South Seattle senior project advances toward construction

The city of Seattle is fast-tracking affordable housing during the coronavirus pandemic, and a five-story project at 8323 Rainier Ave. S. passed through design review in February. It’s now close to a master use permit.

Ethiopian Community in Seattle and Environmental Works Community Design Center are planning the new building, which will have 90 affordable units for seniors. ECS owns the corner site.

The building go on the north parking lot, on the corner of South Rose Street. South of that, an existing 9,400-square-foot community center will remain.

The new north building will have 43 structured parking stalls (accessed from Rose), and will connect to the old one-story community center, which dates to 1953. About 5,000 square feet of community space, including a cafe, will face Rainier in the new building.

The nonprofit ECS has been serving the Ethiopian community since 1987. It received $10.7 million in December from the city’s Office of Housing for the project, whose budget hasn’t been announced.

Total project size, including the parking, is around 78,800 square feet. The barbell-shaped building will have a central courtyard on Rainier.

Future rents will be determined on a scale of zero to 60% of area median income. Floor plans will range from studios to one-bedroom units.

Beacon Development Group is working with ECS on the project, to be named Ethiopian Village.

The team also includes KPFF Consulting Engineers, civil; Sider + Byers, MEP engineer; TFWB Engineers, electrical; and Swenson Say Faget, structural engineer. No general contractor or start date has been announced.