Comments on: Some New Housing (Yawn) North of the Ship Canal http://hugeasscity.com/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/ > so much wonderful packaged in such a mess Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:54:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: dan bertolet http://hugeasscity.com/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/comment-page-1/#comment-229 dan bertolet Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:59:08 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/#comment-229 flotown and michael: I knew this was a risky post. I understand the challenges of financing housing projects, and yes, mediocre infill is better than no infill. Two new projects that come to mind that I like are Agnes Lofts and Alley 24 - both of these used materials other than brick. I also like the (rendered) look of Brix on Broadway. But I realize none of these is especially affordable. Nordheim Court is my favorite housing project that's "affordable." What impressed me about David Baker is that his firm has produced some affordable housing projects in San Fran that have great design. flotown and michael: I knew this was a risky post. I understand the challenges of financing housing projects, and yes, mediocre infill is better than no infill.

Two new projects that come to mind that I like are Agnes Lofts and Alley 24 – both of these used materials other than brick. I also like the (rendered) look of Brix on Broadway. But I realize none of these is especially affordable. Nordheim Court is my favorite housing project that’s “affordable.”

What impressed me about David Baker is that his firm has produced some affordable housing projects in San Fran that have great design.

]]> By: flotown http://hugeasscity.com/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/comment-page-1/#comment-228 flotown Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:19:39 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/#comment-228 Yo, Dan. Nice blog. getting some pub all over the place. Can you do the reverse and give us some example of well done projects that are not high-end condo? We developers would love to brick everything up, use more glazing (high-end windows, etc) but the economics are not there. We are challenged to bring anything to market that hits the 90-130% AMI rents as it is. And its not just profit margin, its financial feasibility. If we don't have a minimal threshold of returns, we can find debt or equity, and no project would go forwards. Second question (maybe another thread) what's better, in-fill with marginal design aesthetics, or no infill at all. All the comparisons are to Portland but that's really not fair, as they have very little multi-family infill going on outside the Pearl and Downtown, where the economics are much more like Belltown than Phinney Ridge or Roosevelt Yo, Dan. Nice blog. getting some pub all over the place.

Can you do the reverse and give us some example of well done projects that are not high-end condo? We developers would love to brick everything up, use more glazing (high-end windows, etc) but the economics are not there. We are challenged to bring anything to market that hits the 90-130% AMI rents as it is. And its not just profit margin, its financial feasibility. If we don’t have a minimal threshold of returns, we can find debt or equity, and no project would go forwards.

Second question (maybe another thread) what’s better, in-fill with marginal design aesthetics, or no infill at all. All the comparisons are to Portland but that’s really not fair, as they have very little multi-family infill going on outside the Pearl and Downtown, where the economics are much more like Belltown than Phinney Ridge or Roosevelt

]]> By: The hugeasscity blog - how can Seattle be a sustainable city with all the creampuffs its building. — Smarter Neighbors http://hugeasscity.com/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/comment-page-1/#comment-226 The hugeasscity blog - how can Seattle be a sustainable city with all the creampuffs its building. — Smarter Neighbors Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:41:52 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/#comment-226 [...] Anyway, that’s why I really like the hugeasscity blog. They’ve got this skill and they don’t abuse it. In addition to pointing out the medicore creampuffs, they also talk about what works and what is needed to help us become the sustainable city we keep telling ourselves we are. [...] [...] Anyway, that’s why I really like the hugeasscity blog. They’ve got this skill and they don’t abuse it. In addition to pointing out the medicore creampuffs, they also talk about what works and what is needed to help us become the sustainable city we keep telling ourselves we are. [...]

]]> By: michael http://hugeasscity.com/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/comment-page-1/#comment-227 michael Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:13:12 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/02/18/some-new-housing-yawn-north-of-the-ship-canal/#comment-227 Geez DB, perhaps my architectural sensitivities aren't as fine-tuned as yours, but I'm thinking these aren't all that bad (save for maybe Acacia). I would say that on the whole we're seeing some more visual variety and good ped environments in these new projects. I'm pretty much clueless as to what it might cost to design and build the buildings that you are imagining to be far better than what we are seeing being built, but I do wonder how it would bode for the affordability factor? Geez DB, perhaps my architectural sensitivities aren’t as fine-tuned as yours, but I’m thinking these aren’t all that bad (save for maybe Acacia). I would say that on the whole we’re seeing some more visual variety and good ped environments in these new projects. I’m pretty much clueless as to what it might cost to design and build the buildings that you are imagining to be far better than what we are seeing being built, but I do wonder how it would bode for the affordability factor?

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