New Seven-Story Mixed-Use Residential Community Within Midtown Square Project Features 432 Mixed-Income Apartments Including 130 Affordable Housing Units; Demand High as Nearly 25 Percent of Apartment Homes Secured
Project’s Public Plaza to Include Local Art Celebrating Central District’s African-American Legacy; 28K+ SF of Retail Prioritizes Local, Minority Owned Small Businesses
Seattle, Wash. – Lake Union Partners (LUP), a local urban real estate firm specializing in residential mixed-use and commercial projects across Seattle, along with partner HAL Real Estate, is now pre-leasing apartment homes and commercial shops at its new Midtown Square project in Seattle’s Central District surrounded by a public square.
Located on the historic corner of 23rd Ave & E Union St, the unique seven-story multi-family building within LUP’s soon-to-open Midtown Square development features 432 mixed-income apartments—including 157 studios, 216 one-bedroom, 51 two-bedrooms, and eight row houses—with 130 affordable housing units, including both the City of Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) and Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) programs. Since pre-leasing recently began this fall, demand has been high with more than 100 apartment homes already leased.
“Throughout this project we’ve worked to connect with the Central District neighborhood, to do good work with the design plus placemaking, and to include the local community in all phases of the development,” said Cait Carew, Principal at Lake Union Partners. “As Midtown Square nears completion, we’re excited to have a building that the residents of the Central District played a role in creating and are pleased to be offering new homes that make high-quality apartment living in the Central area of Seattle more attainable.”
The full-city block project made history in 2017 when the project team announced they would sell 20 percent of the site to local non-profits Forterra, Community Roots Housing and Africatown Community Land Trust to help encourage Black ownership in the neighborhood. Africatown and Community Roots Housing plans to use their portion of the project at 23rd & Spring to prioritize construction of additional affordable apartment homes and new ground-level retail.
Combined, nearly 50 percent (or 280 units) of the housing in the full-block development will be affordable to people earning between 50-85 percent of area median income.
Artwork from Local BIPOC Artists and Black-Owned Small Businesses
In addition to residential units, the Midtown Square project also features 28,000 sq. ft. of ground-level commercial retail leased primarily to local, minority-owned BIPOC businesses. The new public square and project exteriors showcase a robust collection from local artists as one of the largest privately-run public arts projects in the Pacific Northwest—including art installations, steel panels and murals centered around a theme of “Reverence and Discovery.” The Midtown Square art program was overseen by Central District native Vivian Phillips of Arte Noir.
In addition, a majority of the ten non-anchor, ground-level retail shops have been prioritized for Black-owned small businesses. Full lease announcements are expected closer to project opening with confirmed tenants including the So Beautiful Salon, Raised Doughnuts, Jerk Shack, Arte Noir, and The Neighbor Lady Public House.
Historic Block’s Residential, Retail, and Public Square to Open in Early 2022
Slated to begin welcoming residents in early 2022, the apartments at Midtown Square feature numerous in-unit amenities for future residents—including a full suite of stainless-steel kitchen appliances; tile backsplashes and stone countertops; light or dark kitchen color schemes; plentiful closets and built-in storage; pet-friendly policies; under-cabinet kitchen lighting and/or pendant lights; terraces and balconies in select units.
Designed according to BUILT SMART energy-efficiency standards, community amenities at Midtown Square include an indoor/outdoor lounge with fireplace, TV’s and full kitchen; a 24-hour fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment and yoga studio with outdoor meditation space; a theater/game room for hosting or mingling; self-service package lockers; a rooftop terrace with lounge seating, firepits/BBQ; and a vibrant public square with outdoor seating and community stage for live performances.
Located just minutes from downtown and steps from popular Seattle neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, First Hill, and Madrona, residents at Midtown Square in the Central District will also enjoy proximity to PCC Community Markets Grocer and Grocery Outlet, along with neighborhood favorite eateries, coffee shops, and retail stores. Multiple tree-lined parks also are close by—like Cal Anderson, Powell Barnett and Sam Smith Parks—as well as arts and cultural entertainment venues like the Central Cinema and Northwest African Museum.
The project team includes W.G. Clark as the general contractor on the project, Vida Interiors for interior design, and Weinstein A|U + Rico Quirindongo of DLR Group for design.
Interested community members can visit website for more information about the project, including artists, retailers and residential and commercial space leasing opportunities.
About Lake Union Partners.
Seattle-based Lake Union Partners is an urban real estate company specializing in residential mixed-use and commercial projects in Seattle. As a team of creative and experienced developers, the company is focused on building projects with intention, design integrity and sensitivity to local neighborhoods.
About HAL Real Estate
HAL Real Estate Inc. is a Seattle-based real estate investment firm that has been focused on the Greater Puget Sound region for 28 years. HAL has deep experience in acquisition, development and recapitalization of apartment, condominium, office, and mixed-use properties. The firm strives to create meaningful places that respect each project’s surroundings and enhance the lives of neighbors, tenants, and visitors alike.
