(Image: MG2)

There will be a small burst of design review activity around Capitol Hill as summer becomes fall including a project that could be key to the next steps in the long, slow climb of change reshaping E Olive Way. The major project replacing the former curving street’s Coldwell Banker building and three other with an eight-story mixed-use project from Canada-based real estate investment and management company Low Tide Properties is set to take what the project’s backers hope will be its final pass through the public review process this week and onto construction.

The plan for 1661 E Olive Way calls for tearing down the four existing buildings spanning the block between Boylston and Belmont on the south side of Olive. The project area is currently occupied by the former Coldwell Banker building which fronts Olive. It stretches along Boylston/Belmont to include the low-slung office/warehouse buildings and also includes the existing parking lot.

In its place will rise an 8-story building with space for about 160 apartments, about 2,400 square feet of commercial space and 90 underground parking spaces. The proposal calls for the commercial space to be split into two storefronts, with one providing access from Olive and the other from Belmont. Residential access, both for pedestrians and cars, would be on Belmont.

1661 E Olive Way

Land Use Application to allow an 8-story, 164-unit apartment building with retail. Parking for 112 vehicles proposed. Early Design Guidance conducted under 3039688-EG. View Design Proposal  (52 MB)    

CHS reported early last year as rumblings restarted after a massive 2019 real estate deal with Vancouver, Canada-based real estate investment and management company Low Tide Properties paying $21 million for the collection of commercial buildings including the former Fred Wildlife events space.

The project first came before the review board in December 2022. At that meeting, the board had some issues they wanted to project to address. Project architect, Seattle-based MG2, has responded in this filing.

The evolved design calls for a ground level floor that’s pretty much a rectangle, though the side facing Olive is angled to generally mimic the curve of the street. Upper stories are collected into three large boxes, which are rotated a bit off the ground floor axis, creating a series of angles to break up the massing along Boylston and Belmont.

The board wanted the developers to consider the angles they proposed for the rotated sections, in particular, the southern two boxes. The architects responded that the sharpness of the angles are consistent throughout the project. They noted that the planned angles allow for better west-facing views, with one block oriented to better see downtown, while the other gives better views of the Olympic Mountains. The eastern façade, meanwhile, benefits from the rotations pulling mass away from adjacent buildings, avoiding “rigid canyon” effect that a straight wall would create.

(Image: MG2)

(Image: MG2)

The board also encouraged the project team to consider more balconies and other detailing to bring more texture and scale to the upper parts of the building. The project team made efforts to do this, incorporating metal panels to make window panels appear lager and break up the space. Additionally, there will be some balconies placed in the areas between the rotated blocks.

The designers also were able to incorporate a suggestion to increase visibility and transparency along Olive Way. They changed some of the design to create more glass and commercial space along Olive. The curve of the road, coupled with the angle of the building, will allow those businesses to possibly use the sidewalk space and have a more active street.

For the exterior of the building, the board asked that the project look to existing buildings in the area for inspiration in terms of materials and style. In response, the section along Olive will have a lot of brickwork in a color palette that mixes brown with different shades of orange. Metallic details and panels will be dark bronze. Further from Olive, there are plans for white cement fiber panels mixed with copper accent panels and dark grey brick.

After observing how long the building is, the board had raised the possibility of a pedestrian through-way to get from one street to the other without going all the way around the block. However, the steep incline and other factors made it impractical for the developer to include one.

Along both the Boylston and Belmont sides of the building, there are plans for street-level residential units. The designers plan to separate them from the sidewalk with landscaping and low walls to indicate the private spaces. Plans call for the street-level apartments to have direct access from the street, in addition to allowing for internal access.

Resident amenity space will be generally on the ground floor, in addition to the ever-popular roof deck.

Like most projects, the building would need some exceptions – officially called “departures” – from the zoning codes. In this case, they largely revolve around encroaching into required setbacks by a bit here and there.

ALSO ON THE SCHEDULE: 11TH AVE
A project part of what could eventually be a small wave of 11th Ave E development north of Cal Anderson Park is also on the design review schedule this week. The potential final “recommendation” phase review will examine the plan for 228 11th Ave E in a project planned for seven stories and 71 units. The development near the Capitol Hill Station light rail facility is also being planned with no automobile parking.

228 11th Ave E

Land Use Application to allow a 7-story, 71-unit apartment building. No parking proposed. Existing building to be demolished. Early Design Guidance conducted under 3037728-EG. View Design Proposal  (27 MB)    

With a project that started to take shape just as the pandemic began, C&A Development spent $3.3 million on the 1963-built, nine-unit apartment building being demolished to make way for a new project.

The new focus for a design from Atelier Drome Architecture shifts to creating housing hoped to be more affordable to working class renters.

“The goal of this building is to create quality workforce housing that embraces and celebrates its Capitol Hill location,” the review plans read. “This section of Capitol Hill is under-developed considering its proximity to transit (including the nearby light rail station), job opportunities, parks and open areas, and high quality of life.”

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