December 4, 2012

Solid Ground starting 54 housing units in 2 buildings at Sand Point

Images courtesy of Walsh Construction Co. [enlarge]

Building 5 will have 39 units.

Solid Ground will kick off construction tomorrow on two complexes to house formerly homeless people at Sand Point in Magnuson Park.

A ground breaking ceremony is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday at 6850 62nd Ave. N.E.

The two complexes are known as Building 4 and Building 5, and will have 54 units between them. Construction should be done in November of next year.

Building 4 at 6818 62nd Ave. N.E. will have 15 units: eight two-bedrooms, and seven three-bedrooms. Building 5 at 6950 Sand Point Way N.E. will have 39 units: 29 one-bedrooms, four two-bedrooms and two three-bedrooms.

Rents were not available, but representatives from Solid Ground said the units will be for people earning between 50 percent and 80 percent of area median income.

Work will include foundations, structures, finishes and equipment. Exterior work involves siding, brick, windows, exterior doors and roofing. Mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, as well as cabinetry, framing and finishes will be installed inside, and the team will also do related abatement, clearing, earthwork, utilities, site landscaping, fencing, flatwork and site finishes.

Tonkin Hoyne Architecture and Urban Design is designing the project and Walsh Construction Co. is the general contractor.

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Other team members are: Beacon Development Group, consultant; Karen Kiest Landscape Architects; Springline Design, civil engineer; Tres West, mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineer; I.L. Gross Structural Engineers; SSA Acoustics, acoustical engineer; and WJE, envelope consultant.

Buildings 4 and 5 are the final phase of 200 housing units owned by Solid Ground and developed under the city's 1994 master plan for reusing the former naval air station, which was surplused to the city. Solid Ground leases land for the housing from the city.

Solid Ground is a nonprofit that tries to fight poverty through housing, food and transportation programs.

The nonprofit's housing projects at Sand Point include Brettler Family Place: 51 permanent homes for families; Sand Point Family Housing: 27 transitional homes for families; Santos Place: 41 transitional homes for single adults; and three youth group homes with transitional housing for 24 people.