The Seattle Condo Blog | Seattle Condos and Lofts

Tobira (website) has announced the release of the second phase of courtyard homes for sale. To celebrate the release and completion of its “urban backyard”, Tobira will be hosting a luncheon at their newly landscaped courtyard April 21st & 22nd from Noon to 4:00 PM.

The courtyard features “lush built-in planters with Japanese Maples, native flowering shrubs, ferns and ivy winding its way up along the surrounding wall art. A soothing water feature is the focal point of the design. The whole garden is filled with the sound of flowing water and the scent of flowering plants.”

Stylish and affordable; a combination not found around the downtown Seattle core neighborhoods much these days. While many developers have their eyes set on building new landmark towers, the Wysong group has focused on providing comfortable, well-designed, moderate priced homes for the average person. Two recent projects are the Tobira Condominiums and the Decatur.

The Tobira Condominiums, formerly the Empress Apartments, is a 5 year old building situated at the cross section of the financial district, Pioneer Square and the International District at 108 5th Avenue South, Seattle. (map – note, the building is South of Yesler)

The project includes 88 studios, one-, one+den, and two-bedroom homes ranging in size from approximately 440 to 1,016 square feet. The preferred lender is Homebase Mortgage, a Countrywide company.

Tobira has set aside 14 units for the first release which are available now.

• Studios – 4 units available, ranging from $179,950 to $234,950
• One bedrooms – 8 units available, ranging from $219,950 to $294,950
• One + den – 1 unit available, $314,950
• Two-bedrooms – 1 unit available, $429,950

Standard features & amenities include:

• One parking space, excluding Studios
• Lobby lounge area
• Slab granite countertops in kitchen and bath
• Maple or Cherry laminate cabinets
• Carpeting in living and bedrooms
• Vinyl flooring in bathroom
• Two color schemes – International or Downtown

Options include:

• Standard parking: $15,000
• Tandem parking upgrade: $10,000
• Stainless Appliances: $3,000
• California Closets
• Storage Units: $2,500 to $6,500

Homeowner dues are approximately $.30 per square foot.

The location is convenient for downtown living as it is within walking distance to Pioneer Square, the International District and the stadiums. A couple of items to keep in mind – the Yesler bridge is directly adjacent to the building and a new office tower is being constructed on the West side potentially blocking views. Otherwise, the units are well insulated from street noise.

The Tobira Grand Opening is slated for January 27th.

View available Tobira condos for sale

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.