That’s the construction site at 4515 44th SW in The Junction, formerly home to CDE Software. Now that site work is under way, a nearby resident suggested an update on the project, which was in city files as a microapartment building when we last mentioned it in fall 2022, planned for more than 40 units. Big change since then, according to what we’ve found in the files now: Construction permits were issued recently for three buildings holding a total of six townhouses (with five offstreet-parking spaces shown on the site plan; the microapartment project was to have none). The site is zoned for development up to five stories. Property records show the company that’s building the townhouses bought the site this past February for $1.65 million.

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The five-story building is going up on a former auto-shop site on the south side of Delridge/20th/Barton; on the north side, STS already has two properties, Blue Stone and Livingstone, both mixed use – the early-learning facility Bella Mente is in Blue Stone, while STS’s company headquarters are in Livingstone. The new project, Keystone, will have 4,000 square feet of commercial space as well as 74 apartments. All speakers at today’s ceremony talked about the challenges of getting a project going amid a difficult financing environment; STS Construction’s Craig Haveson said he and his wife Mara Haveson first invested in the area 17 years ago, and he’s always believed in its potential.

His parents Rena and Paul, wife Mara, and kids Scarlett and Colton were there to join in the celebration, including the ceremonial shovel-turning:

Speakers also included Housing Diversity CEO Brad Padden, who has built more than 2,800 apartments in the Northwest and Southern California; he said the intent of this project, and the heart of his business, is to provide more middle-income housing.

Architect Michelle Linden of Atelier Drome echoed the dedication to affordability, saying that people who grew up in this area deserve to be able to stay in this area:

Too soon to say what the rents will be, as completion is more than a year away, but the goal is for the apartments to be affordable to people making 80 percent of the Area Median Income or less; 15 of the units will be rent-restricted via the city’s Multi-Family Tax Exemption program. Linden noted that the site on which attendees gathered for this afternoon’s ceremony will be a mini-plaza when Keystone is done. The site had proposals under earlier ownership, including a storage facility, but this is the one that finally went through. Meantime, STS and HDC are partners in other future West Seattle developments, including 4448 California SW in The Junction and 17th/Roxbury (which underwent some demolition recently, but that was for safety reasons, not because construction was imminent).

FINANCIAL PARTNERS: Since much was made of the challenges of securing financing for projects right now, here’s who is involved in this project, according to a project-overview infosheet – senior lender First Fed, with a $5 million loan; Nuveen Green Capital as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACER) lender, loaning $9.74 million; and Citizen Mint, raising $5.18 million of equity.

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Opening the door for middle housing:
A look at the future of Seattle neighborhoods.

Seattle can expect to be a city of one million residents by 2040 and is undergoing a comprehensive planning process to guide that growth. If you are interested in what Seattle might look like in twenty years or what are the immediate impacts and opportunities, join local architect Matt Hutchins AIA CPHD in a virtual tour of how our neighborhoods are most likely to grow in the future.

In addition to designing creative urban infill development, Hutchins is a housing advocate, policy wonk, sustainable building expert and Seattle Planning Commissioner.

No RSVP or admission charge – just show up at 6 pm Tuesday (June 18).

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2236 ALKI SITE WALK TODAY: We neglected to include this in today’s event list but mentioned it a week and a half ago – 4 to 6 pm today is the “site walk” at 2236 Alki Avenue SW [map], proposed for teardown and redevelopment, with half a dozen townhomes. Project team members will be at the site to answer questions.

MORE TIME FOR COMMENT ON 1790 ALKI: The land-use application for this four-floor, 12-apartment proposal to replace two vacant houses at 1790 and 1794 Alki Avenue SW [map] was announced last week as open for comment until June 10; today it was “re-noticed” and now it’s open for comment until June 19. Here’s the design proposal.

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Before we get back to more coverage of what happened on this very busy Saturday, a quick look ahead to one event of note tomorrow (Sunday, June 2) – if you’re interested in the “affordable homeownership” plan that Admiral Church and Homestead Community Land Trust are working on, a community gathering is planned for a look at “concepts.” Previously, the architects working on the project for Admiral Church’s site had said they were considering three-story townhouses as the predominant model for the site, which also will hold a new building for the church and its commuity programs. Find out the latest tomorrow at 2 pm at the church, 4320 SW Hill. The Admiral/Homestead agreement announced last year followed four years of soul-searching by the church on how to ensure its future while maximizing its community contributions.

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1790 ALKI: A year and a half ago, we mentioned an early-stage proposal for a “4-story apartment building” on parcels at 1790 and 1794 Alki [map], both holding vacant houses. Now an official land-use application has been made for a project described as four stories, 12 units, 18 offstreet parking spaces. Here’s the design proposal. The project is going through Administrative Design Review, so no public meetings, but today’s notice opens a two-week comment period, until June 10; this notice explains how to comment.

5617 CALIFORNIA: Also open for comments through June 10th, the land-use application for 5617 California SW, described as “two 4-story townhouse buildings (6 units) and one 4-story live-work building (3 units)” with four offstreet parking spaces. Here’s the early design proposal; here’s the notice explaining how to comment.

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5249 CALIFORNIA: We noticed new signage today at this long-mostly-idle site just south of the past-and-possibly-future Ephesus: “New Homes Coming Soon!” A check of city files shows that permits are still under review for the latest proposal here, two 3-story buildings with nine townhouses, same project we last mentioned in early 2023. The website for J&T Development, which bought the site two years ago, says the units will all be 3 bedrooms, 3 baths.

3507 SW WEBSTER: This 4-story townhouse project, replacing a 2-story building, is in the “early design review” stage and a community survey closes after tomorrow (Monday, May 27). Project information is on a webpage the developers set up here; the survey is here.

2236 ALKI SW: This site also has a townhouse project in “early design review,” and an outreach webpage set up by the developers. It says they’re planning a community “site walk” for Q&A and info, 4-6 pm on Thursday, June 6.

ADMIRAL CHURCH AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP: Also coming up, Homestead Community Land Trust and Admiral Church plan an update meeting at the church (4320 SW Hill) 2-4 pm next Sunday (June 2) with “concepts” for their affordable-homeownership project. (Here’s our most-recent coverage.)

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Thanks for the tips. This is the site of a long-awaited demolition in Highland Park – one of the vacant houses at 9th/Henderson, the subject of numerous complaints as well as fire calls. It was originally among the holdings of the late prolific real-estate investor Harvey Rowe but most recently, records show, it changed hands again three months ago, attributed to foreclosure. The status of permit applications for a 12-townhouse development on the 13,000+-square-foot site isn’t clear – they were originally filed almost two years ago before the ownership change; there are townhouse proposals for the parcels to the north, too.

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Toward the end of last week’s West Seattle bonus briefing on the draft of the future-growth “roadmap” One Seattle Plan, an attendee asked city reps if they could extend the comment deadline (which was yesterday). No promises were made. But today, the city just announced it’s giving you two more weeks. So if you have something to say about the plan – an update on how the city wants to see growth handled over the next 20 years – you now have until 5 pm Monday, May 20. Here’s a link to the draft plan; here’s the city’s overview; here’s our first report from March on some West Seattle highlights; here’s our report from April on the official West Seattle open house; here’s our report on last week’s WS briefing. Two ways to offer your feedback: via the city’s Engagement Hub, or via email, OneSeattleCompPlan@seattle.gov.

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(King County Assessor’s Office photo, mid-2010s)

Back in December, we reported on the latest in a somewhat long line of development proposals for vacant parcels grouped under the address 3257 Harbor Avenue SW. An early-stage proposal in city files at the time suggested that developer Bode was exploring a 115-unit project. Now it’s turned up on the city’s Early Outreach for Design Review website, described as a much-larger size – eight stories, “approximately 308 dwelling units.” However, on the Bode website, the project (under an adjacent address, 3303 Harbor SW) is listed as 220 apartments, and other city files still suggest 115 units. Bode designs, builds, and manages its own projects; it already has two in West Seattle, 75 apartments at 2222 SW Barton and 115 apartments at 3050 SW Avalon Way. We’re contacting them in hopes they will clarify the 3257 Harbor plan.

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11:56 AM: Thanks to Bob for the tip. Demolition is under way at 1704 SW Roxbury, the official address for the planned project on parcels including the former Meineke shop – which moved to 35th/Barton – and buildings to its north. Last time we mentioned the project was more than two years ago, when it went into the city’s Early Outreach for Design Review program. It remains in the relatively early stages of the permitting process, according to the city’s online files. This – like almost-complete 3405 Harbor Avenue SW, just-underway 9201 Delridge Way SW, and planned 4448 California SW – is a collaboration between Housing Diversity Corporation and STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor). HDC’s website outlines the plan as:

-9,428 SF retail
-34,008 SF lot
-Six stories
-214 unit development, 161 attainably priced market-rate units, and 54 rent-restricted units through Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) Program

We have an inquiry out for more information on the site’s status beyond the now-underway demolition.

12:27 PM: Demolition is expected to last two to three weeks, we’re told. Construction will not follow immediately as the project is still “in feasibility.”

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The new 115-apartment complex at 3405 Harbor Avenue SW, just north of the West Seattle Bridge, is close to completion. The developers at Housing Diversity Corporation shared “our first photos of 3405 Harbor against the Seattle skyline,” taken via drone, now that part of the scaffolding has been removed.

HDC’s Alex Thompson tells WSB the complex has a name: Harbor Flats. It’s on track for opening in June; we covered its groundbreaking in March 2022. Final-stage work includes installation of utilities plus the automated parking system (similar to this); the building will have spaces for 60 vehicles. West Seattle-headquartered STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor) partnered with HDC on construction of Harbor Flats.

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By Sean Golonka
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

About 80 West Seattle residents and others came together at Chief Sealth International High School tonight for an open house on the draft One Seattle Plan — a wide-ranging update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan for growth and development that several attendees expressed concerns over as insufficient to address the city’s dire housing needs.

“I feel like it’s been underwhelming,” said John Doherty, a 28-year-old software engineer who lives in West Seattle. “We need more growth in the city.”

Doherty and others attending the open house, the fourth of eight the city has planned to gather feedback on the once-in-a-decade update to its Comprehensive Plan, echoed a concern shared throughout Seattle neighborhoods: that the city is in a housing crisis, and more must be built to meet the needs of its residents.

Michael Hubner, project manager for the One Seattle Plan with the Office of Planning and Community Development, highlighted the stakes of the plan as city officials embark on an effort to reshape Seattle’s growth over the next 20 years.

“This is a rare event, where the city takes stock of how we’ve been growing, the challenges facing the city, our hopes and visions for the future, and plans for the next 20 years, especially around how and where we can grow,” Hubner told the crowd. “We also know that we’re facing a lot of challenges providing the housing we need now, and maintaining Seattle as an inclusive, affordable place to live.”

Sanders Lauture, 29, a South Lake Union resident who was in attendance, said he believed the plan “doesn’t do enough to address the current realities of the cost of housing in Seattle [and] the rise of homelessness.”

Among the city officials at the event — who included staff from the Office of Planning and Community Development and from Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, and representation from the city council, including citywide Councilmember Tanya Woo and District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka‘s chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko — some said similar concerns had been raised at past open houses, with other Seattle residents expressing a desire to see the city pursue more housing development than it plans to.

Under the draft plan, the city has an estimated growth target from 2024-2044 of 80,000 housing units.

While the plan also addresses other factors in the city’s development, such as transportation and the environment, the core of the plan — and the comments from attendees — places a heavy emphasis on housing and neighborhoods.

Iñaki Longa, 36, said he would like to see more mixed-use zoning, and took issue with the proposed plans to increase zoning density in the areas where housing has traditionally been more dense while avoiding “more desirable areas and affluent areas.”

The changes include rebranding Urban Villages as Urban Centers, which serve as the primary commercial and housing areas of Seattle’s neighborhoods. In West Seattle, these include Admiral, Morgan Junction, West Seattle Junction, and Westwood-Highland Park.

The plan also proposes designating six areas of West Seattle as Neighborhood Centers that allow for three- to six-story buildings to encourage the development of apartments and condominiums. The boundaries for these areas appear as fuzzy circles on the map, but will appear with properly set boundaries when the zoning proposal is released later this year, according to Hubner.

Another zoning change in the plan implements a 2023 state law allowing “middle” housing, such as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, to be built on land that has traditionally been limited to single-family homes. Continued growth, however, is likely to be focused in the Urban Centers and larger Regional Centers outside of West Seattle, such as in Downtown.

Amid concerns that these changes will not be enough to properly address the city’s housing crisis, some attendees offered ideas for enhancing development. Doherty, for example, suggested increasing height restrictions, which would allow for taller housing complexes.

While attendees said they received positive responses and helpful answers from city staff at the open house, they also raised concerns about local government’s follow through to address issues facing the city.

“I definitely have concerns about Seattle’s follow-through,” Doherty said, noting delays factoring into regional projects such as Sound Transit‘s light-rail line to Bellevue, and adding that it is difficult to have an effect on the city’s work as a resident. “But maybe I can help with giving comments on the One Seattle Plan.”

Read more about the proposal in our March report here.

If you missed tonight’s event, there will be other open houses throughout April, the closest of which will be at Garfield Community Center on Tuesday, April 16, as well as an online open house on Thursday, May 2. You can browse the full 198-page draft plan here, and provide comments online or via email here (5 p.m. on May 6 is the deadline).

The city is holding separate information sessions for the plan’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which evaluates different housing proposals for their environmental impacts. Find information about those events here.

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Share your thoughts and get your questions answered by dropping in at any time during tomorrow’s event. You can browse the full draft plan here; see the full list of upcoming events (including an online meeting) here; provide comments online here (May 6 is the deadline).

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(2013 image via Seattle City Light)

By the end of this week, the city will take the next step in transforming a former Seattle City Light substation in Highland Park into housing – “affordable homeownership,” to be specific (with ground-floor commercial space). We reported in November and December on the City Council votes to approve transferring the 10,000+-square-foot parcel from SCL to the Office of Housing (OH) for $424,000 in Mandatory Housing Affordability fees from developers who choose to pay fees instead of building affordable units in their projects. This week, the Office of Housing will open the Request for Proposals from developers interested in the 16th/Holden site, zoned Neighborhood Commercial 40 (four stories), as the result of neighborhood advocacy. It’s projected that the site might be able to house 16 units. There are very specific rules for affordable-homeownership development, both for buyer eligibility and for what can be done with the units post-purchase (they must be owner-occupied, for example). When the Request for Proposals is available – projected for Friday – it’ll be linked on this city webpage.

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