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November 26, 2021

Midtown Square nearing completion at 23rd & Union

By BRIAN MILLER
Real Estate Editor

Rendering by Weinstein AU [enlarge]
Looking south, the new building will be a colorful presence on the fast-changing Central Area intersection.

Construction began a little over two years ago on what's now called Midtown Square Lake Union Partners' nearly full-block project at 2301 E. Union St. is nearing completion, and pre-leasing has begun for the 432 apartments over retail. A certificate of occupancy is expected early next year. W.G. Clark Construction is building the seven-story project, and Weinstein AU is the architect.

About 100 apartments have been claimed thus far. (The leasing website is midtownsquare.com.) Rents are affordable for 130 units, for households earning between 65% to 85% of area median income. That works out to around $1,286 for a studio or $2,162 for a two-bedroom

Market rents run from about $1,945 for a studio to $3,355 for a two-bedroom. The developer didn't specify whether the 100 pre-leased units were predominantly market-rate or affordable.

Lake Union's Cait Carew said in a statement, “As Midtown Square nears completion, we're excited to have a building that the residents of the Central District played a role in creating and are pleased to be offering new homes that make high-quality apartment living in the Central area of Seattle more attainable.”

Tenant amenities will include a gym, theater and game room, roof deck with firepits and barbecue stations, package lockers and large bike room. And there's a PCC a few steps west, in Lake Union's previous East Union building.

For the 28,000 square feet of retail, a national drug store had once been contemplated. Instead, the focus is on local businesses run by the BIPOC community. Lake Union's Pat Foley said last month that the space was about 20% leased. Tenants now include Arte Noir (a gallery and creative hub), So Beautiful Salon, Raised Doughnuts, Jerk Shack and The Neighbor Lady (the latter bar, now closed, previously operated for years just across the street).

A large courtyard separates the east and west wings of Midtown Square, which also has about 255 underground parking stalls.

Lake Union's financial partner is HAL Real Estate. Other team members include Vida Design, interiors; Rico Quirindongo, design consultant; and Vivian Phillips, arts consultant and Arte Noir proprietor.

Over the summer, Evergreen Sign Co. put up the large murals created by local artists Myron Curry, Adam Jabari Jefferson, Henry Jackson-Spieker and KT Hancock, Barry Johnson, Yegizaw Michael, Perri Rhoden, Juan Alonso Rodriguez and Takiyah Ward.

In addition, the restored Fountain of Triumph, by late local artist James Washington, is being preserved and relocated. (It was previously a part of the old Midtown Center retail complex.)

Separately, the now vacant south third of the block, at 1100 23rd Ave., will eventually become Africatown Plaza. That entirely affordable housing project will add about 126 units to the block, in a seven-story project being developed by Africatown Community Land Trust and Community Roots Housing. GGLO and David Baker Architects are designing that.


 


Brian Miller can be reached by email at brian.miller@djc.com or by phone at (206) 219-6517.




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