Update Dec. 16

The Land Use Application to build a seven story mixed use apartment building in the West Seattle Junction has been filed with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. It's been revised from 96 units to 88

Original post Nov. 18

A seven story, 96 unit apartment building proposed for the West Seattle Junction, just adjacent to the West Seattle Senior Center at 4448 California Ave SW is the subject of a design review meeting.

The building will provide no parking.

It is Project Number: 3037829.

Download the full design proposal here.

Review Meeting
November 18, 2021 7:00 PM

Meeting: https://bit.ly/Mtg3037829

Listen Line: 206-207-1700 Passcode: 2482 292 8487
Comment Sign Up: https://bit.ly/Comments3037829

From the design proposal

CONTEXT + SITE

The project site is located toward the northern end of the West Seattle Junction neighborhood of West Seattle – a neighborhood that is continuing to see new growth within its mixed-use commercial core. Currently, this block mainly consists of smaller scale commercial structures – both storefront style and stand-alone with parking lots – that have not yet been developed to their full potential. Across the alley to the east is also zoned for taller commercial use structures, but is also relatively under-developed.

The local farmer’s market takes place year-round on Sundays, just south of this block (stopping at the intersection of California and Oregon St). Still, pedestrian traffic spills northward to our site on these market days. The site is well-served by frequent transit bus routes along California Ave affording easy access to downtown as well as other areas of West Seattle. Currently, there are also several nearby surface parking lots, signed bike routes, and a multitude of street-side bike racks, providing a variety of transit options.

A driving design theme for the West Seattle Junction neighborhood is the desire to maintain its small town, pedestrian friendly atmosphere, while still welcoming new growth that helps to strengthen the neighborhood qualities. This particular site is located further from the main
core of the Junction, but within its boundaries and close to many favorite local businesses and services. The beloved Shadowland is directly adjacent to this project’s lot. Because it is not anticipated that the Shadowland building will be redeveloped in the near future, consideration has been given to our property acting almost as a corner lot gateway, until such time as that lot is reconfigured.

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

The proposed project is a new 7-story mixed use building with 6 stories of apartments over a 1-story commercial base. A green roof and roof deck is anticipated, as well as pedestrian access from the street. The existing buildings will be demolished.

DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

Objective 1: Provide visually interesting massing which responds to the building’s role as an important piece of the California Ave fabric, while respecting the character of the existing and historic buildings along California Ave.

Objective 2: Design a building that responds to its adjacency to the gateway corner of California and Oregon.

Objective 3: Provide comfortable and economic housing for a growing neighborhood that wants to maintain its small-town, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.