July 27, 2021

After long pandemic pause, JTM returns to waterfront office project

Rendering by Olson Kundig/Urban Vision [enlarge]

The new boulevard depicted here in front of The Jack isn’t done yet, but it’s coming.

The Jack office project, by Urban Visions, started demolition at 74 S. Jackson St. early last year — just in time for the pandemic. Rhine Demolition took down the old parking garage on the corner, at Alaskan Way South. The steel for shoring and excavation was delivered to the fenced site for JTM Construction.

Then … nothing. Greg Smith of Urban Visions called it a “pause” last fall, which stretched into this summer. Weeds have sprouted in the dirt.

But now crews from JTM are back on the bare site to resume work on the seven-story (plus penthouse), 146,000-square-foot building, which was designed by Olson Kundig. A brokers' sign from Newmark went up last year, then recently disappeared.

Smith says that JLL is now representing The Jack, along with his other two big office projects. (More on those below) Says Smith, “We're planning to go on spec.” As to a delivery date, he thinks construction should be done in early 2023. “We're really excited. I think the new waterfront is going to be great.”

The new waterfront is indeed taking shape on Alaskan, as the city rebuilds the roadway and plans other bike and pedestrian improvements in front of The Jack's future front door. That city work should also be completed by 2023.

Beyond The Jack's new opening date, all the other numbers are unchanged: about 135,000 square feet of offices and 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail; 42 underground parking stalls; 51 bike stalls; and about 18 months planned for construction. “It's the same building,” says Smith, only slightly delayed.

Urban Visions is targeting LEED Gold certification or higher for The Jack. The team also includes Coughlin Porter Lundeen, structural engineer; Navix Engineering, civil; WSP, mechanical and plumbing; and Stantec, electrical.

Meanwhile, demolition is advancing — though with one recent minor mishap, no injuries reported — up at 801 Third Ave., where Rhine has mostly removed the second building to be replaced by The Net, Urban Visions' next big project.

“We should be wrapped up with our demolition in next couple weeks,” says Smith. That project will hold until JLL pre-signs some tenants — meaning bare ground for at least several more months.

That 36-story tower, designed by NBBJ, is slated to have 783,585 square feet of offices. Lease Crutcher Lewis will be the general contractor.

And the future office project dubbed S, just south of the International District on both sides of Sixth Avenue South, is also being marketed by JLL. That could end up with over 1.6 million square feet in five buildings designed by NBBJ.