By Jack Stubbs
On Monday, June 25th, a 77-unit development planned for Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood was approved at a design review recommendation meeting. At the meeting, project applicant Ankrom Moisan presented updated plans to the board on behalf of Roosevelt Development Group, the project developer. Karen Keist Landscape Architects and Decker Consulting Engineers are also on the team for the project, which was originally reviewed at an Early Design Guidance (EDG) meeting in May 2017.
The 7-story development, located at 1309 NE 66th St. adjacent to Roosevelt High School and several blocks north of Ravenna Park, will include 77 units and 38 below-grade parking stalls, as well as a resident lobby, amenity spaces and a roof deck. The project is also just three blocks from a planned light rail station in the Roosevelt neighborhood, which is scheduled to open in 2021.
At the meeting, the applicant discussed the neighborhood context around the site and the primary changes that had been made to the design plans since the previous EDG meeting.
According to Wendy Shark, public relations specialist with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, the board’s discussion focused on how the exterior design of the building had progressed since the last EDG meeting.
Specifically, the board emphasized its desire to see the applicant team work on creating a project that was further differentiated from other developments in the surrounding neighborhood. The board appreciated the repeating bays along 66th St. and requested these be highlighted and more successfully articulated by reducing the heavy frame that grouped each bay. The board also recommended the applicant use the proposed materials presented in a more cohesive manner and urged for a more simple and unified expression.
Additionally, the board stated that they would want to see a more detailed garage door design that used a different color or material to enhance the design at the pedestrian scale along the streetscape, and also approved the applicant’s requested departures. The board ultimately decided to advance the project with a vote of three to one.
