Harbor Properties may be best known for their development of downtown Seattle's upscale 734-unit Harbor Steps apartments.

They would also like to be known as the developers with a conscience.

They have plans for three West Seattle apartment buildings - that's right, apartments, not condominiums, targeting the environmentally conscious middle-income customer. Their locations will be convenient to King County's Metro Transit RapidRide bus service, promised by 2010, and their parking will accommodate Zipcars, formerly Flex-Cars.

They also see their mid-range pricing as a way to make living accessible to working people who can't afford downtown living and are willing to move to the "next layer" without burning up a lot of time and gas commuting. With retail on their first floors and plans from other developers for Whole Foods and QFC nearby, they point out there will be less need to hop into the car to run errands.

The first building, the Mural, to be completed in spring of 2009, will have 136 units, with studios starting at $900, and two-bedrooms topping off at $1,800. Some will have views of the Sound, and others of downtown. It is currently that huge hole in the ground on 42nd Avenue Southwest, behind Petco, and across the street from Jefferson Square. The name gives a nod to the 11 murals that help define the Alaska Junction.

The second building will have 200 units, located at the former Huling Brothers Chrysler Repair center on Alaska Street and 38th Avenue Southwest, and the existing West Seattle Montessori School, which Harbor Properties wants to keep at that location. They plan to break ground there in early 2009.

Later that year, and just east of the Huling property, they will tear down the existing West Seattle Inn and Suites, formerly the Travel Lodge, for another apartment building approximately 200 units. Oddly, the hotel owner recently told the Herald that the hotel was planned to be updated and to remain.

Harbor Properties was established in 1972 by Seattle icon Stimson Bullitt. The company's philosophy, according to its representatives, is that while it tears down, it builds up in a way that respects the area's existing aesthetic.

"We want to compliment without cannibalizing," said Steve Orser, director of development for Harbor Properties. "We are trying to get a restaurant into the Mural building, (one) that does not duplicate other Junction restaurants. We also feel there are enough coffee houses already."

The Mural offers two retail spaces, about 2,500 square feet each, on the first floor.

"We are widening the sidewalks for seating, but reducing the hard surface area that was there by planting mature trees," said Orser, an avid bicyclist and Seattle Parks Foundation board member. Trees will include Cardinal Royal Mountain Ash as part of 7,000 square feet of landscaping surrounding the building. An art piece by West Seattle's Kellie Rae Cunningham will punctuate the entrance.

Emiko Baldowin, Harbor Properties marketing and communications director, also stressed that her company wants to fit into the West Seattle lifestyle. "I try to connect with community organizations," said Baldowin, herself a West Seattle resident. "I attend the Chamber of Commerce and Junction Association meetings and ask for advice."

Like Orser, she prides the development on its overtures toward sustainability.

"We do a lot of green features." The list includes "low-VOC," (volatile organic compound) adhesives, sealants, paints, composite woods and carpets, KONE energy-efficient elevators, and some recycled building materials. Also featured is extra bicycle parking because, she said, "Not everyone owns a car."

Steve Shay may be reached at steves@robinsonnews.com