Gaping hole. That’s what Seattle Civic Square was for many years. Now, let’s talk about the intriguing story behind this downtown Seattle location.
Seattle Civic Square is planned as a 57-story skyscraper. It will stand 629 feet tall. The high-rise is near Seattle City Hall and the Seattle Civic Center. Imagine 520 condominiums and amenity spaces. A public plaza at ground level is planned with retail spaces.
The project was proposed in 2007. It faced political and financial delays. Several redesigns occurred with different developers. Bosa Development is now set to build it. It is expected to open in 2026.
The skyscraper sits next to the Pioneer Square station entrance. This station serves Seattle’s Link light rail network. The site is at 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street. It was once home to the Public Safety Building. That building was demolished in 2005.
A 43-story residential and office tower got approval in 2009. It was named Seattle Civic Square. Triad Development led the project. Foster + Partners and GGLO were the design team. The original plan had retail, offices, and residences. A 30000-square-foot public plaza was also included.
The Civic Square project stalled during the Great Recession. Developers sought financing or a tenant. In 2015, Mayor Ed Murray didn’t renew the contract with Triad Development. An employee of Triad was accused of coercing a Seattle City Council candidate. The coercion involved settling a lawsuit. The lawsuit was with the Tenants Union of Washington. It concerned the project’s construction permit renewal.
Another tenant group sued the city and Triad. They alleged special treatment for the project. The suit settled in October 2015. Triad paid 5.5 million dollars into a housing affordability fund. This payment was contingent on the project being built. Touchstone Development took over Triad’s interest in March 2016. They began looking for tenants and financing.
In May 2016, Mayor Murray announced Touchstone would not continue. They failed to secure financing and tenants within 60 days. On October 28, 2016, Mayor Murray announced Bosa Development would take over. Bosa would pay into an equitable development fund and affordable housing.
The project required design approval. Construction could begin as early as 2018. Bosa would pay 16 million dollars. This was to build a new condominium tower with a new design. They would also contribute 5.7 million dollars to an affordable housing fund.
In 2017, Bosa revealed their new proposal. James K.M. Cheng designed it. There was no office space in this plan. The proposal featured a curving 58-story building. It included 423 condominiums and 586 parking stalls. The design underwent repeated changes during the review process.
The project site and development rights were sold to Bosa in December 2019. As of October 2020, a land-use permit had not been granted. The shoring and excavation permit was issued in March 2022. Bosa announced construction would start the following month. The tower was planned to open by 2026. In July, Bosa paused construction. They cited price escalations and a volatile market.
Seattle Civic Square’s journey has been long and complex. The future holds promise for a vibrant addition to Seattle’s skyline.