church has served the North Admiral neighborhood in West Seattle since its founding over a century ago and is partnering with Homestead to continue that service well into its next century. The church conducted significant outreach with the neighborhood to gauge support for the concept of an affordable-housing project, including hosting neighborhood meetings, doing one-on-one meetings with interested individuals, and conducting an online survey through a neighborhood association. Over 80% of the 200+ respondents supported an affordable-housing project on the church’s site.

“By donating a significant amount of their land equity to this project, Admiral Church is going the extra mile to achieve its social and racial justice mission. Thanks to the members’ generosity, people who have been historically excluded from owning a home will have that opportunity in a lovely, walkable neighborhood with great schools and a thriving business district” said Kathleen Hosfeld, Homestead CEO and Executive Director. Hosfeld herself lives in the Admiral district.

Affordability at the site will be achieved through lower-cost land and the investment of public and private subsidy. The church, which will be temporarily relocated within West Seattle during construction, will return to a newly constructed gathering and worship facility co-located at the site.

The partners conducted initial feasibility to substantiate the terms of a purchase and sale agreement for the land. However, the site plan and project pro forma has yet to be finalized. The partners will host a community meeting to discuss their partnership and listen to the community’s vision for homes at the site on October 22, 1:30 pm at the Church, 4320 SW Hill Street.

Affordable housing timelines are subject to change, but the partners hope that construction will begin in 2025 and be completed in 2026.

Homestead is a classic community land trust, following the model created by Civil Rights era leaders in the 1960s and 1970s to prevent displacement and allow people to build wealth through ownership. Homestead builds new homes, fundraises to reduce the price of homes to what is affordable to a lower-income household, and keeps homes affordable permanently through agreements with our homeowners and post-purchase support. Homestead lowers barriers to homeownership for those excluded by discrimination, and has nearly 60% ownership by people of color. Typical home prices through Homestead range from $240,000 to $330,000. Homestead has 245 homes in trust and has created over 300 first-time homebuying opportunities for income-qualified buyers.

Admiral Church has been serving the people of the North Admiral neighborhood in West Seattle since its founding in 1899. The church is welcoming to all, having voted to be explicitly “open and affirming” decades ago. The church is a congregation that is God gifted, love centered, open to the future and extending Christ’s footsteps into the world. The church is committed to reach out to the un-served and the unseen in our community and seek diversity, peace, and justice in our world.

Homestead currently has 70 homes in West Seattle, said Hosfeld in response to one of the followup questions we asked her. Also:

How many homes will be built on the Admiral Church site? No estimate yet. What type? “They will not be single-family detached for sure. We have run studies to make sure the project was feasible but haven’t come up with the final mix. We do want to be sensitive to surrounding structures and homeowners and make sure the project fits in well.”

How affordable? “Affordable to below 80% AMI. The AMI levels for our homes in recent years have been 60% to 72% AMI. We will seek subsidy to get the prices as low as possible. There may be several “market rate” homes in the mix. We include market rate homes in projects to provide an internal form of subsidy so we can lower the prices of the homes for income-qualified buyers. We haven’t determined how many yet. We set the initial price of market rate homes to be at or below local comps at the time of sale.

Finally, we asked about terms of the agreement between Homestead – which is a nonprofit – and the church. “There is a technical purchase and sale agreement, and the payment from Homestead involves a limited amount of cash that serves as a bridge for the church while the project is completed. Payment also includes building and conveying a new church facility. The assessed value of the church property, according to King County Records, is $4 million. What the church might have received by selling it to a for-profit developer would be considerably higher. There isn’t a precise dollar amount value of the church facility at this point.”

P.S. For a bit more on how Homestead’s model works, see our summary in this past WSB story.

FAT SUNDAY!
February 19, 2023, 12:00 noon
Admiral Church

Admiral Church warmly welcomes ALL to “FAT SUNDAY!”, a jazz and Mardi Gras-style celebration on Sunday February 19 at 12:00 noon, 4320 SW Hill St in the North Admiral neighborhood. The party begins with an hour of hot jazz from the Tobi Stone Jazz Quartet in the Admiral Sanctuary, renowned for comfort and fine acoustics. Get down and move to the music; that’s what they’d do in the Big Easy! Then we’ll move into the Fellowship Lounge for a Mardi Gras feast of traditional jambalaya and, yes, a King Cake, complete with baby! Yum! And it’s all FREE! It’s Admiral Church’s gift to the community. Get into the spirit! Festive attire encouraged, and we’ll have some extra beads on hand, in case you forget yours at home.

Saturday, November 19, 11 AM-4PM
Christmas Market at Admiral Church

CHRISTMAS MARKET |
CRAFT FAIR IN THE STYLE OF AN OLD WORLD GERMAN CHRISTKINDL MARKT!
Admiral Church, 4320 SW Hill Street

Beautiful, unique crafts and homemade holiday baked goods.
Bavarian pretzels, hot drinks, including mulled wine and cider..
Christmas lights, evergreen boughs, and holiday music.
Drop by for a holiday drink and find great gifts for family and friends!

Tuesday, November 15, 7:00 PM
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted A Culture | a new documentary

What if the word “homosexual” was never meant to be in the Bible? 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted A Culture is a new documentary that chronicles how the misuse of a single word changed the course of modern history.

screening and discussion at Admiral Church, 4320 SW Hill St
just days after its WORLD PREMIERE @DOCNYCfest

Admiral United Church of Christ is an open and affirming faith community located in the North Admiral district.

Back in April, we reported on Admiral UCC Church‘s decision on what future to pursue for its half-acre North Admiral site, after years of discussion, both within the church and with the wider community: The church decided to explore partnering with Homestead Community Land Trust, so that part of the site could become “permanently affordable, ownership-focused housing.” Now the next step: Admiral Church has launched a brief community survey, 10 questions on one page. You can respond here. The church has been journeying toward change for its site for more than three years, realizing that the status quo is financially unsustainable, as discussed in a February community meeting.

(Looking northwest toward Admiral Church. WSB photo from February)

Back in February, we covered a community meeting at which Admiral Church leaders explained three paths they were considering to avoid an eventual financial crisis. At an all-church meeting earlier this month, the church has decided which path to take. As summarized by pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom, “We have decided to start the process of drafting an MOU with Homestead Community Land Trust to gift them the total of our real estate for the development of permanently affordable, ownership-focused housing. The development will include a flexible use space exclusively for Admiral Church’s ministries to continue in the North Admiral neighborhood.” He offered context in a message to the congregation, published in the church newsletter this past Sunday – here’s an excerpt:

Those who gathered and those who voted by proxy [on April 3] decided that Admiral Church would no longer be a wealthy landowner in North Admiral. The congregation has consented to begin a process by which we discern who we are and the problems we want to solve in cooperation with Homestead Community Land Trust, who themselves are focused on solving the problem of generational poverty. This discernment is not new, but is part of a legacy of renewal here at Admiral Church. We are called to honor our ancestors, learn our history, and meet the current moment with the same fierce Love and welcoming Spirit that kept this church relevant and impactful for generations. So many institutions in our society are living off of their wealth rather than living into their purpose. Admiral Church has always been a church of purpose, a gathering place and a sending space for faithful people in North Admiral. We are choosing to trust God even more, extending Christ’s footsteps into the world.

The church sits on a half-acre of land at 4320 SW Hill in North Admiral, zoned for lowrise multifamily residential development. Its building is 60 years old. Church leaders have been considering some form of redevelopment for three years. They’re promising more information soon about their chosen path.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

More than three years ago, Admiral Church told community members that “big changes” were in its future.

Planning for those changes was subsequently shelved. But now it’s actively happening again, as the church has flatly declared that a “looming financial crisis” makes the status quo unsustainable.

So, church leaders told a community meeting this afternoon, they’re pursuing three potential paths for the future of the church (4320 SW Hill) and its 27,000-square-feet site:

Read More

Admiral Church is facing a financial crisis which will almost certainly mandate administrative and physical changes to our property as soon as 2023.

We realize that our decision-making process does not occur in a vacuum, that our choices/necessities impact our neighborhood as well as Admiral Church.

All are invited to this informational meeting.

Last fall, we reported on Admiral Church‘s plan to partner with Operation Nightwatch to host an overnight shelter for 10 men. After meetings in October and November to answer neighborhood questions, last we heard was that the shelter wouldn’t start up before December. Two more months have passed, and now the church has publicly announced that the plan is scrapped, via a “community announcement” on its website:

The hoped-for partnership between Admiral Church and Operation Nightwatch to offer overnight shelter to ten men living on the streets of Seattle is unfortunately not going to be possible. After further study, Nightwatch decided that several building issues, including having only two bathrooms and no openable windows in the sanctuary, make Admiral non-ideal for their purposes.

Admiral Church says Operation Nightwatch is pursuing partnerships with other local churches; we’ll be following up on that.

Meantime, separate from that, the church also has announced that it’s again considering “repurposing of at least part of our property” because of a “looming financial crisis,” and it’s having a community meeting at 2 pm February 20th for everyone interested. Pre-pandemic, the church was pursuing potential site redevelopment, but that’s been on the shelf for 2+ years.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“We’re all going to be OK.”

So said a neighbor toward the end of the second community meeting about Admiral Church‘s planned partnership with Operation Nightwatch to give 10 men a safe, warm, dry place to sleep each night. That neighbor was trying to reassure others who continued to voice concerns about the overnight-shelter plan.

Since the Sunday afternoon meeting, which included a chance for neighbors to question Nightwatch executive director Rev. Rick Reynolds, the church’s council has met to further discuss the plan. The church’s pastor, Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom, says the only update from the meeting is that the program won’t start this month after all – “it’ll probably take around a month or more before everything’s ready on Nightwatch’s end.”

Read More

Update: Second meeting added, noon 11/7.

Admiral Church has voted overwhelmingly to partner with Operation Nightwatch, a long-standing street ministry in Seattle, to provide shelter for up to ten men who otherwise would be sleeping outside this winter. The church is inviting neighbors and interested parties to attend an info session this Sunday, October 24th from 12-12:30 pm to learn more. The meeting will take place at 4320 SW Hill St in North Admiral, in the sanctuary where the men will be sheltered from 9:45 pm to 6:00 am. This ministry program will hopefully begin in mid-November.

6:20 PM: Aside from the Camp Second Chance tiny-house village, West Seattle does not have a dedicated shelter for people who need one. Local churches have tried to pick up a little of that slack over the years. The next one to try to help is Admiral Church, which sent us this announcement:

Admiral Church has voted overwhelmingly to partner with Operation Nightwatch, a long-standing street ministry in Seattle, to provide shelter for up to ten men who otherwise would be sleeping outside this winter. The church is inviting neighbors and interested parties to attend an info session this Sunday, October 24th from 12-12:30 to learn more. The meeting will take place at 4320 SW Hill St in North Admiral, in the sanctuary where the men will be sheltered from 9:45 pm to 6:00 am. This ministry program will hopefully begin in mid-November.

You can read more about Operation Nightwatch here.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: We asked Admiral Church’s Pastor Andrew Conley-Holcom a few followup questions after receiving this announcement on Thursday, and today we received the answers. The shelter guests would be brought by bus from downtown after Operation Nightwatch’s nightly dinner there. Operation Nightwatch will cover all expenses (staff, transportation, utilities, consumables) – what the church is contributing is the space, for “no more than 10 beds, spread out in Admiral’s sanctuary.” It would be “lights out” – or, “last cigarette” – by 11 pm. Everyone has to be up by 6 am and “out of the area by 6:30 am”; the plan for “busing the guys back downtown in the morning” is not yet finalized. An Operation Nightwatch staff person would “do half-hour sweeps and logging throughout the stay” and would stay to clean until 7 am.

As for who the men would be, “Guests will be folks already seeking help from Nightwatch but who otherwise would be turned away for lack of beds.” We asked about opportunities for community contributions; that won’t be clear until “after the ‘cohort’ gets established,” but “donations to the program are always welcome.”

Lovers and Supporters of Music: Please Join Us for Our Annual Friends of Admiral Concert October 10, 2021 at 12:00 In the Admiral Church Sanctuary 4320 SW Hill Street

This is a benefit concert for the Admiral Church Music Fund. We are excited to feature the following artists, who have graciously donated their time and talents as true “Friends of Admiral”:

Sam Peters and Tom Peters “Cradle Song” by Frank Bridge “I’ll Bid My Heart Be Still” by Rebecca Clark “Viola Concerto in G, Movement IV: Presto” by George Phillip Telemann Will Stewart Works for Piano and Organ TBA Spring Melt Septet directed by Tobi Stone “Spring Melt” by Paul Mori and Tobi Stone The Happy Accidentals Saxophone Quartet directed by Tobi Stone “Turkish March” by Ludwig Van Beethoven “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck Tobi and the Sass Sisters Jazz Trio Three Jazz Pieces TBA The Admiral Choir/Chimes and Percussion Ensemble directed by Pamela Gerke “Spirit of Life” by Carolyn McDade Tom Peters on piano Tobi Stone on flute Sam Peters on viola

Admiral Congregational Church hosts monthly movie nights on Zoom. On Monday, October 12, Pastor Andrew will host a discussion of “Suppressed 2020: The Right to Vote”, a wrenching documentary about efforts to suppress voting, especially voting by African Americans, in the 2018 Alabama governor’s race.

Watch the movie free on YouTube, or find it on the Admiral Church website (admiralchurch.org). Then join us on Monday, October 12 from 8 to 9 pm on Zoom for the discussion of this moving documentary.

Monday, August 3, 8 pm, Telling The Truth About Race, an online discussion of “Ferguson: A Report From Occupied Territory”. Documentary and discussion link found at admiralchurch.org. Co-sponsored by West Seattle Meaningful Movies.