A new 3-story mixed-use building is going up at 100 NE 45th St. Demolition of the existing building (a satellite space rented by Seattle Stained Glass) is scheduled to begin this week. The new structure will be a modern Seattle-style box consisting of 4 live/work units and 2 residential townhomes. Roland Development is spearheading the project.
Live/work units are essentially condos stacked on top of a ground floor that is intended to function as a small office or studio. The idea is to attract small business owners to live directly above their licensed and operational business. This type of setup is attractive to telecommuters, solo practitioners, artists, and the like. The reality is more complicated and controversial.
Seattle Stained Glass Forced to Consolidate
Until last spring, Seattle Stained Glass rented the satellite building for their retail operation and classes. Now all of their business is back in the main building next door at 2510 N. 45th St. Despite the forced consolidation, Seattle Stained Glass is committed to providing all of the same retail services, classes, and workshops that used to span between the two buildings.
Live/Work or Just Live?
Development of live/work spaces on commercial blocks is a new trend with dubious results. Ideally, the arrangement creates density, eliminates commutes, and encourages establishment of small businesses in walkable neighborhoods. Think about going full circle to the old days of a shopkeeper living above their store. However, the reality is that nowadays there is no shop. New live/work spaces rarely create a business that are open to the public and oftentimes function only as expensive apartments. Developers like this model because they get to sell commercial space while canceling out the risk of dedicated retail storefronts sitting empty.
In 2011 the City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Sustainability (PLUS) Committee expressed serious concern that many live/work spaces didn’t contain any business at all.
Live-work units must include a business with a business license. However, in a 2011 survey of live-work units my office performed, it was revealed that few units have a valid business license. Most were being used as apartments, generating no business activity that could activate the streets upon which the units were located. Council Connection Blog
45th Street Loses Retail Space
It’s concerning that this development eliminates a commercial retail building along 45th Street. Yes, this project will increase density. Yes, a few people will get a good setup for working from home. But this comes at a price. Interrupting commercial flow along the street is not in the community’s interest. It’s inevitable that 45th Street will face heavy redevelopment as the city grows. However, we should at least expect new buildings on the main drag to include commercial retail space at the sidewalk level.
Thanks Adam. That is some good information. I wouldn’t call the elimination of a small commercial space concerning unless you really liked that building. With the new developments on 45th, we have already seen a big increase in commercial square footage. If every block was fully fronting 45th with a new commercial building it would result in high vacancy IMO and vibrant commercial areas would be diluted IMO.. Stone Way and the western part of 45th have taken a long time to reach stabilized occupancy.
Overall I agree with you, Adam, but in the case of that street and that block, specifically, activation is probably not at risk (Dick’s is right across the street and is a constant source of social activity). That said, a few blocks to the north is the condo building near 50th and 1st Ave that has had a vacant, incomplete “office” fronting the street for who knows how long. That was probably never going to activate that block very much but it stands out for being dormant.
How/why can this be beginning work so fast when Bill the Butcher old building has been in planning stages over 2 years and nothing has developed or when Auto Supply on Stone Way N has been closed 3 years with a development planned? ( yes c re c) ( pickles and Marue the c re c is for you)
To say nothing of Kitaro
I think the occasional complex of live/work units is a good thing. It’s a rare bit of flexibility in our otherwise rigid zoning code, which all too often says that certain spaces must always be used as businesses and others must always be used as homes, and converting from one to the other and back again isn’t always easy (if it’s allowed at all). With these live/work units they’re all set to be used as a storefront for a small business or as living space, whichever the owner at the time feels makes the most sense.
When I lived over in Ballard there were a few of these live/work townhome complexes nearby. This one, for example, has six units along the street, and three of them have publicly-facing businesses operating there (a florist, a consignment shop, and a spa/sauna/massage place).
Adding more parking would be great. 45th street parking is usually tricky.
It does seem difficult for a business owner to move their home and business at the same time because I’m guessing the rent isn’t cheap and starting a business or moving to a new location is risky.
We don’t have enough parking as it is for those who truly need it ? Many they need to increase the intensity of the existing policy setting aside reserved parking spaces for folks who have no other options, like the neighbor-parking zones.
It sounds like live-work units are now required to be valid businesses. According to SMC 23.47A.008:
“Each live-work unit must include an exterior sign with the name of the business associated with the live-work unit. Such signage shall be clearly associated with the unit and visible to pedestrians outside of the building.
The owner of each live-work unit must keep a copy of the current business license
associated with the business located in that unit on file.”
Has anyone tried to drive down 50th in middle of day? WOW it is a no go and a slow go 3 different areas. Welcome more growth. ( c re c for dill)
This is the reason I said growth should be in Wallingford instead of Ballard. Wallingford is a much more central location. With high density in Ballard instead of Wallingford, people have to travel long just to get to the highway. That’s why 50th is always so busy. Green Lake makes it worse since people west of that have to go around it, with 50th the main street right south of it.
It would have been much better if we swap Ballard with east Wallingford.
and they all lived in little boxes and the boxes looked the same
It’s not quite East Berlin, now…