How Pacific Northwest apartment architect AXIS/GFA leveraged strategic rezoning for affordable housing project Victory Northgate
Team:
GMD Development – Owner
Emily Thompson
Alex Hutchinson
AXIS/GFA – Architect
Principal in Charge: Radim Blazej
Lead Designer: Aaron Blaha
Job Captain: Andrew Korik
Project Manager: Andrew Kluess
Sierra Construction – General Contractor
Kory Knudson
The 1020 Northgate site was originally conceived as a market-rate mixed-use multifamily development with a previous Caron Architecture client. The site was acquired by GMD Development in 2022. Emily Thompson from GMD Development highlighted the strategic opportunity this project presented, saying, “The investment in affordable housing in Northgate has lagged the significant public investment in transit with the opening of the light rail station, in part due to the lack of sites available for purchase. When presented with the off-market opportunity to acquire this site in Northgate, we immediately knew it was a fantastic location to build needed affordable housing, and are grateful to the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing for their early and strong commitment to this project.”
In response to an acute housing shortage, the City of Seattle declared a housing emergency allowing 100% affordable housing projects to bypass Design Review and proceed directly with a Construction Permit application. While bypassing Design review saves substantial time and cost, after reviewing the apartment yield available within a 55′ height limit, GMD and their non-profit development partner decided to take the project through Administrative Design Review. Obtaining design departures and proceeding with a Contract Rezone added an additional story (ten feet) of height – yielding 32 more 100% affordable units than the 55’ proposal.
Given nearby developments with a taller height limit and this site’s previous consideration for an upzone to a 65′ height limit, the team felt the prudent approach was to proceed with a rezone in order to increase the affordable housing capacity of the site. This approach aligns with regional trends, as illustrated by surrounding developments.
Aerial Rendering of Victory Northgate Affordable Housing Project
With support from city staff, this contract rezone was passed with a 7-0 vote by the full Seattle City Council on November 7th, 2023. Being a 100% affordable housing project, it receives priority review from Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, saving substantial time during the Construction permit comment and response period. With a construction permit application filed in June 2023, the project is already on track to start construction in early 2024.
With extensive experience working together on previous ground-up affordable housing projects, GMD Development and Sierra Construction were able to provide real-time feedback on design alternatives, cost, and constructability issues which allowed the team significant efficiencies during design. Their close engagement with the design team allowed AXIS/GFA to maintain the visual appeal and sophisticated materiality prioritized early in design, even while balancing challenges with complex structural and waterproofing requirements due to site conditions. AXIS/GFA’s proven expertise with the mixed-use multi-family typology in the region, in conjunction with the knowledge of GMD and Sierra, allowed for the streamlined realization of this project.
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AXIS/GFACollaboratively delivering unforgettable architectural design and innovative technical solutions for America’s intrepid multifamily residential and hospitality leaders.
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