3rd & Cherry

3rd & Cherry
Cleared site for Civic Square, seen in 2016 with Seattle City Hall in the background
Location within downtown Seattle
Former names	Seattle Civic Square
General information
Status	Proposed
Location	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Address	601 Fourth Avenue
Coordinates	47.6034°N 122.3312°W / 47.6034; -122.3312
Height
Roof	629 feet (192 m)[1]
Technical details
Floor count	57[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)	James K.M. Cheng
Developer	Bosa Development

3rd & Cherry, formerly Seattle Civic Square, is a planned 629-foot (192 m) tall, 57-story skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The residential high-rise, located near Seattle City Hall and the Seattle Civic Center, will have 520 condominiums and amenity spaces, including a public plaza at ground level and retail spaces.[1] It was originally proposed in 2007 but has been delayed due to political and financial issues, undergoing several redesigns under various developers. It is set to be built by Bosa Development and open in 2026. The skyscraper is located right next to an entrance to the Pioneer Square station on Seattle's Link light rail network.

Triad proposal

The site, at 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street, was formerly home to the Public Safety Building, which was demolished in 2005.[2] A 43-story residential and office tower, named the Seattle Civic Square, was approved in 2009, with developer Triad Development and a design team led by Foster + Partners and GGLO.[3] The original building plan included space for retail, offices, and residences, as well as a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m^2) public plaza.[4][5] The Civic Square project was put on hold during the Great Recession as the developers search for financing or a tenant.[6]

In late 2015, Mayor Ed Murray announced he would not renew the contract with Triad Development after an employee of Triad's was accused of coercing Seattle City Council candidate Jonathan Grant into settling a lawsuit with the Tenants Union of Washington over the renewal of the project's construction permit.[7] A different group of displaced tenants filed a suit against the city and Triad, alleging special treatment from the city for the project; the suit was settled in October 2015, with Triad paying $5.5 million into a housing affordability fund if the project is built.[8] Touchstone Development was granted Triad's interest in the project in March 2016, and began searching for possible tenants and financing.[9]

Bosa proposal

In May 2016, Mayor Ed Murray announced that Touchstone would not continue developing the project, having failed to secure financing and tenants within the 60-day deadline.[10] On October 28, 2016, Mayor Murray announced that Bosa Development would take over the contract and develop the building, paying into an equitable development fund and affordable housing. The project would be subject to design approval and could begin construction as early as 2018.[11] Under the new deal, Bosa would pay $16 million to build a new condominium tower (with a new design) on the property, and contribute $5.7 million to an affordable housing fund.[12][13]

In 2017, Bosa unveiled their new proposal, designed by James K.M. Cheng, with no office space.[1] The proposal, for a curving 58-story building with 423 condominiums and 586 parking stalls, went through repeated design changes during the review process.[14][15] The project site and development rights were sold to Bosa in December 2019, but the project has not been granted a land-use permit as of October 2020^[update].[16][17]

The shoring and excavation permit for the project was issued in March 2022 and Bosa announced that it would begin construction the following month. The tower was planned to open by 2026.[18] In July, Bosa announced a pause in construction due to "price escalations" and a volatile market.[19]

See also

• List of tallest buildings in Seattle

References

1. Miller, Brian (October 31, 2017). "Here's Bosa's Civic Square design, with 520 condos, retail and plazas". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
2. Chan, Sharon Pian (December 12, 2007). "Seattle envisions new Civic Square". The Seattle Times.
3. "Application No. 3007149" (PDF). City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development. October 22, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
4. Spratt, Gerry (October 22, 2009). "Downtown Civic Square project gets approval". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
5. "Design Evolution of Civic Square" (PDF). City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development. October 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
6. Levy, Nat (November 8, 2012). "Real Estate Buzz: It's a frothy time for selling big buildings". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
7. Beekman, Daniel (October 12, 2015). "Seattle council candidate alleges shakedown by developer". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
8. Herz, Ansel (October 28, 2015). "Triad Development Reaches $5.7 Million Settlement with Tenants Over Troubled Downtown Civic Square Project". The Stranger. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
9. Stiles, Marc (March 14, 2016). "The long-stalled $400M Civic Square project has a new driver: Touchstone". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
10. Stiles, Marc (May 12, 2016). "Touchstone takes a pass on Civic Square project". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
11. "Mayor Murray Directs Negotiation of Civic Square Deal, Proceeds to Fund Equitable Development and Affordable Housing" (Press release). Office of the Mayor. October 28, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
12. Young, Bob (October 28, 2016). "Murray unveils new redevelop deal for block opposite City Hall". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
13. Sullivan, Jennifer (October 28, 2016). "Mayor Murray Announces Plan for Seattle's Civic Square Project". KOMO News. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
14. Miller, Brian (March 15, 2019). "Bosa's 3rd & Cherry condo tower faces third design review". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
15. Hall, Meghan; Bosanac, Vladimir (April 8, 2019). "Seattle Design Review Board Fumbles Through Denial of Bosa's 423-Unit 3rd & Cherry Project". The Registry. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
16. Beekman, Daniel (January 5, 2020). "Seattle finally sells vacant block across from City Hall to developer planning tower, public plaza". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
17. Miller, Brian (October 16, 2020). "Bosa gets DNS for 58-story condo that would fill old Civic Square pit". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
18. Groover, Heidi (March 16, 2022). "Developer says construction will start next month at long-vacant pit across from Seattle City Hall". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
19. Groover, Heidi (July 22, 2022). "Long-delayed project across from Seattle City Hall on hold once again". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 25, 2022.