January 14, 2022

Vulcan breaks ground on 261 Yesler Terrace units

Rendering by Encore Architects [enlarge]

Looking west down Yesler, with its streetcar line, Boren is at right.

The third of five apartment projects by Vulcan Real Estate at Yesler Terrace has now been dubbed Wayfarer, at 1000 E. Yesler Way . That's a sloping, triangular block up against Boren Avenue; it's east of Vulcan's previously completed Batik and Cypress apartments. In the overall redevelopment of Seattle Housing Authority's 30-acre campus, involving a half-dozen developers, the site also goes by Block 4.

Vulcan says that it's now broken ground on the 261-unit Wayfarer, which was designed by Encore Architects and is being built by W.G. Clark Construction. The seven- and nine-story project is targeting LEED Platinum and Salmon-Safe certification. The apartments should open in early 2024.

Vulcan's Ada M. Healey said in a statement, “SHA's development plan for Yesler has really come to fruition in recent years. We value our partnership with SHA, and are honored to play a role in advancing their vision for a diverse and exciting mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood.”

The entire Yesler Terrace plan nearly doubles the number of affordable units there, to over 1,000, compared to the old 1940s-era low-rise complex. (Most if not all those buildings have now been razed.) On top of that are over 2,500 market-rate units being developed by Vulcan and others. SHA is also developing some new buildings on its own, with permanently affordable units.

Twenty percent of the apartments at Wayfarer will be affordable to those earning 65% to 80% of area median income.

The team also includes Bush, Roed & Hitchings, surveyor; Coughlin Porter Lundeen, civil; Yu & Trochalakis, structural engineer; Vida Design, interiors; JRS Engineering, envelope; GeoEngineers, geotechnical; Geyer Coburn Hutchins, landscape architect; O'Brien & Co., LEED consultant; Terracon, shoring; Ecotope, mechanical and plumbing; and TFWB Engineering, electrical.

The total project size of about 281,233 square feet includes 130 parking stalls (partly structured, partly below grade), bike parking with 211 stalls, coworking space, indoor amenity areas, terraces, a club room and a roof deck on the building's southwest corner with around 1,400 square feet.

Vulcan says the construction effort will have the goal of hiring 14% of its subcontractors from women- and minority-owned business enterprises. Likewise, there's a goal of 15% of the labor force coming from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Vulcan secured its master use permit in the fall of 2020. It acquired the land in 2017 for about $7.9 million, as part of a larger three-block deal worth around $21 million.

Runberg Architecture Group previously designed the 194-unit Batik and 237-unit Cypress. Exxel Pacific built those. When Wayfarer is completed, that three-block row will number about 692 units.

Up on the northwest corner of Yesler Terrace, Ankrom Moison Architects is designing two more buildings for Vulcan on Alder Street; those will have around 350 units. That pair hasn't yet entered design review.