By Tracy Record
Another twist in the ongoing saga of the West Seattle Junction’s public parking lots.
A nonprofit housing developer has made an offer to buy the land for future development, according to documents we’ve obtained.
The
West Seattle Junction Association has long leased the lots, operating them as parking for customers of local businesses. Its lease requires WSJA to cover the costs of the property taxes for the lots, which finally led, earlier this year, to the lots’ conversion from free parking to paid parking. For years before that, as reported here, WSJA had been trying to strategize how to deal with the six-digit tax bill, which is approaching $200,000 a year. While the parking fees are now covering some of it, they won’t cover all. And, as pointed out in that 2018 WSB story, the lots’ long-term future as developable land has always been kept in mind – it’s a major reason why the taxes have gone up.
Rendering by SLI
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Most of the identical living modules, on levels two through five, will be manufactured offsite, then trucked to the jobsite.
Community Roots Housing has sold a development site at 14315 Lake City Way N.E. to Chief Seattle Club for almost $2.6 million. King County recorded the sale last week. Last August, Chief Seattle Club and Sustainable Living Innovations had filed a plan for Sacred Medicine House. That five-story, 120-unit project will offer permanently supportive housing for formerly homeless indigenous residents.