Rainier Vista residents move into new units

All Rainier Vista West units now leased

SEATTLE—January 5, 2005—Before the holidays, residents began moving into the new apartments in the redeveloped Rainier Vista community. A total of 22 units were placed in service during 2004 and a total of 184 new units will be available this year.

The new apartments are two, three, four and five-bedroom units ranging in size from 1,000 square feet to 1,700 square feet. They are close to the future light rail, minutes from downtown and in the heart of a culturally-rich community. The units are energy efficient and every unit includes a washer and dryer, making them very suitable for families.

Many of the residents who were living in the original Rainier Vista housing on the east side of MLK Jr. Way have moved across the street to the new apartments. These units serve as replacements for the original low-income units that were torn down to make way for the new community.

According to Redevelopment Property Manager Willard Brown, both the Walsh Construction team and the Rainier Vista leasing team deserve recognition for their commitment to bringing these units on line in time for families to move in December.

Issa Ulo, property management assistant at Rainer Vista, leased the last available unoccupied unit in Rainier Vista West on January 29.

All but one of the households were residents of Rainier Vista and moved from the east side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, where they were living in the original Rainier Vista housing stock.

As more of the new Rainier Vista homes are completed, residents on the east side of the street will continue moving across. Currently, a drive along MLK Jr. Way offers a unique view of the differences between the past and the future. The old World War II-era public housing on the east side of the street contrasts sharply with the new mixed-income community on the west side.