May 28, 2025

Community Roots completes $33M renovation of Belltown apartments

Photo by Brian Miller [enlarge]

The Devonshire is pictured last week.

The ribbon will be snipped June 4 to celebrate Community Roots Housing's renovation of the historic Devonshire apartments in Belltown.

The project has preserved and upgraded 62 affordable apartment homes at 420 Wall St.

Community Roots has owned and operated the apartments for over three decades. Work began on the renovation in the fall of 2023.

The $33 million gut rehab has fully restored the three-story, 1920s brick building to extend the life of the historic structure and bring its apartment homes up to code. The building received all new windows, exterior wall insulation, roof insulation, and energy recovery ventilators to provide a healthier interior air environment for residents.

Seismic upgrades and a new sprinkler system were also installed, along with additional building-wide safety systems. The entire building was outfitted with all new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Each apartment now features LED lighting, new appliances, high-performance glass, new doors, and completely new kitchen appliance, cabinetry, and bathroom fixtures.

The general contractor for the project was Buchanan General Contracting. The architect was Osborn Architects.

The Devonshire is now more energy-efficient, and street noise has been dramatically reduced.

The work was funded through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program and $11 million from the Seattle Office of Housing. Heritage Bank provided construction financing.

Apartments at the Devonshire are affordable to families and individuals earning 50% to 60% of the area median income. Current rents range from $1,050 for a studio, to just over $1,380 for a one-bedroom apartment. As of today, all units are occupied or have pending applications.

“Community Roots Housing is committed to increasing access to affordable housing, and that includes the preservation and renovation of existing buildings,” Christopher Persons, Community Roots CEO, shared in a press release.

In the past decade, the public development authority has renovated 447 apartments in 14 buildings.

Community Roots also develops and operates new affordable housing buildings. New developments currently under construction include the 232-unit Northgate Affordable Housing, which broke ground in December 2023 and is anticipated to be completed by the end of year. Community Roots is partnered with Bridge Housing on that project.

On Capitol Hill, Community Roots has partnered with Youth Care on the Constellation Center & Apartments at 1534 Broadway. This project will create 84 new affordable apartments, including 15 units for youth exiting homelessness. The building will also feature three floors for a new YouthCare education and employment resource hub, called the Constellation Center. The project includes a rebuild of the historic 1906 Booth Building, which was demolished in January when the project broke ground.