Mayor Proposes Mix of Uses for Downtown Block

SEATTLE-Redevelopment of a city-owned Downtown block here took a big step forward this week when Mayor Greg Nickels sent legislation to the City Council Thursday directing the Fleets and Facilities Department to issue an RFP for the purchase and redevelopment of the site with a mix of uses. Formerly home to the city’s Public Safety Building, the property sits at the south end of the Downtown core, bordered by James and Cherry streets and Third and Fourth avenues.Nickels’ proposal goes beyond the recommendations of the civic center master plan by including housing in addition to office, retail, below-grade parking, a public plaza and enhanced connections to the Metro Tunnel. The mayor’s plan calls for sale of the site subject to the following conditions:

• Developing and maintaining a publicly accessible plaza/open space on the southeastern third of the site with easy pedestrian access from Fourth Avenue;
• Developing an office tower on the northern third of the site which can be built to the maximum height allowed under current land-use code;
• Building approximately 100 residential units above retail on the southwestern third of the site, with building height limited to protect City Hall view corridors;
• Restricting development of a parking garage to below the Fourth Avenue elevation; and
• Maintaining pedestrian connection to the Metro/Sound Transit tunnel.

The entire site would be sold in fee simple and developed privately, according to the proposal, which leaves open the option of developing the office and plaza in a second phase as demand warrants. Preliminary projections of land value indicate that the mayor’s alternative could generate significantly higher proceeds than what was previously envisioned; approximately $13.7 million versus approximately $5.8 million estimated in the civic center master plan. Nickels reportedly studied various development scenarios for the site. They included a range of office tower sizes, amounts of parking, locations of uses, plaza/open space sizes and design parameters, and the feasibility of a range of multifamily development options. Nickels’ Marianne Bichsel could not provide GlobeSt.com estimated square footages for the different components of the project or, based on the size of the property, the total allowable square footage. City planning staff could not immediately be reached for comment.