Thursday Compendium

Sorry for the delay. There's a lot:

Development
$32m Nitze-Stagen deal saves historic downtown church [PI, May 31]
Related: How the deal went down [Times, May 31]
Related: Seattle Times previous version [Times, May 30]
Bellevue: "Thinking big for the future of Bel-Red" [Times, May 31]
Check out area development over time on Trulia [CHS, May 31]
Fallout from ST Capitol Hill plans & other development [PI, May 30]
Related: Capitol Hill light rail station detail [SeaTrans, May 30]
Related: ST Capitol Hill light rail station page [ST]
"Schnitzer Northwest expanding, changing name" [PI, May 30]
"Seattle's 'Ladybug Guy' hits his blue period" [Times, May 30]
Washington Hall: likely to be sold, demolished [Crosscut, May 29]
Related: Paper Noose upset. [Paper Noose, May 30]
Downtown hotel switch incredulousness in writing [Seattlest, May 29]
Condos are spreading out [PI, May 28]
Related: Even in West Seattle [WS Blog, May 29]

Neighborhood
First Hill: M Street Grocery: Ok for neighbors [MetBlog, May 31]
Intl Dist: CASA Latina has some friends [PI, May 31] Fremont:
"It's back! The wait for 'the Interurban' is over" [PI, May 31]
Cap Hill: New park!; Comment & meet w/Park Dept [MillerPark, May 31]
Cap Hill: CHS blog wants you to move in [CHS, May 31]
Ballard: Bitches and moans (like everyone else) [Times, May 30]
WS: Trader Joe's Rumor [WS Blog, May 31]
WS: Competing offers to buy, Renter vs. Developer! [WS Blog, May 31]
WS: Land use updates [WS Blog, May 30]

Transportation
Sound Transit's shore-hugging rails [Times, May 30]
ST small-biz mitigation: example of success(!) [SeaTrans, May 30]

Market
"Case-Shiller: Seattle Not Really Special" [SeaBub, May 29]

Construction
Carpenters agree to work [PI, May 30]


Email tips, rumours, wild speculations to seattleplans@gmail.com

5th & Madison: Tiling still rising

Yesterday Vashon118 posted a 5th & Madison photo from last Friday on the SSP forum (scroll down a bit). The tiling continues to rise! Just a week after it first appeared, it's risen two more floors. Oh, the humanity!

I'll have another update later this week.

Monday Compendium

Development
"Colman School fire was an accident" [PI, May 27]
"Condos springing up near Pike Place Market" [PI, May 25]
"Deal to build homes near Qwest Field moves ahead" [PI, May 25]
UW B-school's new building $15m short. [$ PSBJ, May 25]
"Sound Transit directors OK expansion of light rail system" [PI, May 24]
Downtown developers change minds, build hotel [PI, May 24]

Neighborhood
Mid Beacon Hill Issues [BeaconHill, May 25]

Municipal/Zoning
Hempfest gets a SAM park easement from City [Slog, May 28]

Transportation
Light rail in the bus tunnel! (photo) [SeaTrans, May 24]


There were plenty of opinion pieces but none were worth your time.
Feedback and tips appreciated.

Sunday Compendium: Delayed

The Sunday Compendium will be delayed one day on account of the holiday.

5/24/2007 DPD Bulletin Highlights

Sorry, I couldn't pass up a happy hour invite yesterday. Without further ado...

Highlights from Thursday's DPD bulletin (sorry, no photos this week):

Downtown: 1903 5th Ave
46 stories, 175 hotel, 190 condos, retail, 250 underground parking.
Urbnlivn reported the DJC article on this mega-tower (which suggests it might be built in the next development cycle), but did anyone follow up on the architect's website? Check it out. Is Seattle going to get itself a NY-style tower? Whether you like those designs (Time Warner Center!- !!!) or not, this is going to be a standout tower. Wild speculation: If this actually gets built, you're going to hear a lot about it, not only because there will be absolutely nothing else like it in Seattle, but it's going to be Seattle's best. Oh, and expect some belly-aching from "Old Seattle" Seattleites about this NY-attitude development.

Downtown: 810 Western Ave
12-stories, office over ground retail, 185 parking spaces.
Colman Center will be updating its design. This is the render you've seen previously. Colman Center was actually presented as a test case in one of the Green Factor presentations, which showed all the terraces covered with green roofs (PDF, slides 123-128).

Lower Queen Anne: 100 Republican St
6 stories, 228 apartments, 17 live/work, 155 parking spaces.
Remember last week's update? 147 live/work units should have set something off. How would you fit 147 live/work units around the ground floor exterior? You can't. It's really just 17 units. That leaves 138 parking spaces for 228 apartments.

Overheard: Green Factor leader out? Design Review review?

Before I forget, at last week's Green Factor Workshop I overheard the following words in this order:

1. Moddemeyer
2. position not funded
3. city-wide
4. Burien [?!]

Which might mean that Steve Moddemeyer, the brains behind the new Green Factor landscaping requirements for commercial areas, might be out of a job next year (or budget) as the city prepares to take Green Factor city-wide. I'm not as sure I heard Burien.

Also overheard: Something to the effect that the city is going to review the Design Review process, starting sometime in early July. This comes at little surprise, given Sally Clark's March editorial about updating neighborhood plans and the neighborhood plan planning process survey that's whirling around the neighborhood sites. (You have until May 28th to fill it out.)

I can't vouch for the accuracy, nor the newsworthiness, of any of this.

Everything you wanted to know about the Condo Expo

Can be found at Urbnlivn, here.

I just didn't have time to get to it myself. On a positive note, check back here tomorrow for DPD bulletin highlights and some wild speculation.

And remember, tips to seattleplans@gmail.com.

Thursday Compendium

Development
"Ladybug guy's paradise about to be paved" [PI, May 24]
"Developers plan to build a hotel instead of housing" [PI, May 23]
Downtown church spared in land deal [PI, May 21]
-Related: In Other News: Church [Stranger, May 23]
"South Lake Union streetcar making tracks" [Times, May 21]

Neighborhood
Wallingford Park will close for school expansion, n'hood upset [PI, May 23]
Schizophrenic man caught in city cleanup plans [Stranger, May 23]

Municipal/Zoning/Politics
"Some interesting newcomers could shake up the Seattle City Council" [Crosscut, May 24]
City panel OKs plan for siting strip clubs -- with restrictions [PI, May 24]
In Other News: Clubs [Stranger, May 23]
In Other Neighborhoods: Magnolia & SE Seattle [Stranger, May 23]
"The master negotiator between business and environmentalists" [Crosscut, May 23]
"Growth and density: Let's do the numbers" [Crosscut, May 21]

Market
Condo Expo: "Where's the Party?" [Stranger, May 23]
Rhodes & Gardner: Q&A on residential real estate [Times, May 22]
"First-time buyers find ray of hope in condos" [Times, May 21]

Transportation
"Pacific Northwest ports encouraged to work together" [PI, May 23]
Will Seattle vote for the RTID? [Stranger, May 23]
"Viaduct solution elusive as work looms" [PI, May 23]
"4 lanes open again on Fremont Bridge" [PI, May 23]
"Getting There: New ramp torn down over state's bad design" PI, May 20]

Sunday Compendium

Development
"Children's Hospital to double number of beds, facility size" [Times, May 20]
"Google leases Fremont offices" (not Bellevue's Tower 333) [PI, May 19]
The Sonics: In Sabey's Associated Grocer space? [Crosscut, May 18]
Related: Georgetown's questions. [PaperNoose, May 18]
Related: Sonics not going to Associated Grocer space. [Times, May 20]
Zoo garage: It's never too late to reconsider. [Times, May 18]
Related: PI version here. [PI, May 18]
Getting ready for yesterday's condo expo. [PI, May 18]
Related: Be sure to check out this video of Seattle's 2010 cityscape.

Neighborhoods
"Save Georgetown! No Dump!" [MBH, May 20]
"Neighborhoods Vs. Schools and Skateparks" [Slog, May 17]

Municipal
"How is a crosswalk born in Seattle?" [CHS, May 18]

Transportation
Seattle Transit meets with Sound Transit. [SeaTrans, May 18]

Market
Seattle Time's Home Values Special Report [Times, May 20]
The latest condo sales numbers. [UrbnLivn, May 20]
A synopsis of the Condo Expo. [Sea Condo Review, May 20]

I'll try to have a roundup of more tidbits from the Condo Expo tomorrow.

05/17/2007 DPD Bulletin Highlights

Highlights from yesterday's DPD bulletin (sorry, no photos this week):

Lower Queen Anne: 100 Republican St
6 stories, 228 apartments, 147 live/work, 155 parking spaces.
Robert Burkheimer, the same guy that owns the shuttered QFC on Broadway, now has an early design guidance notice on the shuttered QFC in lower Queen Anne (just NW of the Seattle Center). He's asking for a height-limit raise, from 40' to 65' (is this starting to sound familiar yet?) and a possible subterranean alley vacation. (Not as intriguing as it sounds.) I'm going to speculate wildly here (honestly, this is speculation): The 147 live/work units are only because he's trying to avoid having to put in any retail at ground floor, and the less than 1:1 ratio of parking spaces to units guarantees that these will be apartment units, not condos. (If this gets built.) I like this a lot. Monthly Monorail passes are $40.

University District: 4501 12th Ave NE
8 stories, 222 hotel rooms over retail and restaurant, underground parking.
This is the vacant space that used to be a natural grocery store (just west is the newish office mid-rise that stood mostly vacant for some time). The architect's page only shows interiors of other projects, including Courtyard by Mariott Bellevue, Hilton Bellevue, Downtown (Seattle) Ramada, and Watertown Hotel. Nothing to speculate here.

5th & Madison: !

As promised, here are photos of the southern side of 5th & Madison (click to enlarge):

Seattle Plans wasn't sure, and so asked a trusted opinionator. The first word out was "hideous," followed by, "Is that for real?" Yes. It is real.

Now the question is, how high is that going up?
Is this going to fill out the orange area?

New Civic Group: "Seattle Great City Initiative"

Josh Feit has a post on Slog with some great details on the new Seattle Great City Initiative group, headed by Mike McGinn.

I'd like to quote something but it all sounds so good.* Just read Feit's post.

*Since politics will come up, expect an explanation of the particular leanings of Seattle Plans someday soon.

The Slate piece is not worth your time.

I'm probably too late to have stopped you, but don't bother with this perfunctory architectural review of Seattle ["Seattle's Best (and Worst)," Slate, May 16]. I don't care if someone wants to point out middling Seattle architecture, but do us right by covering it all and being factually correct. Somehow Crosscut come up with 344 fawning words for this junk.

Thursday Compendium

Development
Details of Children's City Block Transaction [Times, May 17]
Queen Anne Couple Fights for Demo Mitigation [Times, May 17]
--PI version here. [PI, May 17]
McIver wants to wait on Dearborn Rezone [Stranger, May 16]
"Boom in Condos keeps Builders Going" [PI, May 16]

Neighborhood
Praise for Signage(!) on Capitol Hill [Capitol Hill Blog, May 16]
Real estate & employees, and "Teardowns to Townhomes" [WS, May 16]
Planning for the next Madison-Miller Plan [Miller Park, May 14]

Market
Single Women Not Interested in Downtown Prices [Times, May 17]
Urbnlivn updates on condo price changes [Urbnlivn, May 16]
"WCRER: Affordability Still at Record Lows" [SeaBub, May 16]
Foreclosures Up MoM, Down YoY [PI, May 15]
NY firm buys 5th & Madison condo, says no changes. [PI, May 15]

5th & Madison Condo Update

If you were walking around Downtown today, you might have noticed what's going to cover the south side of the 5th & Madison condo building.

For the rest of you, I'll have a photo tomorrow. It's a doozy. (Forgot the camera. !@#$)

Also: 5th & Madison recently changed hands. Twice.

Pop-Up Neighborhood: Update

A number of updates regarding the East Denny Triangle area:
(Previous post here)

1. "Security Properties Plans 37-Story Residential Tower" [$ DJC, May 7]
The 37-story, 310 unit apartment tower would be at the SW corner of Pine St & Ninth Ave, former site of the Pande Cameron Building (see next item). It took me so long to get last week's East Denny Triangle "Pop-up Neighborhood?" [May 9] post up that it looks like I ripped off this DJC article! (Confession: I only just found out because I'm so far behind on my DJC reading.)

For those without subscriptions, choice quotes from the article:

“It's an interesting little emerging neighborhood,” said Blaine Weber, a principal with Weber + Thompson, which is designing Ava. He said the new residents and hotel guests should fuel restaurants, art galleries and other retail. “I think you have a recipe for a fabulous, vibrant neighborhood.”

And:

The planned project is in an area that is seeing an influx of housing. Houston-based Hanover Co. is building a 27-story, 224-unit upscale apartment complex at Eighth Avenue and Olive Way and R.C. Hedreen Co. is constructing the 39-story Olive 8 hotel/condo project, also at that intersection. Vancouver, B.C.,-based Executive Group and Fana Capital Corp. of Seattle plan the high rise Ava hotel/condo development at Eighth and Pine adjacent to the Camlin Hotel.

2. "Mix-up Allowed Demolition before Landmark Review" [$ DJC, May 7]
A demolition permit for the 1928 Pande Cameron building, on the SW corner of Pine St and Ninth Ave and known for it's "extensively detailed" terra cotta work, was issued the same day it was applied for early last year, even though it should have been reviewed by the city's Historic Preservation Office. (If they had determined it eligible for landmark status, it then would have gone before the city's Landmarks Preservation Board for decision.) However, it was doubtful that the building would be declared a landmark due to "integrity issues." (Too many modifications over the years.) The fallout?

• Alan Justad, DPD spokesman: “There's no other way to put it: It's unfortunate.”
• Christine Palmer, Historic Seattle: “It was very ornate, very beautifully done. It's a lost art. Nobody's building with [terra cotta] anymore.”
• Brad Andonian, Owner: "Saying it was historic because of the terra cotta is 'like saying a building has old brick so it should be important.'”
• The terra cotta pieces: Saved. "The terra cotta was removed by a private party after the building was vacated."

(Thanks to David for bringing this to my immediate attention.)

3. "Children's Hospital eyes South Lake Union site" [PSBJ, May 11]
The site is a full city block bordered by Stewart, Terry, Boren and Virginia streets; that's actually in the Eastern half of Denny Triangle. (Didn't I say this area had identity issues?) There's potential for a 1 million square foot office or lab space development. (Didn't I tell you this was going to be a diverse neighborhood? [Sorry.]) "'It's just another great story on what is going on between downtown Seattle and South Lake Union,' said [Kip] Spencer [of OfficeSpace.com]." (Didn't I say something about extraordinary? [Ok, really sorry now.])


I'll keep you posted. Send your tips to seattleplans@gmail.com

News Compendium

It seems there's little to report since Sunday, so expect a Sunday/Thursday feature.

Also, linking to DJC stories seems redundant, so I think I'll just occasionally highlight or link to an article as it pertains to a posting.

Email tips here: seattleplans@gmail.com

Site Feeds

You can now subscribe to the Seattle Plans Atom or RSS feed via the sidebar links. I can now try to stop apologizing for intermittent updates.

Get Ready for Seattle's Great Inclusionary Zoning Debate

Background:
Seattle's DPD and City Council are planning to consider major upzones (greater density, usually by raising building height limits) in some of Seattle's neighborhoods. The first of those neighborhoods, the Dravus/Interbay area, will likely go before the City Council by the end of the summer. Last year the State Legislature passed a bill that gives cities the ability to offer incentives to developers in exchange for inclusion of affordable housing units. (Previously the legality was murky, though untested.)

Where the City Government Stands:
Although no announcements have been made to the press, it’s understood among stakeholders that Mayor Nickels supports using this tool to create affordable housing and has directed his DPD staff to identify areas ripe for upzones that will include some sort of inclusionary zoning requirement. Likewise, seven of the nine City Council Members say they are supportive, though it’s said that when pressed for details, most falter.

Where it goes from here:
No one is particularly interested in reliving the Downtown Density Bonus fight (the one over the $18/sf number) so it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. I'll do my best to keep you updated on where the issue stands. Of course, if you have any tips, rumors, or other information, please to send it my way: seattleplans@gmail.com.

Update: Comprehensive list (since 09-06) of local inclusionary/incentive zoning programs.

Events:

Neutral(?):
The City Council will be hosting a forum on incentivized inclusionary zoning similar to the recent community benefits forum.
Dates, details to be determined.
June, 2007
Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall
Free
More info coming.

For/Neutral(?):
Housing Partnership Workshop
The Ins and Outs: Inclusionary Programs for Affordable Housing
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Council Chambers, Kirkland City Hall
$40 per person, includes breakfast
A discussion surrounding the details of inclusionary programs:
Structures, Who Pays?, Mandatory vs. Voluntary, Mkt & Comm Reaction
More info: luisassociates@comcast.net

Against:
Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish County
The Truth Behind Inclusionary Zoning
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
MBA Housing Center, 335 116th Ave. SE, Bellevue
$25 members/$30 non-members
An economist will explain why it does more harm than good.
More info here.

Sunday Compendium

Development:
First Hill's white-brick-arch building is coming down. [Slog, May 12]
Capitol Hill condo conversions. [PI, May 11]
2-3 month additional delay at Noma (Proj Mngr fired!) [UrbnLivn, May 11]
East Denny Triangle block transaction. [PSBJ, May 11]
Cascade/South Lake Union block transaction. [Times, May 10]
-PSBJ version here. [PSBJ May 10]

Neighborhood:
N'hood dynamics of New Holly's diverse population. [Times, May 13]
Difficulty selling landmark "Painted Lady of Beach Drive." [WS Blog, May 12]
Fluff piece on Eastlake. [Times, May 12]
West Seattle land use notice and a demolition. [WS Blog, May 11]

Construction:
Cause of the crane collapse in Bellevue. (Flawed design.) [Times, May 12]

Municipal/Zoning:
$13 million tax windfall from the Blackstone transactions. [Times, May 13]
Strip club zoning politics and misinformation. [Slog, May 11]

Transportation Infrastructure:
Beacon Hill light-rail tunnel cost overruns! ($1 million.) [PI, May 11]
Seattle Transit blog has something to say. Sort of. [SeaTrans, May 11]

Market:
Market update. [Seattle Condo Review, May 12]

A reevaluation of the Seattle Plans plan.

Having now realized the time commitment necessary to blog, I'm going to need to rethink the focus of this blog.

I'd like to cover new development and provide some analysis and original content. But it's hard to do that without the time necessary for it. Until I have more time, then, I think you're going to have to expect a lot of links to other sites that are already devoting some time to this. It sounds like a recipe for blog-death, but I'm hoping that as this blog develops, someone out there will appreciate a clearinghouse of Seattle development news culled from a multitude of sources. I know it's something I've wanted for a long time.

To get this blog rolling, I'm going to try a regular feature every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday updating you on all of the development news since the previous update. I'll use this as a base and, time permitting, try to intersperse these regular posts with light analysis, market updates, construction photos, rumours, or whatever else might be interesting. Later today I'll do a live test.

Less talking about the blog and more actual blogging will commence now.

I'd appreciate any tips (about the blog or missed coverage) and feedback. You can email seattleplans@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

The move to Blogger.

First, my apologies to those that have already bookmarked the site and subscribed to feeds. I'm new to blogging and I wasn't sure which service would be the best match for me. I did a live trial of Typepad thinking no one would notice the site so fast. Thanks for noticing, and if you're reading this, thanks for following me here.