January 8, 2018

PCC to anchor Ballard Blocks phase 2

Renderings by Weber Thompson [enlarge]

The 25,000-square-foot Ballard PCC will be on the west side of the block.

PCC Community Markets will be the anchor tenant in the long-anticipated second phase of Ballard Blocks, at 1451 N.W. 46th St.

Developer Regency Centers had already indicated a grocery store in its plans, and PCC's announcement last week made it official.

Just east of the Ballard Bridge, the vacant 2.5-acre south block is bounded by 15th and 14th avenues Northwest and Northwest 45th and 46th streets.

The north block of Ballard Blocks has Trader Joe's, Top Pot Doughnuts, Ross and LA Fitness among its tenants. It was completed in 2009, but the south block's development was stalled by the great recession.

In a statement, PCC's Cate Hardy said, “There is an independent spirit and love of food that is deeply rooted in Ballard. When the opportunity to join this community came to us, we didn't hesitate. PCC and Ballard share many of the same values, and we can't wait to further support local, independent producers while contributing to the thriving Ballard food culture.”

Permits have not yet been issued for the project, but the city last year issued a determination of non-significance and last week conditionally granted approval for shoreline substantial development. That decision can be appealed through Jan. 25 to the Washington State Shoreline Hearings Board.

[enlarge]

A pedestrian mews will separate the two east buildings and lead to the PCC.

The 25,000-square-foot store will be PCC's 13th location, after its Burien store opens this spring and the West Seattle replacement store reopens next year.

The one-story Ballard store is expected to open in the spring of 2019, with about 100 unionized employees, the co-op said.

The new Ballard PCC will be on the west side of the block, closer to the bridge, on what Regency calls Parcel A. It will separated by a parking lot from two buildings on the east side of the block. That shared lot will accommodate about 60 vehicles. The two east buildings are also scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year.

The team includes Weber Thompson, architect and landscape architect; Graham Construction, general contractor; Pastakia & Associates, owner's representative; KPFF, civil engineer; DCI, structural engineer; Glumac, MEP engineer; PanGeo, geotechnical engineer; CT engineering, shoring; Bush, Roed & Hitchings, surveyor; and Sound Earth Strategies, environmental consultant. The east buildings team is the same, except that Abbott Construction is the general contractor.

Real Retail's team of Maria Royer, Andrew Miller and Katie Parsons leases all of Ballard Blocks. Both blocks are owned by investors advised by Principal Real Estate Investors of Des Moines, Iowa.

The south block site was purchased in 2009 for $14 million. KG Investment Management manages both blocks. Its sister company KG Investment Properties II developed the north block, then sold it to the Principal group in 2009 for $53 million.

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The one-story Ballard store is expected to open in the spring of 2019.

West Marine is indicated as the tenant for Parcel C, on the southeast corner of the block. That two-story building will have about 25,000 square feet. There's also a semi-detached retail kiosk with about 950 square feet, suitable for a coffee shop or pub. The building will have underground parking for about 66 vehicles. West Marine also has stores in Interbay and at Shilshole.

In the five-story northeast corner building, or Parcel B, Real Retail says a Bright Horizons childcare center will take all 12,000 square feet on the third floor. Bright Horizons will also have a skybridge leading to West Marine's roof for an outdoor play area. Floors one and two are indicated as retail space, totaling about 25,000 square feet. The top two floors are indicated as about 20,000 square feet of office space, with a large rooftop deck. There will be underground parking for about 62 vehicles.

Total parking for the south block will be over 300 stalls. The north block has about 830 stalls.

A pedestrian mews, with seating and landscaping, will separate the two east buildings and lead to the PCC.

In other PCC news, the co-op announced it would renovate its 15-year old Fremont store at 600 N. 34th St., with work to begin in the fall.