Three more Seattle apartment projects go condo

Last week, developers Solterra announced that a planned apartment building in Capitol Hill would be condos, not apartments—following a similar announcement about a Denny Triangle project back in June. Now, three more projects, all scheduled for occupancy this fall, have made the switch.

All three buildings are designed by B9 Architects and planned by local developer Robert Hardy. Two of the buildings, Atrium and Edison, are in Capitol Hill and another, Wallingford 45, is, fittingly, in Wallingford. Between the three buildings, 133 condos will be completed, which, as Puget Sound Business Journal points out, could more than double condo inventory in both neighborhoods.

Until recently (and still, compared to for-rent apartment construction), condos were pretty rare. Many design and building professionals attribute this to the Washington State Condominium Act, a consumer protection measure which holds developers and architects to a greater risk of a lawsuit within the first five years after the project is constructed. But in rapidly growing Seattle, developers are increasingly deciding these projects are worth the risk—over this summer alone, condos scheduled to deliver in Seattle before 2020 have jumped from about five to at least nine.

Units, according to real estate group Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR), will range from studio apartments to one bedrooms (standard and lofts), and start below $400,000 and range up to over $800,000. Square footage ranges from 400 square feet to under 700 square feet. The company wouldn’t specify which prices and sizes apply to what building.

Atrium, located at 750 11th Avenue E (11th and Aloha), is scheduled to be the first to come online, with 34 units. As we first noted when it was in design review, the project is notable for its use of public outdoor space, including courtyards and greenery-lined outdoor walkways—although that outdoor space extends to private patios for residents. The exterior mixes brick and siding panels.

The other Capitol Hill project, Edison, is larger, with 51 units. That one’s located at 121 12th Avenue E, at 12th and John—just east of the Capitol Hill light rail station. With the same architecture firm behind the project, it’s not a huge surprise that the aesthetics are similar, with outdoor walkways, green walls, and a central courtyard. Brick lines the exterior at the pedestrian level with panel siding above, punctuated by wood screens, wood siding, and an occasional pop of brick—although it takes a much more modern look than Atrium, which appears to blend more with the other brick buildings in its immediate area.

The Wallingford project, Wallingford 45—on the corner of 45th and Woodlawn—mixes two colors of brick for the exterior, lining private balconies. The building’s split after the first floor for another central courtyard, again lined by outdoor walkways.

These outdoor spaces—including outdoor entrances—are meant to simulate the experience of a single-family home in a low-rise building. Because these buildings are new multifamily construction, they of course all come with rooftop decks with barbecues and views, too.

RSIR is calling the three projects the “Neighborhood Collection,” and has a preview center for all of them opening at 1420 E Madison Street in early September.

• REALOGICS SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY ANNOUNCES THE NEIGHBORHOOD COLLECTION [RSIR]