April 16, 2020

Schnitzer West ready with Mercer office plan

Rendering by Weber Thompson [enlarge]

The building site is about 20 feet above Mercer Street. The project would build stairs to create a new pedestrian connection to Mercer.

Schnitzer West paid almost $7.8 million in December for the old Foley Sign Co. and Vicis warehouse buildings at 570 Mercer St. in Lower Queen Anne.

It plans to redevelop the site with a new office tower. Weber Thompson is the architect.

Weber Thompson's proposal is for an eight-story building with about 108,000 square feet of offices. Two levels of underground parking would have 60 stalls. There would also be an equal number of bike stalls.

The project would participate in Seattle's Living Building Pilot Program, which encourages various green features in exchange for greater size.

The 16,800-square-foot site is at the dead end of Sixth Avenue North, which is about 20 feet above Mercer. To reach Mercer now from that overlook, one has to go 100-odd yards west.

One of the plan's notable goals is to create a pedestrian connection to Mercer via new stairs. That would require permission from the city to cut into an ivy-covered retaining wall. Two sets of stairs are now indicated — east and west.

Assuming that's permitted, there would be easier public access to three planned retail bays at grade, which would total about 5,000 square feet.

Weber Thompson calls its preferred design “strata.” It features various inset notches and balconies. A rooftop penthouse and decks are also planned.

The project's first city design review meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 3, though it could be postponed owing to the coronavirus pandemic.