The Seattle Condo Blog | Seattle Condos and Lofts

I don’t necessarily know if these are condo or apartments at this point, but given the size of the projects, I’m guessing condos.

Ballard @ 22nd Ave NW & NW 56th St
A 160-unit building with retail store front.

Queen Anne @ Lee St & Dexter Ave N
A 7 story 49-unit building with retail store front.

Green Lake @ Woodlawn Ave NE & NE 71st
Encompasssing an entire block, the project includes 236-units and 54,000 sq ft of retail space.

Wysong announced a condo conversion of the Empress Building, an 88-unit apartment building located on 5th Avenue at Yesler. The conversion will be named Tobira Condominiums and sales are expected to begin in 2007 with pricing starting just under $200,000.

Update (10/21/06): Units range from 490 to 1,080 sq ft. Like many conversions, Empress residents will be given an opportunity to purchase their unit.

Midtown

On a side note, the developer for Stewart & Terry filed a land use application for a 34-story 300-unit building.

Canal Station in Ballard will begin sales of Phase 2 on Thursday, September 21st, with appointments beginning at 7 PM.

Appointments for the September 21st purchase event will be taken starting at 10 AM on Monday, September 18th. Appointments will only be accepted by phone at 206-297-0455. Interested buyers are encouraged to visit the presentation center with their Realtors ahead of time to view floor plans, models and obtain pricing information. Pricing information will be available as of Friday, September 15th.

Canal Station indicates that the September 15th prices will be honored throughout the September 21st opening sales day. The presentation center is located at 5451 Leary Way NW.

Canal Station in Ballard is gearing up for it’s release of Phase 2 units. The sales center has been updated with a new full-size model and dollhouses of Phase 2 units. Canal Station will kick-off Phase 2 with a sales event on Thursday, September 21th at 7:00 pm.

Over the past few years Ballard has been reinventing itself. Long the establishment of Seattle’s Scandinavian heritage, Ballard has seen a new group of people migrating to this once sleepy neighborhood. Driven by affordable housing and short commute to downtown people from all walks of life have influenced Ballard’s rebirth – nightlife, a triving neighborhood business center and higher density living.

Four new condominium projects have been completed, under construction or are planned for Ballard, adding nearly 500 new homes – Metropole, NoMa, Canal Station & Hjarta.

Metropole (24th & 57th)
Metropole is the first to be completed and is move-in ready (upper floor units). It’s a boutique condo with only 31 homes ranging from 709 sq ft to 1,376 sq ft. Floor plans include one bdrm, one bdrm + study, two bdrm, two bdrm + study and two bdrm + office. The homes come standard with upscale finishes. In fact, Metropole does not offer any upgrades.

• Slab granite countertops
• Stainless steel appliances with commercial styled gas range
• Curved interior walls drawing you from the entry to the living area
• South units with canal & terriorial views
• Roof-top deck
• Pet friendly policy
• Secured parking

Because Metropole is a small building, it does not come with many amenities that the competition offer such as a fitness room & club/entertainiment room. Prices range from $340,000 to over $600,000.

View available Metropole condos for sale.

NoMa (24th & 56th)
Across the street from Metropole to the east is NoMa which offers 90 studio, one- and two- bedroom homes. Like Metropole, NoMa features many upscale finishes but does offer an upgrade option (e.g. slab granite, glass inset cabinet doors & accent tiles). Standard features include:

• Bamboo floor in kitchen & entry
• Maple or Walnut cabinetry
• Granite tiled countertops
• Stainless steel appliances (electric)
• Carpeting in living room
• Private deck or patio
• A/C for East and South facing units, plus top floor units
• Fitness room
• Library/Reading room & Conference Room
• Roof-top deck
• Secured Parking

Of the 90 homes only 20 one and two-bedroom units are available ranging from 696 sq ft to 1,167 sq ft. Prices for the available units range from $305,950 to $524,950. Interesting to note, there has been no price increases for the two bedroom units since sales began. Occupany will begin starting in October 2006.

Both NoMa and Metropole are located 24th Avenue NW, a fairly business North/South road, and on a Sunday afternoon was somewhat noisey.

View available NoMa condos for sale.

Canal Station (Leary Way)
Canal Station was among the first of the four projects to start selling units in it’s Phase 1 building. Phase 1 has sold all of it’s 169 units except for two junior one-bedroom units, both priced under $310,000. Phase 1 occupancy is slated for Spring 2007.

Canal Station is now gearing up for Phase 2 which will add an additional 109 homes. Phase 2 will include junior one-, one-, one + den, two- and two-bedroom + den units ranging from 530 sq ft to 1,250 sq ft. Features will include:

• Stainless steel appliances
• Granite countertops
• Maple or Cherry cabinetry
• Electric fireplace
• On-site manager + concierge
• Owner’s lounge
• Outdoor spa and deck w/BBQ
• Business center and Private conference room

Pricing for Phase 2 has not yet been released and presale is expected to begin in August for registered buyers.

View available Canal Station condos for sale (Phase I & II).

Hjarta (Market at 15th)
Differientiating itself from the other projects, Hjarta (“heart” in Swedish) is built green and is targeting LEED Silver certification. To be LEED Silver certified the building must use sustainable materials and be energy and water efficient (some of Vulcan projects are LEED certified as well). The LEED features include:

• Central gas boiler instead of individual water heaters
• High-performance windows
• Low-flow kitchen & bath fixtures
• Water conserving toilets
• Drip irrigation
• Low Volatile Organic Compounds – carpet, paint and sealants
• Recycled content materials – building materials, countertops, railings, carpeting, etc

Additionally, the building will feature:

• An expansive roof-top deck with P-Patches
• Yoga studio & spin room
• Bike storage, Flexcar & charging stations for electric cars
• A community room with KidSpace (an interative room that includes educational play areas, tree house hideout, climbing walls, rope swings and slides)

Because Hjarta is a green building, it does not have the upscale sheen of the other buildings (granite, designer tiles, high-end wood cabinetry). Hjarta’s first phase includes 79 one- and two-bedroom units. Initial prices range from $309,000 to $574,000, but since pricing hasn’t been finalized, expect it to change…upwards. Currently, Hjarta is accepting Holds (not reservations) without deposit for units on floors 3, 4, 5 & 6. The model showed two buildings, though sales is only for the south building.

View available Hjarta condos for sale.

What building to choose? The units are fairly similar in size and price range, but do different in amenities and style. Metropole, NoMa & Canal Station’s interior finishes are nearly identical and are reminiscent of the downtown projects, though Canal Station offers more amenities for it’s residents. Hjarta, on the otherhand, will appeal to those who are more environmentally conscious.

One of the questions I hear a lot is why Ballard? I can’t answer that for individual buyers, but overall Ballard is revitalizing itself and it does have a quieter, slower lifestyle than downtown. Residents can enjoy Shilshole, Golden Gardens, Sunset Bowl and Green Lake which are all just minutes away. Plus, downtown is a short commute so it’s perfect for people who work & play downtown but don’t want to live downtown. And it’s resonating with buyers. Canal Station Phase 1 is sold out, NoMa is nearly 80% sold and Metropole is over 50% sold.

Map of the four condo projects.

Updated 8/5/06

Hjarta, the new condo development in Ballard will be having its Preview Presentation event on Saturday, July 22nd from 11am – 5pm at the Hjarta Sales Center at 1546 NW 56th Street (one block north of Market Street).

Next to Denny’s, Hjarta will be one of Ballard’s tallest buildings and consists of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes.

View available Hjarta condos for sale.

Located in the heart of Ballard, The Metropole is part of the condo renaissance in this older part of Seattle. Metropole homes feature hardwood floors, granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The Ballard business district is a short distance away offering numerous dining and shopping venues.

Number of floors: 6
Number of units: 30
Amenities: Secured lobby entrance, roof top deck, underground parking.
Completed: 2006
Pet Friendly: Yes

Hjarta Phase 1 broke ground in December of 2005 and was completed in 2008, joining several other new condominium developments in Ballard, including Canal Station, NoMa and Metropole. At 8-stories, the concrete & steel, green constructed Hjarta is the tallest residential building in Ballard.

Hjarta Phase 2, which will be located behind the current structure, is presently going through the design review and application process.

Number of floors: 8
Number of units: 79 (Phase 1)
Amenities: Secured entry, community room, roof top deck with P-Patch garden, fitness center with a pilates and yoga room.
Completed: 2008
Pet Friendly: Yes