November 9, 2016

Housing, retail near Beacon Hill station

Image by Lemons Architecture [enlarge]

A proposed mixed-use building on Beacon Hill would offer a new housing option for renters who want live within easy walking distance of a light rail station.

Seattle homebuilder Claremont Partners LLC has proposed a 97-unit project at 2505 Beacon Ave. S., about a tenth of mile northwest of the Link station.

Lemons Architecture of Seattle is the architect.

The seven-story structure would have four ground-floor retail spaces totaling 5,900 square feet. One of the retail spaces would have a 1,000-square-foot second-level space.

Parking for three electric vehicles would be off South Bayview Street.

Apartments would be a mix of studios, open one-bedroom and one-bedroom units, ranging from less than 300 square feet to about 800 square feet.

Residents would have access to a 8,200-square-foot roof deck with barbecues, vegetable gardens, and dog and gaming areas. A second-floor deck is planned as well as a seventh-floor “sky lounge” with downtown Seattle views.

The architect's preferred design, with its vertical emphasis, is meant to evoke the facade of Pacific Tower, the former Amazon.com headquarters perched at the north end of Beacon Hill.

Retail spaces will be set back several feet from the street to allow for wider sidewalks and more space for public gathering areas. The corner retail space at Beacon and Bayview will be two stories to draw attention to the building.

The residential lobby would have a recessed entry to add privacy and security for tenants. Cedar planks would run from inside lobby to the outdoor entry area for visual continuity.

Three single-story commercial structures would be demolished.

A city design review board was scheduled to hold a design guidance meeting for the project last night.