Wikipedia

WB1200

WB1200, also known as 1200 Stewart, is a future twin skyscraper complex in the Denny Triangle neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The project is located at the intersection of Stewart Street and Denny Way and comprises 1,014 apartments and retail space in two 48-story buildings. The retail space, housed in a three-story podium with an indoor galleria, is planned to feature a music venue and a Boeing 747-400 fuselage. It began construction in 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in 2025—four years later than originally planned.

WB1200
Rendering of the planned WB1200 project
Map
Alternative names1200 Stewart
General information
StatusUnder construction
TypeResidential and retail
Location1200 Stewart Street
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°37′06″N 122°19′54″W / 47.61833°N 122.33167°W / 47.61833; -122.33167
Construction startedMay 2018
Estimated completion2025
Cost$381 million
Height
Architectural484 ft (148 m)
Technical details
Floor count48
Floor area1,400,000 square feet (130,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firmHenriquez Partners Architects
DeveloperWestbank Corporation
Main contractorGraham Construction
Icon West Construction
JTM Construction
Other information
Number of units1,014 apartments
Parking613 spaces
Website
henriquezpartners.com/projects/wb-1200/
References
[1][2]

History

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Planning

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Aerial view of WB1200 during construction in July 2022

The triangular site at 1200 Stewart Street, occupied by a mix of single-story businesses and parking lots also facing Denny Way and Minor Avenue,[3] has been proposed as the site of a residential high-rise since the late 2000s by several developers.[4] Lexas Companies submitted a proposal in 2007 to build a pair of 36-story mixed-use towers with condominiums and a hotel over a retail podium.[4] The project, designed by architect Paul Thoryk, was to include 300 condominiums ranging from studio units to three-bedroom residences, a 250-room hotel, and a large fitness club.[5][6] The tower was also proposed as the home of the College Club of Seattle, which had vacated its former building in Downtown Seattle, but negotiations later fell through.[7]

Lexas had planned to begin construction in 2010, but progress was hindered by the search for a major financial investor amid the economic recession.[8][9] The city government granted a master-use permit to Lexas for the project in 2012 with a four-year expiration date.[4][10] The Westbank Corporation of Vancouver submitted a revised design to the city in September 2015, proposing a pair of 38-story towers with 892 residential units without a hotel.[4] The company purchased the triangular project site for $52.8 million in October and unveiled a "wave-like design" by Henriquez Partners Architects a month later.[11][12] An additional $297 million in financing from an unnamed pension fund was also announced in 2019 by DSC Capital.[13] The project is expected to cost $381 million in total to construct.[14]

Construction

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In September 2016, the city government approved a revised master-use permit for the project, which would comprise two 45-story towers with 1,050 total residential units above a retail podium and 736 parking stalls in an underground garage.[15] The permit was later modified to add four stories of residential units with a $10 million fee paid into the city's mandatory housing affordability fund.[16] Construction began in May 2018 under general contractor Graham Construction; the project was planned to be completed in 2021.[17][18] Graham and Westbank were later accused by subcontractors of failure to pay for labor or supplies; the dispute, along with the COVID-19 pandemic and a regional concrete workers strike, contributed to delays for the project.[19]

Graham stepped down from the project in late 2022 and filed a $50.1 million lien against Westbank.[20][21] Several subcontractors also filed liens against Westbank and Graham for alleged failures to pay for work between 2018 and 2022.[17] Icon West Construction replaced Graham as the main contractor, with construction managed by JTM Construction beginning in early 2023.[21][22] The framework for the Boeing 747 fuselage in the galleria was erected in late 2024. Phased occupancy is scheduled to start in early 2025.[23]

Design

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WB1200 occupies a triangular lot bound to the north by Denny Way, to the east by Yale Avenue, to the south by Stewart Street, and to the west by Minor Avenue. It is located adjacent to Interstate 5 in the northeast corner of the Denny Triangle neighborhood.[18][24] It consists of two 48-story towers with 1,014 residential units above an eight-story podium with 148,700 square feet (13,810 m2) of retail space and amenities.[16] The podium will have a two-story music venue operated by Live Nation, a Trader Joe's grocery store, and other retailers.[16] An indoor galleria within the podium connecting Denny Way and Stewart Street will include a decommissioned Boeing 747-400 fuselage to hang 14 feet (4.3 m) above the walkway and serve as office space for Westbank.[25][26] The fuselage was purchased from a scrapyard in California and was formerly part of the United Airlines fleet from 1990 to 2017.[27]

The residential towers, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, will have sculpted balconies that are shaped into a "wave-like" facade inspired by the Aqua skyscraper in Chicago.[12] The balconies, mainly concentrated on the north side of the towers, will have gardens and trees to create a "sensual form".[28] The residential towers will also have a rooftop patio, a dog park, and a swimming pool.[29] The complex will have 613 total parking stalls in a four-story underground garage accessed from Minor Avenue, with commercial and retail spaces separate from those for residential use.[16][28]

References

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  1. ^ "Westbank 1200 Stewart Tower I". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Body of Work: 1200 Stewart". Westbank Corporation. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  3. ^ Campanario, Gabriel (May 30, 2021). "A slew of skyscrapers in the Denny area is reshaping Seattle's skyline". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "B.C. firm revives an old plan for 2 more towers". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. September 25, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Holden, Dominic (January 24, 2008). "The Erection on Denny". The Stranger. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Porter, Lynn (March 26, 2009). "Lexas sees 2010 start for twin tower project". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  7. ^ Meyer Brahm, Jane (January 27, 2008). "College Club tests member loyalty during lengthy quest for new home". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Lang Jones, Jeanne (July 5, 2009). "Lexas believes condo buyers will show up". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Stiles, Marc (April 2, 2010). "1200 Stewart: Lexas says lenders interested". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  10. ^ Bhatt, Sanjay (June 5, 2014). "Hotels could transform key downtown Seattle corridor". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  11. ^ "Denny Triangle site sold for $53M". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. October 1, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Westbank proposes an Aqua-like wave for 1200 Stewart complex". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. November 13, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  13. ^ Stiles, Marc (February 8, 2019). "Pension money backs Seattle luxury project with $297 million in financing". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Basnet, Neetish (May 12, 2023). "The List: Largest Construction Projects". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  15. ^ Bentley, Kristin (September 8, 2016). "Vancouver, B.C.-based Westbank Receives Approval On 889-Unit Residential Project In Seattle's Denny Triangle". The Registry. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d Miller, Brian (October 24, 2019). "Trader Joe's store to open in Denny Triangle towers". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Dingman, Shane; Younglai, Rachelle; Bula, Frances; Hager, Mike (December 5, 2023). "Real estate developer Westbank faces litigation for Canadian, U.S. projects due to unpaid bills". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Stiles, Marc (May 16, 2018). "Construction starts on 48-story apartment towers in Seattle". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  19. ^ Groover, Heidi (June 10, 2022). "Flashy Seattle high-rise planned with a jet on site faces delays, liens". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  20. ^ Stiles, Marc (September 20, 2022). "Westbank proposes 46-story Seattle tower on church property". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Stiles, Marc (March 30, 2023). "Still unresolved: Westbank, Graham's fight over 2-tower Seattle project". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  22. ^ Stiles, Marc (February 9, 2023). "Seattle condo tower around 80% pre-sold, developer says". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  23. ^ Stiles, Marc (November 18, 2024). "6 years into construction, high-profile Seattle project eyes the finish line". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  24. ^ "1200 Stewart". Henriquez Partners Architects. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  25. ^ Stiles, Marc (February 7, 2020). "Exclusive: Live Nation to open venue in two-tower Seattle development". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  26. ^ Barandy, Kat (March 31, 2022). "A suspended Boeing 747 will host Westbank's new workspaces in Seattle". Designboom. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  27. ^ Groover, Heidi (November 13, 2021). "Boeing 747 to park in Seattle high-rise". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Stiles, Marc (November 16, 2015). "Trees will grow from these curvy, 'sensual' new Seattle skyscrapers". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  29. ^ Craighead, Callie (March 19, 2021). "New Denny Triangle high rise set to be completed this year will feature Boeing 747, Trader Joe's". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
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