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February 6, 2012

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2nd & Pike Tower scheduled for design review

December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Currently an empty lot across from the Newmark, 2nd Avenue and Pike Street is one of downtown Seattle’s most valuable locations.  Originally proposed in 2004, the 35 story apartment building may be brought back to life.   Surprising that this space has yet to be developed.  Exciting that Olson Kundig are the architects for the new high-rise just kitty-corner from 1521 Second.

The proposal is for a 35-story structure with 290 residential units above 14,850 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space. Parking for 389 vehicles to be provided below grade. Review includes removal of 79 surface parking spaces. Project also includes 59,840 cubic yards of grading.

The project will be shooting for LEED Gold Certification and include a large street level restaurant along with an upper level Skybar.

35 Floors above grade, including partial Mezzanine above Ground Floor, semi-private garden courtyard at Ground Floor and B1 level, semi-private roof garden amenity space at 8th floor (Skybar), private resident amenity spaces at 9th floor and Roof and 40’ Mechanical penthouse above roof level.
440’ Maximum height above grade at midpoint of 2nd Avenue property line to include:
400’ Maximum proposed Residential height plus
40’ Maximum Mechanical penthouse above roof level

Filed Under: Featured, Land Use Bulletin Tagged With: ,

Demolition process for the McGuire begins.

November 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I keep meaning to go in and ask questions about when and how the demolition for the McGuire will begin and today a land use bulletin came through showing that it’s begun to go through it’s permitting process.

Land Use Application to allow demolition of a 25-story, mixed use building and attached (above grade) garage. Project also includes 3,000 cu. yds. of grading.

It’s very interesting for this to happen considering that buildings don’t generally have such a short-lived existence.  I’m not certain whether it will actually be a demolition or if the structure will be taken apart piece by piece.   When the King Dome was imploded, traffic was incredibly hectic!  …interested to find out how it’s going to be done.

Filed Under: Featured, Land Use Bulletin Tagged With:

Central Waterfront presentation video.

September 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Thank goodness I was able to find this video of the presentation at Benaroya last night.  It’s a long one…  ENJOY!

Filed Under: Central Waterfront, City of Seattle, Featured, Land Use Bulletin, Neighborhoods/Condos, Urban Development

View Seattle Height Restrictions in 3D!

August 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

We couldn’t be more excited to have almost completed a map of downtown Seattle height restrictions in 3D using Google Earth.  Currently, the file is only available as a download and it’s very important to us.  Therefore, we’re looking into ways to keep it private.  As of right now, we’re only sharing it with clients.  We feel that making a intuitive purchase based on the 3 P’s is what makes a happy buyer.

Please, take a look out this snapshot and contact us if you’re interested in a download of the Google Earth file.  The person putting it together for us is incredibly busy, so we don’t want to rush the guy.  Therefore, all you get is a teaser.  I’m just so excited to have such a cool tool we can put on our website, I had to share a sneak peak!

What’s most interesting, is there are truly very few units with protected views…

In the meantime, you can view a flat map of height restrictions set by the city here.

Filed Under: Featured, Land Use Bulletin, Neighborhoods/Condos

Two new BIG neighbors to Mosler Lofts coming to Belltown

August 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I love reading the Dept. of Planning and Developments “Land use Information Bulletin” in the morning. Not because it’s as dry as toast and goes well with coffee but because it provides me with exciting news for me to pass along to you, my loyal readers…..and I’ve got a doozy of a scoop for you today!

There will be TWO new high-rise apartments buildings going up soon in the northend of Belltown. A 19-story at 2625 3rd Avenue and a 17-story at 311 Cedar Street. The good news is they will bring more retail space and I’m hoping for some good Teriyaki and a Jelly Belly shop. There will be commercial space as well and I trust they’ve got tenants lined up. The best news are all the rental units available to make up for the loss of the unlucky McGuire building.

What’s the bad news? Just ask the homeowners at Mosler Lofts and Seattle Heights. They’ve just gotten the awful reminder that an open view is never guaranteed. Each complex will have some of its Association members unhappy with the loss of a portion of their view….and there’s nothing they can do about it.

We have a height restriction chart on our site (Seattle Height Restrictions) providing you with a guideline of what COULD happen around town. It shows the maximum height a new building can be anywhere within the colored coded zone. You know why we spent time creating it….to remind us all that nothing stays the same. New opportunities will bring progress and Seattle Savvy doesn’t want some brand new big building stuck in front of your window to come as a shocking surprise.

As a resident of the Montreux, I often marvel at the view of the skyline from our pretty fabulous rooftop deck.  Dave and I stand up there and “ooh n’ ahh” about the golden color reflecting off the 27-story Grandview Condos as it towers over every other building within two blocks. Dave likes the fact that every unit has a great view. I take a big slurp of my cherry coke and point out the  west side of the Cosmopolitan. “Those buyers thought they had a great view too.” I say in a somber tone. Dave’s naturally pale completion bursts into a red hue as he begins a long diatribe on how “somebody” should write a post about how nothing is guaranteed and that it’s our job to help buyers perform the due diligence needed to make the best buying decisions of their lives.

After all, no one wants to share their morning coffee and toast with a neighbor living only a short alleys distance away.

With love….Somebody.

Filed Under: Architecture/Design, Belltown, Buyer 101, Denny Triangle, Featured, Grandview, Land Use Bulletin, Mosler Lofts, Seattle Heights Tagged With: , , , ,

1200 Stewart: APPROVED

July 30, 2010 By 2 Comments

Congratulations Midby family and Lexas Companies, LLC (same developers of ESCALA)!

1200 Stewart rendering1200 Stewart is two 35-story towers above a 5-story podium, containing 340 residential units, 229,781 square feet hotel, 79,934 square foot indoor participant sports, 12,903 square feet child care center, 28,738 square feet private club, 26,738 retail, and 5,104 square feet of restaurant use. Parking for 940 vehicles will be provided below grade.

View Project Details

View Notice of Decision

I’m not personally not sure about Midby’s choice to try yet another “private club” so soon, especially after his experience with Club Cielo.  However, you can’t knock a guy for not letting that keep him down from doing what he wants to do.  I remember Midby talking about this project even a year ago, which now reminds me of the special feature on Kill Bill when Quentin Terintino discussed coming up with the movie during the time they were filming Pulp Fiction.  These are guys that just don’t stop dreaming big.

Being that it does however take a couple years for a project to even pop-up out of the dirt, what I wonder is if these guys are expecting there to be another Seattle condo boom anytime soon?  But at the same time, what would companies/people like these do?

lexas companies logo and puzzle peiceStop building?

That would be like us just stopping to care about real estate!  Maybe they’re thinking that it’s tough to believe that people are going to just stop buying homes, and that sooner or later current inventory will be bought up?

This is now the 2nd land use permit to have some sort of application process made in just the last couple of months.   At the same time, I think it would be crazy for anybody to start shouting, “THE SKY IS BEING PUT BACK TOGETHER!  THE SKY IS BEING PUT BACK TOGETHER!”

Both of these two mentioned would be in my personal Seattle 100 just because they do what they do.

Filed Under: 1200 Stewart, Featured, Land Use Bulletin Tagged With: , , , ,