August 27, 2026

Harborview's proposed Yesler Terrace building gains detail

Renderings via Perkins&Will [enlarge]

Portions of the garage above grade could have a decorative screen.

Sept. 23 is the tentative date for the first design review presentation from Harborview and Perkins&Will for a new medical office building planned on the Yesler Terrace campus. That's the smaller south project, at 755 Alder St., not to be confused with the larger north expansion project on the existing Harborview campus.

The bare Yesler Terrace site had once been owned by Kaiser Permanente, which sold those 1.6 acres to King County in 2024. The county and Harborview subsequently selected Perkins&Will and Mortenson as the design/build team for both projects.

Now we have a massing study and updated numbers for the south project, on the sloping corner of Ninth Avenue. A phased plan would first excavate the large parking garage, with 640 stalls on six mostly underground levels, to encompass about 295,948 square feet. That's a lot of concrete. Portions of the garage above grade could have a decorative screen.

[enlarge]

The seven-story medical office building would span about 226,000 square feet.

Phase II would be the seven-story building, to span about 226,000 square feet. There's no hint yet as to a possible schedule. The plan entered review with a nominal value of $121 million — which seems low. (Bond financing will be employed for both the north and south projects.)

A generous pocket park is planned on the building's south side, atop the loading dock and garage entry. Some sort of public art is also planned there. LEED Platinum certification will be sought for the project, currently dubbed 9th & Alder.

Site Workshop is newly listed as the landscape architect, working with KPFF, the civil engineering.