June 19, 2017

Pillar shows details for design of 28-story SLU tower on John Street

Image by Ankrom Moisan [enlarge]

Seattle-based developer Pillar Properties is refining the design for a 28-story apartment tower at 820 John St. in South Lake Union.

A Seattle design-review board unanimously recommended in April that the project apply for its master use permit.

The tower would house 268 apartments and 4,900 square feet of ground-floor retail. Units would range from studios to two-bedroom floor plans. Parking for 252 vehicles and bike storage would be underground.

Ankrom Moisan is the architect and Sellen Construction is the general contractor.

Pillar Properties President Billy Pettit told the Puget Sound Business Journal last week he may break ground on the tower in late 2018, but he didn't respond to request for comments from the DJC on Friday in time for publication.

Property owner Rich Reel is a partner with Pillar Properties on the project.

The tower's half-acre site is across the street from Denny Park. A two-story commercial building and surface lot would be demolished.

The new tower would have plenty of company in a neighborhood where apartment and office construction has continued nonstop for years, thanks to the growth of employers such as Amazon, Google and the Gates Foundation.

Vulcan Real Estate is constructing a seven-story apartment building next door, at 910 John St. Vulcan is also planning 41-story residential tower, an 18-story office tower and a pair of small commercial buildings on the block kitty-corner to the Pillar project.

Pillar has also had its hands full with other developments. Pillar completed two mixed-use projects as part of Stadium Place, north of CenturyLink Field.

More recently, it completed the 254-unit Meyden, a mixed-use development at Bellevue Way and Main Street in downtown Bellevue.

Other project team members for Pillar's 820 John St. tower include Magnusson Klemencic Associates, structural engineer; KPFF Consulting Engineers, civil engineer; Rushing, mechanical/electrical engineer; and Hewitt, landscape architect.

Pillar Properties and Merrill Gardens are sister companies.