47% Leased Before Opening
Raising the bar for urban living in Roosevelt
SEATTLE – July 20, 2016 – Mack Urban today announced the opening of Eleanor, its new apartment residence at 800 NE 67th in the Roosevelt residential urban village. Eleanor is a two-building, seven story, 267-unit apartment home with studio, loft, one bedroom plus den, and one to three bedroom units, ranging from 519 to 1,006 square feet. Mack Urban included 59 workforce housing units as part of the city’s MFTE program and the company’s commitment to equitable development.
The name is a reference to both the Roosevelt neighborhood and the former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who was a great humanitarian and advocate for fostering community connections. With several new apartment buildings nearby — recently opened and under construction — Mack Urban decided to distinguish Eleanor with unique shared spaces that offer peaceful outdoor settings for its residents.
“We wanted the building to feel authentic to the neighborhood and have a sense of place,” said Dayna Dealy, Development Manager for Mack Urban. Thirteen parcels were combined to create a design that takes it cues from the Olmstead plan for Greenlake and Ravenna Boulevard. Rather than one large building, Eleanor is two buildings with a meandering boardwalk between, forming a tranquil environment in a metropolitan area. Many of the street level units have stoops with a “front porch” where residents can sit and be part of the community.
Given its proximity to Greenlake, rainwater harvesting and water in general is an important theme for the ecological design. All the roof rainwater is collected and reused though artistic runnels to create rain gardens, irrigate flower planters, and feed a stream that cascades over rocks and underneath the boardwalk. The path wanders in and out of large planting areas with mature trees and greenways, where fragrant rose bushes attract wildlife.
The spirit of the Northwest thrives within the building as well. Interiors are sophisticated and appointed with natural and ecological finishes. The soaring two-story, 1,782 square foot lobby feels like a traditional great room, with glazed window walls that maximize sunlight, and living room seating, reading nooks, and a tall double sided fireplace that helps to define the space.
All of the amenity areas include design details rooted in local Northwest design, with added extras. The gear lounge is located on first floor with large windows that naturally light the room during the day. Fully stocked, it even includes racks for recumbent bikes and an automated door so that residents can cycle out of the building, and easily handle skis, a snowboard or a jogging stroller. Mack Urban has also incorporated a supreme dog washing station with a large groomer quality bathtub, handheld water sprayer, and a dryer in a separate room for multiple use.
The fitness center opens directly outdoors with a patio area for stretching before or after a run around Greenlake. It also leads to a courtyard niche created for yoga with a tranquil water feature.
While the boardwalk creates an urban refuge, the rooftop terraces are intended as lively spaces with views of the Olympic Mountain Range, Mt. Rainier, and downtown Seattle. The west building includes a two-story penthouse with an entertaining kitchen and dining room, two living room spaces with surround sound, foosball, vintage pool table, and a studio work area with views of Greenlake and the mountains. The penthouse outdoor terrace includes a foosball table, barbecues, outdoor fireplace, lounge seating and a floor tile scrabble board for entertainment.
The east building penthouse is optimal for quieter gatherings, with lounge seating and a gas fireplace. Its design incorporates fifty-five visible 240-watt photovoltaic solar panels that will provide enough energy to power all the amenity areas. Other LEED/green design items include sun shades, photovoltaics, high efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances, and rain water harvesting.
Inside the apartment residences, Mack Urban introduces a new concept – each unit offers either a stylish wall mounted gear rack that can be personalized, or a gear closet in the laundry room. Every unit has floor to ceiling windows, open floor plan, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, USB outlets in the bedrooms, dens and kitchens, and high speed internet.
Eleanor does not include any retail or commercial spaces. “We want residents to support the existing local business along Roosevelt,” said Dealy. “Our aim is to complement the fabric of an already great neighborhood. Eleanor has 154 units facing the streets and thirteen first floor units with stoops and porches that open directly onto the sidewalk to foster a sense of community.”
The project team includes general contractor Compass, Runberg Architecture Group, Hewitt for the landscape design, Mercedes Fernandez Interior Design, CPL for structural and civil engineering, rushing for MEPF engineering design, JRS for building envelope design, O’Brien for sustainability consulting services, SSA acoustic consultant, Pangeo for geotechnical engineering.
About Mack Urban
Mack Urban is a premier West Coast real estate investment and development firm that owns, manages and builds environmentally sensitive urban infill projects designed to preserve neighborhood character and strengthen communities. The firm focuses on long-term holdings, with investments in diverse asset classes including transit-oriented development, high-rise residential, mixed-use multifamily, adaptive reuse, and student and senior housing.
