Location:Seattle, Washington Developer:Capitol Hill Housing Designer:SMR Architects Size:29,000 square feet (2,700 sq m)
The development of 12th Avenue Arts transformed a 29,000-square-foot (2,700 sq m) surface parking lot into a light-filled cultural center mixing arts, housing, and public-safety needs. The activation of this specific plot of land had been mentioned in two neighborhood plans over the last 12 years as the highest community priority. Active day and night, the space has become a new anchor for the community.
Featuring 88 new affordable apartments for working families and individuals, this development addresses the loss of affordable studio and performance space in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood by providing 20,000 square feet (1,900 sq m) of new cultural space and arts-related commercial space, which includes two professional theaters available for rental use at affordable rates.
The project also provides 115 stalls of secure below-grade parking exclusively for the use of Seattle’s police officers.