|
Background
In November 1997, Seattle Cohousing members were approached by
residents of the Jackson Place Community about the possibility of
developing cohousing on a site owned by the city. Over many months,
we had numerous conversations with members of the Jackson Place
Community and have become acquainted with their vision for Hiawatha
Place.
The 3.25 acre site is divided into areas of different zoning, some
suitable for cohousing, and some not. By teaming up with Icon Architecture
Ltd. and their proposal for artist live/work space and market-rate
housing in the parcels we could not utilize, we created a coordinated
vision for the entire available land. This coordination will ensure
integrated design, a shared streetscape, and possibly allow cohousing
residents to have parking in the artist live/work development instead
of consuming valuable open space in the cohousing parcels.
On July 6, 1998 Seattle Cohousing in cooperation with Icon Architecture
Ltd. submitted a proposal to the City of Seattle to purchase this
land. August 4, 1998 Seattle Cohousing was informed that it had
won the competition for this site! We broke ground in July, 2000,
and we moved in between October and December, 2001.
Site Description
One and a half blocks of vacant property in 3 parcels of approximately
3.25 acres (1.25 acres for cohousing), on a sloped hillside, with
some views of downtown and northern Olympics. The site is bordered
by S. Dearborn Street on the north, Davis Place S. on the east,
S. Charles Street on the south, and an alley west of Hiawatha Place
(Hiawatha Place runs through the lower part of the site). The Cedar
River water main runs diagonally across the site NE to SW adding
guaranteed open space.
The Jackson
Place Neighborhood
Hiawatha Place is in the heart of the Jackson Place Community,
centrally located at the intersection of the International District,
First Hill, Rainier Valley, and the Central Area. The Jackson Place
Community Council is a vibrant organization run by resident volunteers
that care deeply about their community. Their vision is to create
an attractive pedestrian-oriented, kid-friendly neighborhood- a
place that people are proud to call home. They have galvanized support
for many improvement projects including a neighborhood tools library,
a traffic calming study, a street light project, and a pea patch.
The JPCC has worked with the city to shape the redevelopment of
Hiawatha Place. They published their vision for the site and actively
sought cohousing communities to submit proposals for development.
Our Development
Team
Architect: Pyatok Associates
Mike Pyatok, an award-winning
architect and professor at UW specializing in affordable housing,
designed our project. Pyatok Associates has designed two cohousing
projects in California and understands the value of incorporating
resident input into the design process. Mike is known for commissioning
local artists to enrich his projects.
Mike is the co-author of the book "Affordable housing that looks
nice".
Development Consultant: Pacific Development Concepts is
a highly respected woman-owned firm specializing in affordable housing
development. Deborah Gooden of PDC also worked with cohousing groups
Ciel (now Duwamish) and Songaia.
Nearby Amenities
Parks: Judkins Playfield and Park 3 blocks away; I-90 Lid
Park one block South along Hiawatha.
Bike Trail: The Mountain-to-Sound bike trail comes through
the Lid Park, along Hiawatha, and turns west on Dearborn.
Transit: Metro bus and easy access to I-90 and I-5.
International District: 4 blocks west, many restaurants
Pioneer Square: 15 blocks west, shopping, many restaurants
and art galleries
Safeco Field and football stadium
Shopping: Just over half a mile to 23rd/Jackson, with grocery
and drug stores, Starbucks, and Hollywood Video.
|