City Has Real Opportunity On The Waterfront

By SCOTT SURDYKE
Special to the Journal

With the completion of the Port of Seattle's Bell Street Pier and Intracorp's Waterfront Landings condominium, 1997 begins a new era of downtown development that will bring about dramatic changes to the Seattle waterfront. With proposals ranging from high tech office parks and a Marriott hotel to a new world-class aquarium, our once-neglected central waterfront is poised to become a dynamic new downtown neighborhood.

Reflecting the worldwide trend of converting industrial urban waterfronts into vibrant mixed used centers, the stretch of

Mixed-use retail and residential would enliven a waterfront pedestrian esplanade.

properties along Elliott Avenue and Alaskan Way may soon see an influx of development activity as commercial, residential and retail users vie for these prime sites.

Recent demand for residential and high tech/biotech office space has fueled the need to change the zoning along the waterfront, but land use policies are still in place that prioritize low-rise industrial development over mixed uses. Unlike what has been done in other cities, the city of Seattle has yet to implement a proactive development strategy that recognizes and addresses the changing demands and uses for its downtown waterfront.

The Northern Waterfront

A region that seems to be generating a lot of interest is Seattle's Northern Waterfront, which stretches north from the Unocal site at Elliott and Western avenues, and includes the cluster of dilapidated or undeveloped sites between Elliott Avenue and the Burlington Northern tracks. Including the Unocal property, there are approximately 25 acres of developable land in this area, including 2,200 linear feet of property with unobstructed views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic mountains. The current zoning, IC-45, encourages industrial or commercial uses, and limits heights to 45 feet, or three to four stories.

The massive Immunex project, which at buildout will include up to 15 buildings, will act as a major catalyst, attracting additional high tech and biotech firms to the Elliott Avenue corridor. Koehler McFadyen's recent announcement of a 317,000-square-foot office park to be built on the Henry Bacon site seems to support this concept. The attraction of these sites fits in with the recent trend of high tech and biotech firms locating in "urban campuses." Amenities such as greenspace and recreation, as well as access to shops, services and a variety of housing are appealing to an increasing number of tenants traditionally found in suburban office parks.

Lake Union seems to be a successful model of a mixed-used waterfront with campus appeal. The restaurants and services of Chandler's Cove are the heart of a growing conglomerate of headquarters for companies such as Zymogenetics, Fred Hutchinson, WRQ and soon Adobe at Quadrant's Lake Union Center in Fremont. Additional hotels and office buildings have been proposed for this neighborhood, which is primarily oriented around the south perimeter of the lake. Residential development in the upland areas has also benefited tremendously from the influx of new development.

In a similar manner, the Northern Waterfront stands to become a prominent new high tech corridor for the region, easily identified by its waterfront location and close proximity to Immunex. Interestingly, the greatest appeal of these sites may also be the amenity that is most out of reach: Myrtle Edwards Park and the waterfront. The stunning views offered by these sites could certainly be enhanced by access to the waterfront, but unfortunately the railroad tracks provide a major obstacle.

There is also a great opportunity for housing along the Northern Waterfront. One of the most sought after amenities in Seattle's downtown housing market is the view of Elliott Bay and the Olympic mountains. The success of recent projects such as Waterfront Landings and Harbor Steps illustrate the high demand for waterfront-oriented residences. Whether it's an unobstructed

Bridges over the tracks would make the park accessible.

view or simply ease of access, the waterfront has proven its appeal to Seattle's growing downtown population. As the residential core of the Denny Regrade expands into the commercially-oriented Elliott Avenue corridor, perhaps here is an area to promote significant mixed-used development.

At First and Cedar, on the western edge of the Denny Regrade, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is proposed a mixed-use development that may serve as a prototype for new development in the waterfront area. The 12-story structure, which is being designed by Loschky, Marquardt & Nesholm, will feature three stories of office space at the base and a nine-story, 136-unit apartment tower above. This mid-rise building represents a departure in scale for large buildings in the Regrade, but it acknowledges the need to accommodate both commercial and view residential on the same site.

The Growth Management Act mandates that our municipalities reevaluate existing urban infill sites in order to accommodate projected growth for the next several decades. Where high-tech tenants tend to cluster into three to four-story, 100,000-square-foot buildings, perhaps zoning could be changed to incorporate and encourage view residential above. Possibilities for a new mixed use district could prove very successful, as waterfront property becomes increasingly scarce.

Myrtle Edwards Park

With changes in zoning would also come the opportunity to reinvent one of the waterfront's greatest amenities: Myrtle Edwards Park. As it exists now, the park only has one entrance (at Pier 70), and it is basically inaccessible to the office buildings and uplands development along Elliott Avenue. In this case, the Burlington Northern railroad has almost completely severed downtown's largest greenspace from the surrounding neighborhoods. If the City were to encourage more connections to the park, similar to how bridges connect the Bell Street Pier with the Denny Regrade, then perhaps the park could finally realize its recreational potential and become an important new focal point and link for new development. In lieu of the Seattle Commons, this existing and underutilized 45-acre greenspace could become the heart of a new downtown community.

Other Northwest cities have successfully integrated their waterfront parks with adjacent neighborhoods. In Portland, RiverPlace is a development that includes residences, a hotel, offices and shops connected by a pedestrian esplanade. The adjacent waterfront park has become a hub of activity, and is a safe place to take an evening stroll. In New Westminster, British Columbia, bridges and connections over the train tracks have allowed substantial residential and commercial development to revitalize the downtown waterfront. In both of those cities, the key to success has been the pedestrian access to the waterfront.

With new connections over the train tracks, Myrtle Edwards Park could become a safe and urbanized place that would serve as a hub of leisure and recreational activity.

Appropriate zoning is the key to a successful downtown neighborhood. Where there is currently low-rise industrial/commercial zoning along Elliott Avenue, there could be a mixed-used overlay district that encourages public amenities such as connections to the park in exchange for height and density bonuses. The cost of overhead connections to the park would be offset by the development bonuses, and the result would be a pleasant network of neighborhood connections to a waterfront greenspace.

The other option, of course, is to not adapt any long range planning efforts or zoning changes along the Northern Waterfront. Like the cluster of office buildings near the P-I building, a wall of low-rise commercial structures would eventually surround the waterfront, with little or no public connections. To tenants and residents, the park would offer views, but not the opportunity of convenient access for recreation. A major opportunity to enhance a downtown

Even large developments don't need to wall off waterfront views and access.

neighborhood would be missed.

Unocal site is the key

The eventual development of the Unocal site will be the key to defining how the Northern Waterfront matures. Demand for office and view residential is high, and this 6.3-acre site is the largest undeveloped site in the downtown area. Coupled with the adjacent parking lot at Elliott Avenue and Broad Street, these two properties encompass 7.5 acres of prime waterfront real estate.

At a moderate density of 140 units per acre, this could result in the development of approximately 1,050 residential units on these two sites alone, equal to one third of all the units built in the downtown area in the last two decades. Existing zoning allows for buildings up to 125 feet in height, and does not require public open space or access through the property.

What this means is that a developer might opt to build a six-and-a-half-acre mass of six to 12-story buildings with privatized interior courtyards. Such a development would visually and physically wall off the entrance to Myrtle Edwards Park and the waterfront from the rest of the Denny Regrade.

With new zoning in place that would allow substantial development bonuses in exchange for the provision of substantial public amenities, the Unocal site could become a new neighborhood center and a gateway to the waterfront.

Similar to the Harbor Steps development, public walkways and piazzas could wind down to Elliott Bay, offering spectacular viewpoints and opportunities for shops and services at street level. Pedestrian connections made at Eagle Street could provide a new corridor that would connect the Seattle Center to the waterfront. Although there may be neighborhood concern over taller buildings being close to the waterfront, the public benefits of having street level shops, preserved view corridors and walkways would far outweigh the perceived "costs" of allowing an additional five to 10 stories of building height.

Finally, there is a great opportunity for the Waterfront Streetcar. A northward expansion of the trolley could change this tourist-oriented rail line into an important waterfront link to the coming RTA system.

Additional connections along the Elliott Avenue corridor, including a possible one at the Immunex campus, would result in Seattle's first venture into Transit Oriented Development (TODs). The promotion of the trolley as a convenient link to the new commuter and light rails could prove quite advantageous in the marketing of these waterfront properties.

Similar to what has happened in Vancouver and Portland, establishment of the Northern Waterfront as a transit-oriented, mixed-use district would reflect the city's commitment to responsible urban infill that uniquely responds to its location and respects the mandate of the Growth Management Act.

Seattle is indeed in the process of rediscovering and redefining its urban waterfront. The continued investment in waterfront projects will help revitalize and improve upon the incredible public amenities that our downtown shoreline offers. A proactive approach taken by the city, in collaboration with the private sector can insure that the Northern Waterfront becomes a successful and diverse downtown neighborhood.

With a strategy that prioritizes public access and a healthy mix of uses, the Seattle waterfront has the capacity to become a symbol of the city's quality of life and commitment to its residents.

Scott Surdyke is a graduate student in Urban Planning at the University of Washington.