Here is some new info I just saw at SSP posted by WESTSEATTLEGUY. Its not that tall but it looks like it could add to that side of I-5 and make the conection between Downtown and First Hill much nicer. :)

http://www.7thandmadison.com/renderings.htm

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/Dancer-2/288_7422_06.jpg http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/Dancer-2/288_3872-012_05.jpg http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/Dancer-2/288_3869-078_04.jpg

Not bad. I like the first image in particular. Reminds me of the Vulcan 505 Union Station building. This will sit right in front of M Street it seems.

Is it under construction yet?

Not under construction yet. There's a shoe store on the corner, Vietnamese restaurant and a couple other businesses at sidewalk level - not closed up yet.

Wow! I love that mid-rise building! Very modern!

I could go for this. I would love to see the First Hill-Yesler Terrace areas become more integrated with the FD. It would be nice to see some greenscaping on the overpass bridges. The public housing area on Yesler Terrace will be developed sometime in the future. I hope they either save the active gardening terraces or incorporate something that serves the same purpose for the community.

It should go well with The Skyline. I guess that side of I-5 has a little something going on :naughty:

The debate over Yesler Terrace should intensify in the next year or two. I'd guess that Phase I of a rebuild would start within five years. This should be a couple hundred units of low-income housing to replace some of what's there now. Market rate housing will line the western edge of YT -- the ground leases / sales of this land will help pay for the low-income stuff and replace the defunct federal Hope VI source, along with housing levy money. The remainder of the project will replace the rest of the low-income stuff in a denser format. Green space should be public park rather than private yard.

I like the office project and yeah it's surprising that they didn't reverse the reflection!

Yes, they should have a public park, but they should also include a P-Patch like area for residents to garden in. Many residents of Yesler Terrace grow their own food. It would be one more way to keep the area active.

While that's admirable, I don't think First Hill should be expected to farm its own produce. Let the residents participate in a pea-patch a few blocks east where land is much less valuable. I'd rather see Greater Downtown focus on density, with parks everyone can use. (Yeah, I know about the pea-patches at Western & Vine, in the ID, and in Cascade.)

I took these about a week (or more) ago. Not great pics but the red brick buildling + the property to the right looks like the site for this project. You can see the M Street project in the background.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h17/seasun_01/7thandMadison.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h17/seasun_01/7thandMadcloser.jpg

While that's admirable, I don't think First Hill should be expected to farm its own produce. Let the residents participate in a pea-patch a few blocks east where land is much less valuable. I'd rather see Greater Downtown focus on density, with parks everyone can use. (Yeah, I know about the pea-patches at Western & Vine, in the ID, and in Cascade.)
I just think that it would be nice if they could put up another P-Patch in the area for the elderly residents who like to garden and grow their own vegetables. I just like the idea of open space being used in a variety of ways including dog parks, bocce ball courts, gardening plots, etcetera.

I kind of like the red brick bldg. The replacement is horrible. I'm all for development but some things should just be left alone.

anyone know what's going on/who owns the giant parking lot to the south of this proposed development or is the block I'm thinking of part of the proposal?

You mean the most glaring vacant block in Seattle?

You can look it up here. http://www.metrokc.gov/gis/mapportal/PViewer_main.htm

I was soliciting some insight, not a parcel viewer referral...thanks though

I just think that it would be nice if they could put up another P-Patch in the area for the elderly residents who like to garden and grow their own vegetables. I just like the idea of open space being used in a variety of ways including dog parks, bocce ball courts, gardening plots, etcetera.
Well yeah, it's more of a hobby than a lifestyle. But as much as I'd support it, somehow it wouldn't feel just quite the same as a garden, say in Kobe Terrace. It's relatively quiet over there on Main street, as opposed to street traffic from not only Madison and 7th, but I-5.

To answer the part of the question about who owns the block south of this project I used the handy link provided by mhays and found that the Phillips family owns the block. They also appear to own U-Park. There are 3 parcels on the west half of the block and 1 big parcel on the east half. Regarding possible plans for the site I have no idea but I walk past it often so I'll keep an eye out.

Since SSP isn't working for me in recent days I found this older thread to demolition status from yesterday 9/8/07.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h17/seasun_01/20070908demomadison7.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h17/seasun_01/20070908demo7-madison.jpg

What is the project just SE of this project? You can see the crane for the project in the 1st picture.

Why, that's a 7-story, 81-unit apartment called Landes. Little bit of retail and 72 parking stalls.

No news on this one in several months.

I'm always whizzing by this site on I-5, but it appears it has crested street level. Moving along pretty fast. It will be so nice to see the skline crossing over I-5 - albeit not to great heights.

they are not wasting any time on this one or the landes. I look right over First Hill from my office. Both are making substantial progress as well as the skyline towers.

8th and Seneca update. They razed the buildings for development a few months ago but since have paved a parking lot. This is not a real good sign for 8th and Senenca happening real soon...

8th and Seneca update. They razed the buildings for development a few months ago but since have paved a parking lot. This is not a real good sign for 8th and Senenca happening real soon...

I know this is likely the right thing to do from the developer's viewpoint, but it's bad PR when it happens. It's hard to make the case that developers are keeping housing affordable when they're emptying out 5 stories of old, affordable apartments and not replacing them with anything.

With the caveat that I don't know the business well, it seems like the DPD's fumbles in this last development cycle slowed a lot of projects down to the point that they seem to have missed the start window. This is too bad.

8th & Seneca has been saying Spring or Summer 2008 for a while. They'd probably make a lot of money by paving the site and operating it as parking for a short period. Therefore this doesn't constitute evidence about what they plan.

I guess my point was that if they paved the lot they will not be breaking ground next month.....they have covered their bets for the time being....it is a pretty small lot as well, I'm guess that they could not charge anymore than $150 per month for 20 stalls.....thats about 3k per month. I wouldn't call it alot of money considering their holding costs...

Similar thing happened with Mirabella. After demolition, I thought things would begin. Then they paved over the lot and we waiting a year or so before Mirabella construction began.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/Dancer-2/PICT0011-1.jpg

I just drove the entire length of Madison today and it is definitely one of my favorite streets in Seattle. I really wish they had a streetcar going up it. It could be one of the most amazing pedestrian corridors in the city. I think Seattle could use multiple East-West rail connections besides Jackson. What else would it be? Union, Pike/Pine, Cherry, Yesler? Why not Madison? That and the lid planned for it over I-5 would just be incredible!

Thanks for all the pics Dancer!

Does the Landes fill the whole half block between Madison and Marion?

Does the Landes fill the whole half block between Madison and Marion?

No, there is still the small paid-parking lot on the NE corner of that block.

I love the idea, but a street car couldn't make it up and down Madison's steep hills.

Depends on the type of streetcar. It might have to be dual-powered. Perhaps its own power (via electrical overhead line) for the flats, and chain-pull (like the old Counterbalance) on the steep uphills (and maybe downhills).

from 7/19
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2683132211_42c72d8089_b.jpg

This one should be completely topped out shortly. They are pouring the last slab.

lol the spectacular views in the landes will be blocked :nuts:

This one should be completely topped out shortly. They are pouring the last slab.

The last deck slab poured late last week. Quite a bit of masonry, curb walls, and pour-backs left to go, plus hanging curtain glass and precast...

I love the idea, but a street car couldn't make it up and down Madison's steep hills.

But I think a streetcar did at one time in the past.

What rail can't do, a chain-assist system could do. Perhaps an understreet hook either on steep stretches or the whole route. I forget whether the QAA counterbalance was used for part of the route only, i.e. the steep part.

I was at the opening of counterbalance park recently and it seemed pretty clear that the cars would just hook on for the ride up and down the hill.

From 11/28...

http://i38.tinypic.com/vnntqc.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/o77jtt.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/29bysjp.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/15nu2ps.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/1equf.jpg

I loathe the East facade of this project, but I suppose it will eventually be covered up by another project one of these days.

I like it!

Didnt know the back looked like that, yeesh...

I still miss an old hair Salon that used to be in the old building called..'Verna Beaver's House de Beauty'

01/31

http://i41.tinypic.com/345h6qh.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/33xwjls.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/20u5th5.jpg

I like this building. I think it is a good fit for that neighborhood.

Nice photos - the front looks great! Is there a plan for retail in this building, or?

The back is ew. Hopefully something will fill in that parking lot behind it.

Edgy!

They finally have a tenant!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013494825_seventhmadison23.html

7th & Madison building sold; Polyclinic set to occupy it

By Eric Pryne

Seattle Times business reporter

The 7th & Madison office building, vacant since its completion 18 months ago, has a new owner — and a tenant for all nine floors.

HAL Real Estate Investments of Seattle bought the building Monday for $30.75 million, and announced it has a tentative deal to lease all 205,000 square feet to the Polyclinic, a multispecialty medical clinic based on First Hill.

The lease is contingent on obtaining permits to convert the building from office to medical use, HAL said in a statement. If it goes through, it would be one of the biggest leases of the year.

The 7th & Madison building, highly visible just above Interstate 5, was built by developer Opus Northwest. It was completed after the economy tanked, and Opus' efforts to lease or sell the property failed.

To head off foreclosure, Opus turned the building over in September to a consortium of lenders led by U.S. Bank. The lenders put it up for sale later that month, asking $35 million.

The building attracted more than 30 offers, commercial real-estate insiders said.

HAL got the building for substantially less than U.S. Bank and the other lenders loaned Opus to construct the building. A HAL spokeswoman estimated the replacement cost at about $70 million.

Polyclinic spokeswoman Tracy Corgiat said the health-care provider has outgrown the clinic it owns at 1145 Broadway and is leasing space in five other First Hill buildings.

The 7th & Madison lease will allow it to consolidate many medical services "so physicians can interact face to face," she said.

It's unclear which departments will move to 7th & Madison, Corgiat said; services won't be provided there until 2012, after the interior is built out. The clinic will continue to occupy its Broadway building, she added.

HAL is a subsidiary of an international investment company based in the Netherlands Antilles that has been investing in Seattle-area residential and commercial real estate for 17 years.

This summer it sold a three-story office and retail complex in downtown Seattle to Target, which plans to open a store there.

The firm has plans for apartment projects in Belltown, Columbia City and Capitol Hill. Last week it acquired a nearly 2-acre property on Market Street in Ballard.

HAL said Urban Renaissance Group, another Seattle real-estate investment firm, helped negotiate both the purchase of 7th & Madison and the Polyclinic lease, and will manage the building.

Eric Pryne: 206-464-2231 or epryne@seattletimes.com

Foreclosed Mastro building sold

Bank of America sold one of bankrupt real-estate magnate Michael R. Mastro's foreclosed office buildings Monday, taking a loss of about $10 million, county records indicate.

An entity affiliated with Stockbridge Capital Group of San Francisco bought the four-story Lake View at Fremont building in Seattle for $19.45 million.

Bank of America loaned Mastro $30.4 million in 2007 to build the project, on North 34th Street just east of the Fremont Bridge, records show.

When a trustee for the bank moved to foreclose on the property a year ago, it said Mastro still owed $29.3 million in principal, plus unpaid interest since June 2009.

The 108,000-square-foot building is about 75 percent leased, according to commercial real-estate database Officespace.com

Mastro, a prolific Seattle real-estate developer and lender for more than 40 years, was pushed into what probably is Washington's largest bankruptcy ever in July 2009 by lenders who said he wasn't paying his debts on time.

He has reported liabilities exceeding $570 million.

The Lake View building was one of his more valuable assets, but Mastro acknowledged in a bankruptcy-court filing last year that he owed more than it was worth.

The trustee representing Mastro's creditors agreed and didn't resist Bank of America's move to foreclose.

— Eric Pryne

It looks like a net gain in occupancy as well. They will still be in their Broadway building.

Wonder what will happen to their plan of building a medical/office building on Broadway and Union, across from their "hq". As far as I remember, the luxury auto dealer had moved out and the 1 story warehouse now sits empty.

Polyclinic also owns the empty triangle lot where Broadway meets Harvard - it would be nice if they finally did something with that eyesore.

That's great news!

Wonder what will happen to their plan of building a medical/office building on Broadway and Union, across from their "hq". As far as I remember, the luxury auto dealer had moved out and the 1 story warehouse now sits empty.

Polyclinic also owns the empty triangle lot where Broadway meets Harvard - it would be nice if they finally did something with that eyesore.

I believe this will put the kibbosh on the project across the street on Broadway. This building has structural issues, and the dealership said that regardless of the Polyclinic's plans, they were going to be leaving that structure. Also, what the Polyclinic was wanting would require a zoning height increase, I believe.

Also, the triangle lot hasn't had a proposal, and I imagine that it won't in the future now, either. All in all, I think this 7th and Madison lease is a wise move for the doctors, healthcare providers, and patients of the Polyclinic. You have to admit, it will have great freeway access for those patients who don't live in the city.

That's what I figured too. I'd rather see residential development on both lots, but since Polyclinic owns them, the chances of that happening are slim. The worst part is that nothing will probably happen for years there - can't blame Polyclinic, they are a business after all, but sucks for the neighborhood.

I do think that the 7th and Madison location will work out better in the end, for both the Polyclinic and the patients.

That's what I figured too. I'd rather see residential development on both lots, but since Polyclinic owns them, the chances of that happening are slim. The worst part is that nothing will probably happen for years there - can't blame Polyclinic, they are a business after all, but sucks for the neighborhood.


So what's to prevent the Polyclinic from selling the properties? I have been a patient at the Polyclinic for years. I'll have to see if my doctor switches locations.

Technically nothing. But having in mind the fact, that the medical industry has been and will be one of the fastest growing (and Polyclinic itself has been growing pretty rapidly), wouldn't you want to hold on to developable lots next to your main building until it's time you need more space ? Sounds like a no brainer to me.

I don't know about them, but many owners will sell one property to finance a project. Particularly when the project means they don't need the property as much.

Also keep in mind that with the First Hill/Capitol Hill Street car going right by these properties, and a station 1/2 block away, the value of these properties will do nothing but improve. When the economy comes back, I think that those properties that have good transit access will increase in value even quicker than comprable properties not as near transit. Or at least I hope it does.

I see this building on my daily commute and have wondered what is going on with it. It's a nice looking NBBJ designed midrise (9 stories, LEED Gold) sitting right above I5 that was completed by Opus NW in 2009 but never sold or leased, and the bank took it back in 2010.

http://7thandmadison.com/photos/071009/b_7th&Mad_west.jpg

Holland America bought it in Nov 2010 at auction for $30m (!), and announced they were leasing the entire building to the Polyclinic - but it's still empty nearly a year later, and Holland America is still advertising it for lease at 7thandmadison.com

To add insult to injury, earlier this year Sellen put up a banner and proceeded to remove a big chunk of the glass curtain wall on the south east corner (all nine stories) and are doing god knows what. Is it a construction defect?

You're correct that the work is for the Polyclinic.
From DPD (http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus/Project.aspx?id=6292412)site:
Description of Work: Interior alteration to remove existing walls, floor finishes, ceiling and plumbling fixtures on floor 3-9 for existing shell and core office building, per plan. Subject to field inspections. STFI

If you look at the related permits on the site you'll see a reference to a manlift being needed (makes it a lot easier than trying to cram everything into even larger elevator cabs). I assume that's why the glass has been removed for all 9 stories. I'm assuming it's just a vertical strip of glass that's been removed - haven't see it myself.

You are correct, it is a strip of window cladding that was removed. I also imagine that the elevator cabs had been finished, as well as the lobby, as the building was ready for tenant occupancy prior to foreclosure. Changing office space to medical clinical space must be a somewhat comprehensive endeavor, and the new owners didn't want to mess up portions of the building (elevators and lobby).

Also there is a crane erected for the parking lot/garage on the block directly to the south that is being constructed for the clinic.

Thanks. I drove past it again today and you are right - it is an exterior elevator, not a curtain wall repair. Looks like they are redoing all the interiors. What a waste...the building was brand new. :ohno:

I guess at least it will have tenants now!

It was built for general office space and will be used for a medical facility. The current Polyclinic space does day surgeries, and I imagine the new space will offer similar procedures. Crafting surgical/clinical space from just medical space is a significant endeavor. Most of us, hopefully, don't have significant interaction with medical clinics other than checkups and minor ailments, so we see our doctors office as just small offices with a sink. When you have someone in your like who has significant disease issues, and look around at the requirements of the clinical space, you realize just how much work would be required to make a blank office space into a medical facility. Essentially, the Polyclinic has leased a shell of a building, and now has to craft a major medical facility into that envelope. Ventilation alone must be a major endeavor.

Mods, can this get combined with the madison thread?

^
Done.