Helios (building)

Helios
Helios (building) is located in Seattle WA Downtown
Helios (building)
Location within downtown Seattle
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeResidential
Address204 Pine Street
Seattle, Washington
Coordinates47°36′39″N 122°20′23″W / 47.6108°N 122.3398°W / 47.6108; -122.3398
Construction started2014
Completed2017
Cost$78 million[1]
Height440 feet (130 m)
Technical details
Floor count40
Design and construction
Architecture firmWeber Thompson
GBD Architects
DeveloperEquity Residential
Structural engineerMagnusson Klemencic Associates
Other information
Number of units398 apartments
Parking217 parking stalls
References
[2]

Helios, also known as 2nd & Pine, is a residential skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. The 40-story tower is 440 feet (130 m) tall with 398 luxury apartments.[2] Plans for the project were first proposed in 2013 and construction began in late 2014.[3] It is located at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Pine Street near the Pike Place Market and the city's retail core.

Architects Weber Thompson and GBD Architects, working on the project in a joint venture, described the tower's design as "slender and sculpted". It sits atop a podium, housing 3,000 square feet (280 m2) of retail space, with a terra-cotta facade. The building also includes Zipcar parking spaces, electric vehicle charging stations, bicycle parking, low-energy appliances, and other environmentally-friendly features in a bid to earn a LEED rating.[3][4]

The five-story, 217-stall underground parking garage extends north from the tower's lot to a site that is occupied by a 16-story hotel that opened in 2018.[5]

History

The site at 2nd Avenue and Pine Street was originally proposed for a 240-foot-tall (73 m) residential tower developed by Paul Brenneke and planned to break ground in 2006.[6][7] The tower would include a five-story hotel, an upscale athletic club, or a Saks Fifth Avenue department store.[8]

Brenneke's plans were scrapped after a new downtown zoning ordinance was approved in 2006, and a new, 23-story, $200 million mixed-use highrise named "1 Hotel & Residences" was proposed by Brenneke and Starwood Capital Group. The proposed building would have 98 luxury condominiums and a 110-room hotel as well as four floors of retail at ground level and a luxury gym.[9] The project broke ground in 2007 and was expected to be completed in 2009,[10] but construction was halted in September 2007 because of the then-ongoing financial crisis, and designs were revised to eliminate over 100 proposed condominium units after only 20 of them had been sold.[11] Brenneke sold his stake in the project to Starwood in June 2008, citing the project's financial difficulties.[12] The excavated hole was later filled in 2009 and paved over with a parking lot.[13][14]

The half-block property was bought by Chicago-based Equity Residential in 2012 for $22 million,[15] and the company announced its plans for a 39-story apartment building in January 2013.[16] Construction of the building, led by Turner Construction, began in October 2014 and was completed in 2017.[17]

A 16-story, 229-room hotel on the north side of the lot, facing Stewart Street, was proposed by Widewaters Group and began construction in 2016.[18] It opened in 2018 under Hilton's Charter Hotel brand and includes a rooftop bar.[19] It was sold in 2022 for $107.8 million to a Utah-based company.[20]

References

  1. ^ Rosenberg, Mike (March 10, 2017). "Record construction frenzy sweeps downtown Seattle; more building to come". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Emporis building ID 1239353". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20.
  3. ^ a b "Equity starting 40-story tower with 398 apartments on Pine". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. October 1, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  4. ^ "'Slender, sculpted' tower at 2nd & Pine". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. ^ Levy, Nat (April 14, 2015). "16-story hotel will share site with Equity's 40-story apartment tower". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  6. ^ Bishop, Todd (February 11, 2001). "Developer in talks with Saks on Second Ave. site". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  7. ^ Weber, Blaine (November 10, 2005). "Is Seattle ready to slim down its residential towers?". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  8. ^ Bishop, Todd (April 28, 2002). "Fancy gym may pump up tower plan". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Martinez, Amy (November 14, 2007). "Luxury gym Equinox takes shine to Seattle". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  10. ^ "Another condo project breaks ground in Seattle". Puget Sound Business Journal. June 11, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  11. ^ Pryne, Eric (February 29, 2008). "Downtown Seattle hotel-condo project put on hold". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Pryne, Eric (June 24, 2008). "Developer of stalled 1 Hotel sells out to partner Starwood". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  13. ^ Lang Jones, Jeanne (October 9, 2009). "Starwood says it will fill its Seattle excavation". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  14. ^ Pryne, Eric (October 13, 2009). "Starwood luxury hotel site becomes a parking lot — again". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  15. ^ Lang Jones, Jeanne (August 1, 2012). "Vacant lot next to Macy's garage in Seattle sold for $22M". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  16. ^ Stiles, Marc (January 24, 2013). "39-story apartment tower proposed for Second and Pine in downtown Seattle". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  17. ^ Stiles, Marc (September 30, 2014). "New Pike Place Market neighbor: Luxury 40-story apartment building breaks ground". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  18. ^ "Skanska starting hotel at Second and Stewart". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  19. ^ Vinh, Tan (September 19, 2018). "12 new bars in Seattle and on the Eastside, from a spot in The Spheres to one on a rooftop". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Miller, Brian (October 25, 2022). "Charter Hotel sold to Utah investors". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved April 16, 2023.