SEATTLE | Downtown Projects: Completed, U/C, Proposed/Approved - Page 110

Aleks · #**2181** Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 7:33 AM**

I updated the first post. I hope you guys like it.

mSeattle · #**2182** Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:18 PM**

Nice frontpage update Aleks.

Thank the gods the economy tanked before that hideous 1 Hotel was built. The half-a@$ed make-over of the parking garage is bad enough. Same with 7th & Westlake and "The Martin". And what's with making the buildings shorter because of the market? Are they going to trim the width on them too? Where are the taller skinnier towers?

alexjon · #**2183** Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:40 PM**

Bank of America Tower in NYC just got $1.3bil in a single loan to finish the building and its amenities. Projected, that means in a few months/weeks, we should see further loans rushing out of the gate, so I'm assuming those buildings here where the ink is still wet on planning and permitting should be in the clear.

Thank god 1 Hotel is dead, though.

mSeattle · #**2184** Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 7:41 PM**

^Dried ink... Do we know which ones are totally dead? 1 Hotel/Martin/7th & Westlake (I hope)? Heron/Pagoda?

Aleks · #**2185** Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 8:10 PM**

I kinda liked Hotel 1. Even though it didn't have the best design, it still had an okay one. And it covered up the Macy's parking which is hideous. Although the new facade of the garage looks kinda cool. They need to cover the entire thing and maybe add more advertisements.

Now that I think about it, the whole Pike Place area/Retail district needs something new. I know we might get new residential high-rises and hotels, but shopping-wise everything is the same. They need to start by tearing down Westlake Mall. That 80's looking piece of crap needs to go bad! They just need to redo that whole plaza too. A new monorail station would much be appreciated.

That Abercrombie needs to go too. The plot is big enough for a high-rise. It doesn't have to be 40 stories tall, but a 20 story building would be nice. As well as those buildings in front of 1521. They need to be remodeled or torn down. Those ugly deli's are ruining that area.

And that hideous Bank of America behind Nordstrom's, next to the Westin. That thing needs to go too. And while they're at it someone should remodel the Westin base because it's looking pretty bad. As for the Heron/Pagoda site, make a mall. The Heron/Pagoda base already looks nice, keep it and remove the towers.

That garage in front of Escala, where the Bed Bath & Beyond is located needs to go too.

mSeattle · #**2186** Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 1:09 PM**

^You might be on to something with a new mall at the Heron/Pagoda site, but I don't know if they'll tear down the Westlake Mall building -- there are offices in the tower. They could build the mall portion of H/P with a new or temporary monorail stop then widen the pinch part of the monorail route as it is now near the Westlake station then extend it to the stadiums or even to the Museum of Flight.

Ok, we can dream at least.

I fully agree about the Bank of America building near the Westin. Tear it down or completely and significantly update the facade.

mSeattle · #**2187** Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 1:28 PM**

http://www.djc.com/news/co/11149500.html

Check out this DJC article link. It's from '03 and has a couple of sketches of "sliver" towers. One of the sketches is of a tower that didn't get built by that time. The site is where Westlake Park now sits. The other sketch is of a building a company was planning to develop at the time but didn't as of today.

These would have been predecessors to 5th & Madison. Will we see any more of these or other boutique sliver-size hotels or housing? Could they be the first kind of projects to start up when the economy gets better?

seaskyfan · #**2188** Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleks

I kinda liked Hotel 1. Even though it didn't have the best design, it still had an okay one. And it covered up the Macy's parking which is hideous. Although the new facade of the garage looks kinda cool. They need to cover the entire thing and maybe add more advertisements.

Now that I think about it, the whole Pike Place area/Retail district needs something new. I know we might get new residential high-rises and hotels, but shopping-wise everything is the same. They need to start by tearing down Westlake Mall. That 80's looking piece of crap needs to go bad! They just need to redo that whole plaza too. A new monorail station would much be appreciated.

That Abercrombie needs to go too. The plot is big enough for a high-rise. It doesn't have to be 40 stories tall, but a 20 story building would be nice. As well as those buildings in front of 1521. They need to be remodeled or torn down. Those ugly deli's are ruining that area.

And that hideous Bank of America behind Nordstrom's, next to the Westin. That thing needs to go too. And while they're at it someone should remodel the Westin base because it's looking pretty bad. As for the Heron/Pagoda site, make a mall. The Heron/Pagoda base already looks nice, keep it and remove the towers.

That garage in front of Escala, where the Bed Bath & Beyond is located needs to go too.

There was a tower proposed for the Abercrombie site years ago - I think it was almost impossible to build a tower there because of shading Westlake Park.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**2189** Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 1:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleks

I updated the first post. I hope you guys like it.

Thanks! I had been meaning to do it myself for the past, like, 2 weeks, but laziness and procrastination had taken over.

Aleks · #**2190** Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 2:33 AM**

We need some updates on a few buildings so I can update the "Current Progress" of some buildings.

The entire Westlake complex needs to go. A new office tower and mall are much needed. And I agree on placing the monorail station in a H/P Mall. Extending the line to the stadiums would be pretty sick too. Downtown would look filthy from the monorail. Specially going 5th ave through the main CBD.

Too bad the monorail wasn't extended when the downtown library was built. I bet Koolhas would've designed a filthy station hanging over the street. A stadium station would have to go behind the Seahawks garage, over the train tracks. That's the only place close to the stadiums that I can think of.

Dreaming sucks sometimes. You want it to happen so bad, but not matter how bad you want it, it's won't happen.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**2191** Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 3:14 AM**

Some of those older completed ones you can probably get rid of altogether, like the Chrystalla. Maybe the WaMu (Chase?) tower too.

Aleks · #**2192** Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 9:29 AM**

Yeah, I thought about it. Should I delete everything 2006 and older?

Anyways, here's some updates.

Skyline at First Hill-the glass is looking good. Turned out better than I expected.

1918 and Aspira: Aspira's crane is coming down!

I also added a Parks & Recreation section to the first post. It includes the Seattle Center plan and the South Lake Union Park for now. Any more parks/recreation that is "important" enough to be added?

Oh, and I'd like to add some major transit projects. Light-rail, Viaduct, 520, etc... Would that be too much?

James Bond Agent 007 · #**2193** Posted **Jul 3, 2009, 2:13 AM**

Quote:

Yeah, I thought about it. Should I delete everything 2006 and older?

That would sound about right.

Vashon118 · #**2194** Posted **Jul 6, 2009, 3:27 AM**

1918 8th (06/23):

Aspira (06/23):

(Crane removal - 07/01)

Enso (06/23):

Escala (06/24):

Aleks · #**2195** Posted **Jul 6, 2009, 6:43 AM**

Thanks for the updates!

I see some lights in Escala's balconies! Does anyone know how many condo's have been sold?

Enso is looking great too! It looks pretty original.

Also, I was bored so I made a quick model of a 600 foot twisting tower. It's located in the empty lot next to the Paramount and the 801 Tower. Residential with hotel in bottom floors. The tower appears to lean because the centerpoint where the twisting takes place is close to the thinnest side.

As the tower gets taller, the floors begin twisting to the North.

From Westlake Plaza. The floors begin to cantilever over Pine St.

mSeattle · #**2196** Posted **Jul 6, 2009, 6:36 PM**

Great updates!

I like that drawing of the twisting tower. To not be redundant of other places with single twisting towers I suggest having twin twisters.

Hoodrat · #**2197** Posted **Jul 7, 2009, 12:41 AM**

Nice update, Vashon

Complex01 · #**2198** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 3:29 AM**

Very Kewl updates. I like...

Aleks · #**2199** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 10:10 AM**

1918 8th I love the presence of this giant from I-5 going Southbound. I must say that the Denny Triangle area is looking kinda ugly. Well, not really, but before it "flowed" better. Now there's this big mess of buildings all squeezed together. The area looks packed! Specially since you can see the Retail Core and Market District behind the Denny Triangle. I'd like to see that gap between the WaMu's filled up. It's disrupting the skyline. And another skyscraper behind the Rainier Tower.

Also, I'm not liking West 8th as much as I did before. The all-glass part looks awful imo. The box section of the tower looks great, it looks business-like and modern. But the green glass in the curved part looks cheap. They definitely killed the design.

1918 looks great imo. It kinda helps to off balance the mess since it's elegant and serious.

Aspira looks great! Although I'm kinda worried about the rooftop. I really hope they cover the mechanical equipment/AC. The tower came out better than I expected. I just hope my expectations didn't go too high once I saw progress without seeing the roof.

Skyline is looking good too. It surprised me also. I thought it would be another ugly beige building. But it looks pretty modern. I think I might like it more than Aspira. Too bad it's a granny-building. I bet the views are amazing!

mSeattle · #**2200** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 8:31 PM**

^Hey! Granny's need buildings too.

I feel the complete opposite about West 8th than you do. The glass can stay and the chunky grid part can go. Obviously they weren't going to please both tastes with one design so they gave us each our own side to like.

1918 has decent height (and maybe a "giant" for that area), but I wouldn't call it a real giant. To me, a "giant" has to be above 600' (preferably well above it like 650'+) and Seattle hasn't put up anything that tall in a good while.

Never the less, thanks for the photos!