2030 8th Ave | 39 stories | Approved

[mhays]

I'd guess it's coming up in the series of Parks Levy work, but I don't know. Levy work is spread over several years.

[meku]

Originally Posted by mhays

The park replacing the rental lot will be good too.

Some people seem to be afraid of new parks. But in addition to helping diffuse the bad elements, this one should get good use if designed well. Good mix of residents, office workers, college students, etc. nearby.

I'm not too crazy about a park for this location. There will be plenty of open space at the new Amazon campus, plus there's the little park in front of Enso and more public space across the street. Not to mention Denny Park...

[mhays]

Good points. This will be the only one in public ownership if that means anything. And this will have a clientele the others don't -- closer to Cornish and anything on the east side of Westlake, which is hard to cross in some directions.

[CityView Jim]

Originally Posted by mhays

Good points. This will be the only one in public ownership if that means anything. And this will have a clientele the others don't -- closer to Cornish and anything on the east side of Westlake, which is hard to cross in some directions.

Clientele - do you mean the homeless??

[mhays]

No, I mean the moderately large number of people around that area every day.

Here's an idea. Maybe Cornish could program some of the park space with rotating art, concerts, etc.

[CityView Jim]

Let's start this one March 2013!!!

http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...rtmentxml.html

[LCIII]

Great! Thanks to the Amazon HQ project it has been just a matter of time for this one!

[jessejb]

Happy future birthday to me! Woohoo March it is.

[Ruffhauser]

From todays DJC

http://www.djc.com/news/co/12048716.html

January 4, 2013

1925 building comes down to make way for apartment tower
By JOURNAL STAFF

The Cosmopolitan Motors Building stood at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Lenora Street since 1925, but crews have taken it down to make way for a 39-story apartment tower.

Evan McMullen, owner of Cosmopolitan Motors, moved his collector car business across Lenora. Last fall his Cascadia Holdings LLC sold the property to Boston-based GID.

Demolition contractor Ascendent LLC of Pacific removed two above-ground floors of the 48,000-square-foot building, and left the first-floor slab intact so tiebacks can be installed to support the basement walls before starting excavation work.

Ascendent project manager Rick Estes said the slab is being supported with a “forest” of shoring and steel plates. He said his company devised a plan to use 125 shore poles and Kosnik Engineering approved it.

Estes said the tricky part was coming up with a shoring system that could support the 45-ton excavator while it tore down the building.

Ascendent is finishing the first phase of its work by exposing old footings in the basement that were built against an adjoining police station.

Sellen Construction project manager Adam Kriefall said he expects to get the shoring permit later this month, and then start tying back the basement walls.

Sellen is the general contractor for the 355-unit apartment tower.

A second phase of Ascendent's $500,000 contract will be removing the basement early next month. Estes said it will take about two weeks to remove columns and portions of the foundation. He said the foundation will be cut down 4 feet below grade and shoring for the new foundation will tie into what is left.

All concrete from the Cosmopolitan Motors Building is being recycled by Lloyd Enterprises of Federal Way. It will be crushed to make aggregate.

Kriefall said shoring subcontractor BBM and excavation subcontractor CTI will start work in March or April. He said they are waiting on shoring, structural and building permits from the city.

Weber Thompson is the architect, interior designer and landscape architect for the tower. The engineers are Magnusson Klemencic Associates, structural; KPFF, civil; and Rushing, MEP. Morrison Hershfield is the envelope specialist.

Kriefall said the building should be finished in spring 2015.

Estes said this is Ascendent's first major demolition project in downtown Seattle.

[jessejb]

With that and the AMZN complex built-out its going to look soooooo good.

[mhays]

Usually shoring is the best definition of a start. But tiebacks are pretty good too. So maybe it's starting quickly.

[JiminyCricket]

Originally Posted by jessejb

With that and the AMZN complex built-out its going to look soooooo good.

yeah, im trying to imagine two 500' buildings in that rendering picture above... It's gonna be a Manhattanesque canyon.

[NW Mike]

Westlake is going to turn out to be a great spot for pictures of Seattle. Definitely going to have a cosmopolitan look.

[jessejb]

Needs a spire in the background!

[cameronrex]

Too bad about Westlake Center itself.

[mhays]

I'm old enough to remember the old Pacific Northwest Bell Building being a lonely highrise, the farthest reach of Downtown. Quite a change since then.

[Rogue Linguist]

Originally Posted by cameronrex

Too bad about Westlake Center itself.

You know that they're talking about remodelling the exterior and putting in a Zara, right?

[CrazyAboutCities]

I think Cameronrex meant tower itself not mall.

[RMacherat]

I read that Amancio Ortega, "Mr. Zara," the world's third richest man, increased his wealth by $22.2 billion last year. Coming soon to Westlake, we can only hope, hope!

[cameronrex]

Originally Posted by CrazyAboutCities

I think Cameronrex meant tower itself not mall.

Thank you for clarifying for me. I did mean the tower itself, although the mall needs a major refresh. My comment was not clear.

That tower is just so....blah. What other words are there. Sits right at end of Westlake and adds nothing. Looking down Westlake from the north there will be these new towers and then....blah.