Puget Ridge Condos, 9013 16th Ave SW (at SW Henderson)
12 unit complex featuring one- and two-bedroom homes. The one-bedrooms are 514 sf that range in price from $134,500 to $149,500, while the two-bedrooms are 867 sf and are priced from $192,500 to $199,500. Parking included.

Beach Cove Condos, 3633 Beach Drive SW
8 unit building featuring two-bedroom homes ranging in size from 1,080 to 1,120 sf. All homes have exceptional views of Puget Sound. Prices start at $749,000 and top out at $819,000.

Madrona Beach Condos, 1119-1121 Lake Washington Blvd.
This is a converted 4-plex with two units currently available. Both of these are 900 sf and are priced at $469,000 and $489,000, and neither have parking. The building is located next to Madrona Park and has unobstructed views of Lake Washington.

Bleü, 419 21st Ave (at E Jefferson)
6 unit building featuring two-bedroom homes sized between 720 and 780 sf. The homes are priced from $299,950 to $309,950. Uncovered parking is included.

Galaxy Condos, 1800 35th St (at Wallingford Ave N)
9 units with a mix of one- and two-bedroom homes. The one-bedrooms are approximately 570 sf and are priced from $259,950 to $275,000. The two-bedrooms range in size from 670 to 877 sf and priced between $295,500 and $329,950. All but the three lowest price homes come with parking.

6000 Condos, 6000 24th Avenue NW
11 unit building comprised of two- and three-bedroom homes. The two-bedrooms, which range in size from 653 to 801 are priced from $299,950 to $369,950, while the 1,424 sf three-bedroom is priced at $699,950. Except for the three-bedroom, garage parking is extra.

Icon Tower
The other project Laconia is developing in Seattle is the sleek & slender Icon Tower at 6th & Wall. Laconia expects to start construction in August. Completion is slated for the first half of 2011.

Insignia Towers
Work on Insignia Towers (5th between Bell & Battery) may begin as soon as next month according to the developer, Embassy Development, as mentioned in a recent DJC article. That is, of course, dependent on the market showing signs of improvement. The 643-unit project will be constructed in phases with each tower taking up to 37 months to complete.

1 Hotel & Residences
1 Hotel recently announced they’ve completed commercial leasing for the one-block project. Retail tenants will include Equinox Fitness, 1 Spa, the Ocean Restaurant by B.R. Guest who’ll also operate the urban grocer market, and a new retailer for the adjoining Macy’s garage. Completion is anticipated for early 2010.

AVA
AVA noted that they will begin private previews in their new sales center starting in March. The sales center will include a scale-model of the tower, kitchen and bath vignettes, floor plans, representative views and finishes. AVA is one of the few new condo projects to offer homes starting below $400,000. The project recently obtained its master use development permit with groundbreaking scheduled for later this year. Completion is slated for 2011.

114 Pike
There are some new renderings floating around for this project. Though, sources indicate that this project is being placed on hold. I believe occupancy for this project had changed from office/condo to office/apartment.

7th & Westlake
The latest casualty in the condo market shakeup is the office/condo project at 7th & Westlake, confirmed by a principal with Murray Franklyn.

The project will include a mixture of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and smaller studios ranging from 360 to 450 square feet in order to offer homes at a more attractive price range, no doubt taking a cue from Moda’s success with smaller units. Prices are expected to begin in the upper $200,000s and range up to $1 million. It’s still too early to know their exact pricing strategy, but say they start at $275,000 for a 360 square foot studio…that’s $763/sq ft. Hefty. Moda’s price per square foot was about $500, in Belltown even (granted the Moda is a low-rise frame building).

The design includes a 24-story tower and an 11-story tower. Interestingly, elevators will only be available in the 24-story tower with skybridges joining the two buildings. From the rendering the skybridges will be on every other floor. Residents in the 11-story tower will need to retrieve their mail from the 24-story tower, apparently because the distance to the 11-story tower is more than mail carriers are allowed to travel from the street.

Amenities will include two roof-top gardens, a theatre, fitness center, artwork, courtyard and a bridge connecting the complex to Freeway Park.

Completion is anticipated for 2010, along with Icon Tower.

Update Jan 2008: Came across these renderings of the smaller tower and it looks like these might be loft units, which would explain why the walkways are on every other floor. Just a guess.

Image courtesy of MulvannyG2

I previously reported that the developer of Landes on First Hill, Harbor Properties, was feeling out the market to determine whether to develop the project as condos or apartments. Now, it appears Landes will, indeed, be apartments. This is the third formerly proposed condo project to opt for other uses.

Goodwill Property

The Supplemental Public Meeting for the Goodwill property development on Dearborn will be held at Goodwill on Tuesday, July 10th at 6:30 pm. The address is 1400 S. Dearborn Street.

3rd & Cedar

Just South of the Mosler Lofts, a 13-story apartment building has been proposed at the corner of 3rd and Cedar, which will likely affect Mosler’s downtown views. An early design review meeting has been set at Seattle City Hall on Tuesday, July 10th at 5:30 pm.

I noticed the Landes disappeared from the Williams-Marketing website but knew the project was moving forward. So, I contacted the developer to get the scoop. Presently, the developer is undecided whether to market the project as apartments or condos, though they are constructing units with condo-grade finishes. A decision is expected to be made by Summer. Interesting….

The Bellevue Tour:

Loyal readers will have noticed that we skipped across Lake Washington. Bellevue has several interesting and unique projects on the way, many far more ambitious than their Seattle counterparts. In the upcoming weeks we will continue our tour of Bellevue with European Tower, The Residences at Bravern and Belle Arts.

Recycle for Shelter Pets:

Though the Seattle Animal Shelter is a city-run facility, the funds for necessary veterinarian care for homeless and uncared for pets brought to the shelter are provided through Help The Animal Fund (HTAF). Supported by donations, HTAF holds fundraising events throughout the year from bake sales to the Furry 5K Run at Seward Park.

A unique opportunity has become available through the Cash for Critters program. Cash for Critters takes in empty ink jet & laser cartridges and digital phones, and in turn, provides cash for non-profit animal organizations. The good folks at Metro Dog will be facilitating the program on behalf of the Seattle Animal Shelter. Please see the Cash for Critters website for acceptable cartridges and drop them off at Metro Dog.

Sales staff indicates they sold nine-units in the first six hours that homes were released for pre-sale.

Standard features include:

• Exposed brick focal wall in each unit
• Bamboo flooring in kitchen and living room
• European designed Pentco cabinets
• Stainless steel or matte chalkboard finished countertops
• Shaw woven carpet in the bedrooms
• Stainless steel appliances (most units)
• Washer and dryer (most units)

The Nine Cherry Square website, though basic, provides considerable information with floor plans, feature specs and representative views for each unit.

Nine Cherry Square is centrally located on First Hill and is within walking distance to the financial district and Seattle University. The Frye Museum is just a block away and many businesses, restaurants and cafes are just a short stroll away.

Click here to see if any units are currently available.

Update: Couple of notes about sales: (1) showings are by appointment only (outside of the weekend opens) and they have not been very accommodating working with buyer’s schedules, (2) there is an unpublished registration policy which may not comply with NWMLS rules.

Mid-century elegance is the most apt description of the Decatur Condominiums on Seattle’s historic First Hill neighborhood.

Designed by the famed Space Needle architect John Graham Jr. in 1950, the Decatur is being restored and converted to condominium homes by the Wysong Group (e.g. Tobira, The Press).

The 13-story building at 1105 Spring Street (corner of Boren Ave) features 146 one- and two-bedroom homes. (map)

All homes include the following features:

• Brazilian cherry wood floors in the entry & kitchen
• Plush carpeting in the living and bedrooms
• Slab granite countertops (dark or light) in the kitchen
• Stainless steel electric appliances
• Pedestal sinks and custom subway tiling in the bath
• Octagonal rosette-patterned tile floor in the bath

There are four floor plans to choose from:

The Dean - one-bedroom units ranging from 520 to 560 sq ft (floor plan)
2-7th floor, $219,950 to $279,950
8-13th floor, $254,950 to $314,950

The Taylor - one-bedroom units ranging from 590-650 sq ft (floor plan)
2-7th floor, $229,950 to $289,950
8-13th floor, $264,950 to $324,950

The Monroe - one-bedroom units ranging from 680-700 sq ft (floor plan)
2-7th floor, $249,950 to $274,950
8-13th floor, $279,950 to $304,950

The Kelly - two-bedroom units ranging from 780-800 sq ft (floor plan)
2-7th floor, $334,950 to $359,950
8-13th floor, $364,950 to $389,950

Overall, the Decatur conversion exudes sophistication and elegance, from the rich entry lobby to the beautifully designed interiors. Its location is central to the financial district, Capitol Hill’s eccentricities and Madison Avenue’s business establishments.

Though, there are some peculiarities which may not appeal to all buyers.

• While the kitchen includes quality appliances and cabinets, it’s a narrow galley design. It would be nearly impossible for two average sized people to be in the kitchen at the same time. If you open the oven door, you must stand to the side as there’s not enough room to stand in front of the oven with its door open.
• None of the units come with a washer or dryer. Each floor will be equipped with two washer/dryers off the hallway (free usage) and there is a laundry room in garage.
• Closet/storage space in the units is minimal.
• There are only 63 parking spaces available on a first come basis with a $35,000 price tag.

The Decatur will not appeal to everyone. But, if you’re a true urbanite who live, work and play in the city, and you don’t have a car, this may be a very good option.

Landes is the newest community planned for First Hill at 8th and Marion. Landes is named after Seattle’s first & only woman mayor, Bertha Knight Landes, who was elected in 1926. Construction is expected to start around Spring 2007.

Update: The developer is contemplating developing the project as apartments rather than condos, though the building will be constructed to condo-grade. A decision will be forthcoming this summer.

Update 2: It now appears Landes will be developed as apartments.

Don’t forget to participate in my poll -Do you use Realtor.com?

Located just south of Seattle Univerisity (by AM/PM), Epic is a condo conversion featuring studio, one- and two-bedroom units. The studios and one-bedrooms are located in the center while the 2-bedrooms flank each end of the building. Unlike the others profiled previously, the building is only three years old.

Home Interior features include:

• granite slab countertops in kitchen
• maple cabinets
• slab marble countertops in the bathroom
• balconies
• appliances included washer & dryer
• Hardwood floors and stainless steel appliaces are optional.

Building features include:

• Business Center
• Fitness Center
• Flat Panel TV Theater
• BBQ Area

Interestingly, buyers will have the option to purchase units “as is” and update it themselves, or purchase one that has already been updated. Prices start from $199,000. Visit Epic at www.epicseattle.com

Click here to see if any units are currently available.