Emerald Bay Equity has broken ground on the Seven Hills development at 1919 Queen Anne Ave. N., beginning with the tearing down of two existing structures long standing vacant in anticipation of the project.

The much-delayed project is the third piece of the four-part mixed-use retail/residential development group on the top of the hill called The Commons, which includes the finished Sweetbrier and Eden Hill buildings next door and down the block from the Seven Hills site, and the forthcoming Met Market redevelopment directly across the street.

Just last week Emerald Bay Equity, which had been attempting to sell all four properties in The Commons since April 2010, opted to break up the group and sold the completed Sweetbrier and Eden Hill buildings to affiliates of RREFF, a real-estate subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, for $44 million.

Despite the sale, Emerald Bay Equity has continued construction plans with the remaining two developments, securing approval from the Department of Planning and Development to move forward with the Seven Hills project back in May, with plans to begin construction last month. The Met Market redevelopment project is expected to break ground in 2012.

The completed Seven Hills development will be a four-story mixed-use building with 57 residential units, 8,180 square feet of ground-level retail and underground parking for 68 vehicles. For more information on this project, take a look at the DPD’s decision here (.pdf), the design review proposal here (.pdf), and our past coverage.

Emerald Bay Equity recently made changes to a submitted land use application for the mixed-use project on the site of the Metropolitan Market.

As we reported earlier this month, the land use application for the final of four mixed-use projects EBE is planning on the hill would allow a four-story, 112 unit residential building above retail units with parking below ground at 1900 Queen Anne Ave. N. The change in the application calls for 45,120 square feet of retail distributed at ground and below-ground level. The original application planned for 30,000 square feet of retail at just ground level.

The project is expected to begin sometime in 2012, said Emerald Bay Equity principal Joe Geivett earlier this month.

The public comment period has been extended to June 1. Information and instructions on public comments for Department of Planning and Development land use applications can be found here, and you can submit comments on this project directly here.

The Department of Planning and Development approved the land use application for the Seattle Center‘s Chihuly glass art exhibit last week.

The exhibit is slated to be built just west of the Space Needle on the site of the Fun Forest pavilion. The plan calls for a glass atrium of about 5,600 square feet to be constructed on the east side of the pavilion, according to the DPD decision. The building will also be renovated to add about 3,350 square feet of floor area for retail and lobby space, and about 250 square feet for an entry vestibule. In addition, a garden and walkways will be constructed in the exhibit’s accompanying outdoor spaces.

This closely follows last month’s approval of a lease agreement to bring the Chihuly glass art exhibit by the Seattle City Council.

The application was approved on the condition that construction activities other than that taking place within enclosed floors will be limited to non-holiday weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to reduce the noise impact of construction on nearby properties.

The environmental impacts of the proposal were previously stated in the Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Statement Seattle Center Master Plan released February 17.

Any appeals of this decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than May 19. For instructions on how to appeal a land use decision, visit this DPD web page.

Another mixed-use residential/retail building is in the planning stages for Lower Queen Anne, at 101 John Street. The proposed six-story development would include 25 residential unites and ground level retail/commercial space.

The development is adjacent to the Fiona Apartments, located on the same site. The site, at the corner of John Street and 1st Ave N, is currently the home of Rice ‘n Spice Thai and another building, both of which would be torn down to make way for the project.

The Department of Planning and Development has scheduled an early design guidance meeting on the plan for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16 at the Queen Anne Community Center (1901 1st Ave W, Room 3). From DPD:

The applicants have applied for Design Review related to development of this site.  At the early design guidance meeting, the applicants will present information about the site and vicinity.  The public may offer comments regarding the design and siting of a development on the subject site; and the Design Review Board members will also offer comments and identify those Citywide Design Guidelines of highest priority in developing the site.

For more information regarding this project application and the design review process, contact land use planner Lisa Rutzick at (206) 386-9049.

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development is holding a design review meeting for the Seven Hills development at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, January 19 in at the Queen Anne Community Center, located at 1901 1st Ave W, Room 3.

Artist rendering of Seven Hills project courtesy of Emerald Bay Equity.

For those of you unfamiliar with the project, Seven Hills is the third of four mixed-use projects developer Emerald Bay Equity has slated for 2.1 acres of property (referred to as “The Collection”) at the top of Queen Anne hill. The first two developments—the Sweetbrier and Eden Hills mixed-use residential/retail buildings—are already finished and housing a number of retail and residential tenants along Queen Anne Ave N.

EDE plans to break ground on the Seven Hills development, located at 1919 Queen Anne Ave, in the first quarter of this year. The developer had originally planned for the project to house medical offices above the ground-level retail, but opted to change out the office space for residential apartments due to the economic downturn.

The public meeting tonight will serve as a forum for members of the Queen Anne community to discuss the new development plans with EBE representatives, and voice any questions or concerns they may have.

If you’d like to read through the design review proposal before the meeting, you can download the 25-page document here (.pdf).

Umpqua Bank is opening up a new location at the old Blockbuster building, at 1630 Queen Anne Ave N, which has been empty for over a year since the movie rental chain vacated its branch at the top of the hill.

After hearing rumors circulating that Umpqua would be opening up a new branch in Upper Queen Anne (calls and emails to Umpqua representatives over the past few months all went unanswered), we can now confirm that the bank is in fact moving into the former Blockbuster location. In December the bank applied for a construction permit with the Department of Planning and Development to make some minor changes to the retail building, which will also house offices under its new tenancy. Construction began this month.

The bank has not yet announced when it plans to open its new Queen Anne branch. We’ll keep you posted as we hear more. Currently the closest Upmqua outpost to Queen Anne is in South Lake Union, at 315 Westlake Avenue.

Thanks for reader Lincoln for the DPD tip!

A project on top of Queen Anne that was first planned as a mix of retail and medical offices will now officially become apartments instead.  The site at 1919 Queen Anne Ave across the street from Metropolitan Market has just changed its land use application.  The four story building will now include 57 apartments over 8100 square feet of retail space.  There will also be underground parking for 68 cars. 

The property owned by Emerald Bay Equity is part of a chunk of land at the top of Queen Anne that has been in limbo for several years.  In fact, we told you about Emerald Bay’s plan to sell some of the property earlier this past spring.  Joe Geivett with Emerald Bay tells us he’ll be talking with community groups in the next few weeks about the new plan for the site at 1919 Queen Anne Ave.  The public can submit comments to the city until August 29.

The Department of Planning and Development has set a Design Review Board meeting for next month to make a recommendation on a proposed seven-story apartment building at 151 John St. The project would have 41-units and 24 parking spaces located both at and below grade. The DRB meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3, at the Queen Anne Community Center, located at 1901 First Ave W, in Room 3. The applicant asked for the meeting, where they will present information about the proposed building design. The public is invited to comment on the proposal, after which the DRB members will offer a recommendation to the Director of DPD. For more information click here.

The Department of Planning and Development is asking for public comment on a project that would link the edge of Lower Queen Anne to the waterfront via a pedestrian and bicycle overpass. The proposed overpass would be 10 feet wide and 932 feet long, beginning on the western side of 3rd Ave W, crossing Elliott Ave W, continuing along W Thomas St to the Burlington Northern Railway, and then south down a ramp to Myrtle Edwards Park.

This photo, provided by DPD for illustrative purpose, depicts the general path the overpass would take. The public are asked to submit comments on this proposal, which will be accepted through Tuesday, March 9. For more information or to comment on the project, click here.

This project is being run through SDOT. I’m still waiting to hear back from them on the details of the project, and will post an update soon.

The BYOB Winery, which stands for Blend Your Own Bottle/Barrel (depending on how thirsty you are), opened along the Ship Canal at 198 Nickerson St in the fall, offering patrons the opportunity to create their own wines from scratch at Seattle’s first “custom-crush winery.”

The 20,000 square-foot space currently houses a custom-crush facility, a microdistillery, air-conditioned storage bays, and a large area slated to become a restaurant down the line. Although plans are still in the works, owner and winemaker Mike Almquist tell us that they hope to open the restaurant, in connection with the winery, as soon as they get their “funding in place.” In the meantime, they’ve put in an application to the Department of Planing and Development to build a 390 square foot deck addition to the space that would supply outdoor seating overlooking the canal.

The city is accepting public comment on the application through Tuesday, February 23. To read up on the application or make a comment to the city, click here.

For over a year the Lake Union Opportunity Alliance has been fighting proposals from the city to raise allowable building heights to 300 feet between Denny Way and the South Lake Union waterfront. Currently the height limits are 125 feet along Denny and 40 feet at the waterfront. If these heights were to be raised, many say it would significantly alter the live-ability of the still young South Lake Union neighborhood and block lake views for those living on the facing hillsides in Queen Anne and Capitol Hill.

Anyone invested in the future of South Lake Union, or the views of the lake from Queen Anne, is encouraged to attend a public meeting on Tuesday, January 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Seattle Unity Church Fellowship Hall, located at 200 8^th Ave N, to review and comment on the revised Environmental Impact Study alternatives and voice their opinions on the development of South Lake Union.

At the meeting the city will present the draft design framework for the development of South Lake Union for the public to comment on (download PDF copy here). The Department of Planning and Development will also discuss the revised height and density Environmental Impact Study reports (download PDF copy here), and will answer any questions the public may have about the study and rezoning process.

LUOA, which represents 500 South Lake Union residents, believes that all three EIS alternatives provide excessively high building heights that would hinder the neighborhood’s growth, arguing that the first alternative, which allows for 300 foot towers along the waterfront of South Lake Union, would ruin the pedestrian experience in the area in addition to blocking views in nearby neighborhoods. LUOA says that views of the Space Needle would be blocked for many living in South Lake Union, while views of the lake would be blocked for many living on the east and south slopes of Queen Anne. The Capitol Hill Times reported last week that higher towers on South Lake Union would significantly block views from the west side of Capitol Hill.

According to LUOA board member Diane Masson, many living in Queen Anne who would be affected by the zoning changes have not even heard about the issue yet. Which is why, she says, it is so important for Queen Anne and South Lake Union residents to attend Tuesday’s meeting, voice their opinions, and send an email or letter to Mayor Mike McGinn.

LUOA is working to ensure that the final rezoning recommendation include the following:

Responsible, measured density growth that preserves the character of the neighborhood, provides for housing, income diversity and local businesses.

Step down in height across the South Lake Union basin from 240 ft at Denny Way to 40 ft at the Lake to preserve views of the Space Needle and Lake for all.

No increase in current height allowed for commercial buildings.

Tower spacing above 85 ft no less than 150 ft.

Limit podium heights to 20-40 ft.

Complete the Concurrency Plan for public amenities before rezone is approved, including community center, branch library, public school location, transportation and parking.

Provided for parks and open space to meet the Seattle Comprehensive plan of 1 acre of parks or open space per 1000 residents.

Maintain current zoning in all of the Cascade Neighborhood, including to Fairview Avenue.

Protect View Corridors toward Lake Union on Westlake, Terry and Fairview Avenues.

Although the meeting tomorrow will cover the EIS alternatives, the issue of development in South Lake Union is two-fold: Two weeks ago, the city approved a Land Use Amendment that allows building heights of up to 120 feet, plus an additional 15 feet of rooftop mechanical equipment, in the area zoned for Phase III of the UW Medical Campus. (Read what Councilmember Tim Burgess, who voted for the Amendment, has to say here. Read LUOA’s opinion here.)

To read up on the plans for South Lake Union click here, or contact Jim Holmes at jim.holmes@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8372.

In response to budget cuts across the board, many city departments have been required to take ten unpaid furlough days in 2010, including the Department of Planning and Development, the Department of Neighborhoods and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Below are the scheduled furlough dates for each department and what will be affected.

Department of Neighborhoods/Service Centers:

Furlough dates: Tuesday, January 19; Tuesday, February 16; Monday March 15; Monday, April 12; Tuesday, June 1; Tuesday, July 6; Monday, August 9; Tuesday, September 7; Monday, October 11 and Monday, December 27.

Department of Parks and Recreation:

Parks and Rec will be operating two schedules in order to accommodate the needs of its many community centers, pools, learning centers, other facilities and park maintenance schedules. Schedule A will encompass parks grounds and maintenance staff, community center staff (excluding those child care and lane night programs), indoor pools, small craft facilities, environmental learning centers, lifelong recreation, most management and administrative staff, the Amy Lee Tennis Center and the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Schedule B will include the Superintendent’s Office, Planning and Development staff, Magnuson Park staff and Youth Violence Prevention Initiative staff. For more details on these two schedules, see the official press release (.pdf).

Schedule A:                                                   Schedule B:

Fri., Jan. 15                                                   Tue., Jan. 19

Fri., Feb. 12                                                   Tue., Feb. 16

Fri., March 12                                                Mon., March 15

Fri., April 9                                                    Mon., April 12

Fri., May 7                                                     Mon., May 10

Fri., May 28                                                   Tue., June 1

Fri., September 10                                         Mon., September 13

Fri., October 8                                               Mon., October 11

Fri., November 12                                         Monday, Nov. 15

Thu., December 23                                       Mon., December 27

Department of Planning and Development:

Furlough dates: Friday, January 15; Friday, February 12; Friday, March 12; Friday, April 9; Friday, May 28; Friday, July 2; Friday, August 6; Friday, September 3; Friday, October 8; Thursday, December 23.

Planning and Development outlined the reasoning behind their furlough dates – almost all Fridays – here (.pdf). They wrote,

The decision to close instead of remaining open at significantly reduced staffing levels was based on the department’s customer service objectives and in recognition of the range of resources needed to provide its services.

The director of the Department of Planning and Development has recommended the city hold a public hearing on a proposed mixed use apartment and retail building in Uptown that would require the rezoning of three pieces or property at 100 Republican St. between 1st Ave N and Warren Ave N. The  six-story building would have 17,725 sq. ft. of ground-level retail space facing 1st Ave N and Republican, 265-275 apartments above and at ground level on Warren Ave, and 291-vehicle parking.

Currently this area is zoned NC3-40 (Neighborhood Commercial 3 with a 40-foot base height limit) and NC3P-40 (Pedestrian designated zone), but the building would require rezoning and raising the height limitations to to NC3-65 (Neighborhood Commercial 3 with a 65-foot base height limit) and NC3P-65. The proposal also includes plans to vacate approximately 3,840 sq. ft. of the platted alley, amounting to about half of the alley length, and rededicate 2,880 sq. ft. in another location.

Back in March ten members of the public attended the Early Design Guidance meeting, and had many concerns including noise, access to commercial parking around Seattle Center and Uptown’s business district, safety of the remaining alleyway, as well as congestion and maneuverability of large trucks and fire engines in the alleyway. In a Design Review Recommendation meeting held in July, concerns of the shadowing effect on buildings to the north was brought up. A full project analysis and recommendation by the Director of the Department of Planning and Development was put together. You can download and review that here.

A hearing to take public comment from the community on the Director’s recommendation will be held on Tuesday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the Office of the Hearing Examiner, located at 700 5th Avenue, Suite 4000. Written comments will also be accepted until the close of the hearing. Information on how to make a written comment here.

The Department of Planning and Development is asking the Queen Anne community to give public comment on a land use application that would demolish three commercial structures, totally 76,727 sq. ft., on 1207 Westlake Ave N, an area that is classified as “environmentally critical.” According to DPD, this may be the only opportunity community members have to weigh in on the environmental impacts of the proposal. To read up on the application or make a public comment, click here. Comments can be made online though Wednesday, January 6.