This page is a compilation of information about the building projects that I am aware of on East Madison Street, as well as some related developments. Much of it is information from the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD). The links marked Application include a contact name and phone # for further details.
Design Review Board reports are Acrobat (PDF) files (better for printing using the FREE Acrobat Reader software). Some are also available as web (HTM) files, which are easier to read on the screen.
Feel free to bring other information to my attention. Send E-mail to me, Andrew Taylor
(Incidentally here's my proposal to get mixed-income housing built along the Madison corridor.)
Here's an October, 2000 article from the Daily Journal of Commerce, describing the state of various projects along E. Madison, and here's a Seattle Times article on the history of East Madison and here's a March 2003 note from the Daily Journal of Commerce, detailing all the properties that were offered for sale when Safeway construction started.
As we proceed from downtown to Madison Park we pass the following projects:
Large building planned at 15th & Madison:
The 6 floor building housing the Central Coop's Madison
Market ( A Val Thomas project)
Master Use Permit to establish use for future construction of a five-story addition to an existing mixed-use structure. Addition to contain 1,825 sq. ft. of retail at ground level and 20 units above. Parking for an additional 50 vehicles to be provided within the structure.
Opened a couple of years ago. Initially proposed as an all low-income development, but changed to a mixed-income project after much input from the communty.
Details available on request. Here's a Daily Journal of Commece artcile from 2000
Here are unfavorable
reviews of the Apartment building and here are details
of the affordable apartments.
(Val Thomas has decided not to develop this site, and the site and plans are for sale. See: Daily Journal of Commerce article, March '03)
Here's a link to the DCLU web site about the project, and another one giving some details.
In Brief: Andrew's report on the project and the first Design Review Board report (in PDF format).
Wednesday, March 21, 2001: There was as Early Design Guidance Hearing for the project: here's the meeting notice giving more details. Project was generally well-received: here is the Early Design Guidance Report from the Design Review Board.
Wednesday April 4th. 2001: Val Thomas and his architect attended a neighborhood meeting to discuss the project. Here's a report from Andrew on the project: it's what he learnt from attending both meetings (and from running his report past Val Thomas).
Here's a letter from neighbors to the north of the project, expressing concerns about the possible impacts of the project.
Val did the Broadway Market a few years ago and the Madison Crossing (Madison Market) project just up Madison: he's been involved in reviewing neighborhood plans and seems very interested in our concerns. See the DJC article
Here's the Final Design Review report for the project.
3/4/02: When will it be built? Val Thomas reports: "we expect the Master Use Permit decision to be issued in the next couple of weeks for 19th and Madison. Largely as a result of the economy, we have had the project on a bit of a hold, so I don't know our schedule as of yet. I will keep in touch with you as I know more about this schedule.
3/21/02: Master Use Permit issued. Here's the final decision document from DCLU
Rezoned to use as school (in 1993). It was an outpost of Seattle Mental Health for a while and is now vacant and for sale.
Senior housing owned by Mt. Zion Baptist Church. No further
building is planned on this site.
It's mentioned here as a landmark and an example of a well executed
recent project.
Application to build a lawyers' office. Details
May 2001: Dann and Meacham office building now in business.
(2/02) Tenants include the Pride Foundation.
(Project # 9806437)
FINISHED! And they've bought the old Sprague Pest Control site
next door to use as a park.
DCLU file. Look at the Design Review report (in HTM or PDF formats) , visit the building, get an idea of how ideas get turned into buildings AND maybe get ideas to bring to upcoming Design Review hearings.
2020 - 2040 East Madison: Redevelopment of Dean Falls' block.
March 31st, 2005: Master Use Permit for Dean Falls' development is issued.
See DPD notice for details
See this very detailed Daily Journal of Commerce article about the project.
More details (and pictures of the proposed development are in these:
Details from DCLU database (here and here); " SIX-STORY BUILDING CONTAINING GROUND FLOOR RETAIL, 187 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND 312 ACCESSORY PARKING SPACES BELOW GRADE"
(Details below of the rezoning of this and adjacent parcels of land).
Dean Falls owns the two properties marked as parcels 1 and 2 in
this map. He would like to combine them (by abandoning the alley)
and rezone them to allow the whole parcel to be developed. During
the neighborhood planning process he proposed upzoning the whole
parcel to 85' height (which met with widespread neighborhood opposition)
or to 65'. As part of that neighborhood planning process we suggested
an alternative, more modest, rezoning
plan. Andrew Taylor and Diane
Sugimura (now the acting director of DCLU) engaged in a long E-mail
correspondence to examine the zoning issues: go here to see a summary of their musings. No
consensus was reached during neighborhood planning, and the matter
was shelved.
You may recall that Oscar's II, a bar and restaurant, was closed
for an extended period of time.
You can read HERE about the community-based
process that helped to reopen Oscar's.
4/05: Oscar McCoy is rather ill. The building is for sale. The Twilight Exit (2020 E. Madison) wants to move to the building while the Dean Falls' property is redeveloped (and then move to the new Dean Falls' building).
: the Madison Temple
projectSecond (and final) Design Review Hearing was Tuesday, July 10, 2001. Here is the Final Report from that hearing: all sees fine, and the Board has approved the design. The project has benefited both from the Design Review process and from the meeting with us. It's much less intrusive than the original design. The preservation of several trees on the north boundary (the transition to a low-rise residential zone) is particularly pleasing.
Application for an 8 story building (commercial with residential above): a project of the Madison Temple (23 & Madison). Some details
Here's the Design Review Board Early Design Guidance meeting report (in HTM or PDF format), from August 24, 1999. See the DJC article
Several Madison Temple representatives were at the May 8 MPNA meeting to talk to us about their project: here's my report.
10/15/01: Master Use Permit issued. Here's a link to DCLU document detailing the final Design Review Report, SEPA approval, traffic predictions and details on rules affecting the construction process.
The neighborhood was actively engaged in the Design Review hearings for this project; details and reports available on request.
The Safeway opened on 10/27/04 (here are pictures of the Grand Opening).
The apartments became available jsut before Christmas, but the Grand Opening was not till 3/3/05.
Here are pictures of the Grand Opening and of some of the units.
4/17/05: It appears that about 70 of the ~ 250 apartments are occupied. The rental staff estimate that it will take till the summer to rent all the units.
George Staggers notes" The former Shipscalers building
has some historical significance in that it depicted segregation
of black union workers from others union workers. This was the
former meeting place for black men to receive jobs for placement
in the surrounding ship yards dating back to WW11. It's sad that
this building will not be saved."
Link to application: here are some details . The building is owned by Dennis Tully, who frequently attends neighborhood meetings.
Second Design Review Board hearing: Wednesday, August 20, 2003, 8:00 p.m. Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway, Room 3200. For more information regarding this application or the Design Review process, you may contact Michael Jenkins, DCLU Land Use Planner at (206) 615-1331. (What's Design Review?)
"The site is located at the southeast corner of the intersection
of East Madison Street, East Denny Way, and 23rd Avenue. The project
is zoned Neighborhood Commercial 2 with a 40' height limit (NC2-40').
The proposal is for a 5-story mixed use building with 4,064 sq.
ft. of ground floor commercial space and 21 residential units
above. Parking for 32 vehicles will be provided."
The first Early Design Guidance Hearing for the project was Wednesday, July 11, 2001. Architect is Robin Abraham [(206) 322-7959], who did the Miller Dreams Project (our vision for our park) some years ago. DCLU planner is Michael Jenkins.
Here's a copy of the Early Design Guidance report from the July, 2001 hearing.
5/16/02: Master Use Permit applied for. Note that an extra lot has been added to the E. side of the project (though it's not on the map for the August 2003 Design Review hearing)
Liz Ellis submitted photos of two of the displays from the meeting: a plan view and a perspective view, which give a good idea of what's going on. A contact at the architect's office is Elizabeth Maher <a2maher@seanet.com>, phone 206-322-7959.
February 2002: Dennis Tully reports:" We are still committed, or perhaps should be. Current plan is for 21 apartments and about 4200 sf of commercial space. Hopefully we'll be digging before the end of the year, depending on the permit process."
Chris Pardo of Pb ELEMENTAL ARCHITECTURE E-mailed me:
"I happened across your website for the Miller Park Neighborhood
Association today and was very impressed by the information your
site provides. I thought I could give you an update on one of
the projects you have listed, 2331 E Madison St. LEAD Development
(which I am a member)purchased the property last year. We have
started the design and permitting process, and are currently working
on administrative design review. We are planning on constructing
four Live/Work Lofts with a 1000 sqft commercial space on the
corner of Madison and 24th and six underground parking spaces."
This link takes you to the DCLU weekly listing of NEW applications, meetings, decisions, etc.
