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Project Overview

Yesler Terrace logoYesler Terrace is a 28-acre publicly-subsidized housing community, owned and operated by Seattle Housing Authority. With 561 housing units, it houses about 1,200 residents.

Yesler Terrace sits on the southern slope of First Hill, adjacent to downtown, Harborview Medical Center, the International District and Seattle University. Built in 1939, it is among the most diverse and one of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in Seattle. Many of its residents are families with children, seniors, people with disabilities and immigrants who speak scores of different languages and come from a rich array of cultural experiences. Yesler Terrace residents earn less than 30 percent of the city's median income. Today, the deteriorating structures at Yesler Terrace are nearly 70 years old, and need to be replaced.

Even though the structures must be rebuilt, the positive spirit of the Yesler Terrace community will endure. To that end, the Seattle Housing Authority has worked closely over the last two years with residents, service providers and other stakeholders to develop Guiding Principles for the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace. These principles are the fundamental values that will guide each step of Yesler Terrace's redevelopment.

Yesler Terrace is envisioned as a connected community, linked to adjacent communities and downtown Seattle. Over the next 15 years, Seattle will see a rebirth of Yesler Terrace as a place where people from across society can come together to enjoy cultural diversity, high quality homes and access to nearby parks, shops and offices. As it is completed, the new Yesler Terrace will provide opportunities for new life and prosperity for the neighborhood.

What is envisioned for Yesler Terrace?

The new Yesler Terrace neighborhood is envisioned as a dynamic and welcoming urban, mixed-use neighborhood with convenient connections to neighboring communities.

It will be a great place to live and work, and will increase the number of units of affordable and workforce housing near the urban core. The neighborhood will include a mix of market-rate housing, office and retail uses, as well as parks and open space, enhanced landscaping, improved streets and a system of pedestrian and bike trails. Yesler Terrace is conceived as a model community—safe, healthy and sustainable—incorporating green design practices, enhanced transportation alternatives and economic opportunity for its residents.

The new community will be significantly larger than today's Yesler community. Preliminary planning concepts suggest the following:

  • 3,000 to 5,000 residential units
  • 800,000 to 1.5 million square feet of office space
  • 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of retail space
  • 5 to 8 acres of parks and open space

This dynamic mix allows Seattle Housing to minimize external funding for the project and to use proceeds from the sale of market-rate housing and commercial properties to fund additional low-income, workforce and affordable housing—not just at Yesler Terrace, but also elsewhere throughout Seattle.

How will residents benefit?

High quality housing and economic opportunity:

  • Modern, healthy, energy-efficient housing designed for the needs of current and future residents.

  • Improved and expanded programming for social services, job creation and business development.

A vibrant neighborhood:

  • Eight acres of large and small open spaces for leisure, play and recreation.

  • A diverse residential community.

  • Active arts and cultural programs.

  • Safety through active community life and well designed public spaces.

  • Housing, shops, community gathering places and jobs.

Better connections:

  • Enhanced transit opportunities.

  • Pedestrian and bike trails.

  • Easy connections to adjacent neighborhood retail and employment centers.

How will all of Seattle benefit?

  • A renewed and vibrant multi-cultural neighborhood.

  • New jobs, during and after construction.

  • New housing close to jobs and public transportation—25 percent of all jobs in Seattle are within a one-mile radius of Yesler Terrace.

  • Additional residents to support growing businesses in the International District, Squire Park and First Hill.

  • An increased inventory of new rental apartments for families who need low-income, workforce and affordable housing.

  • A new neighborhood that models community health and environmental sustainability.

How are decisions about the project being made?

The vision for a new Yesler Terrace neighborhood began taking shape in 2006 when Seattle Housing created a Citizen Review Committee (CRC) to develop a set of Guiding Principles and planning concepts to guide the project. For over a year, the CRC explored what the community could achieve with a new Yesler Terrace community. The CRC identified four categories of Guiding Principles that were adopted by Seattle Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners in December 2007:

These principles will continue to direct the work of the project planning team and every aspect of the project to follow.

What are the next steps in the planning process?

Transparency has been the theme of the Yesler Terrace planning process, and Seattle Housing Authority is committed to continued community involvement during each stage of the process.

The project planning team is developing concepts for the new Yesler Terrace neighborhood. Even though these concepts will differ from each other, each will be developed to reflect the Guiding Principles. After the CRC has reviewed these concepts in detail, Seattle Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners will select a concept for further development.

The team will further develop the selected concept into alternatives that will then be carried forward in an Environmental Impact Study (EIS). For each possible alternative, the EIS will provide an extensive analysis of environmental, community, transportation and other potential impacts. This information will help guide the Board's decisions on what type of development should happen at Yesler Terrace.

The EIS process began in summer 2009, starting with a scoping period during which the community, public agencies, and other stakeholders were given a chance to weigh in on the range of issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The EIS will take about 12 months to complete and a Final EIS is anticipated for in the summer of 2010. Each step of the EIS process requires formal public involvement.

After the EIS is complete there will still be a number of steps that occur before the project can begin. The project will be developed over time to assure an orderly and economically feasible phasing strategy. This will allow residents and social service providers and Yesler Terrace to anticipate and plan for any changes.

Major changes to a neighborhood must be carefully planned and carried out in phases. It is likely that the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace will take as long as 15 years to complete. This extended timeline also allows for regional economic recovery and a rebound in the real estate market, both of which are necessary for the success of the project.

Redevelopment fact sheets

A fact sheet about redevelopment at Yesler Terrace is available in ten languages, in PDF format (download Adobe Reader).

Background report

Planning consultant CollinsWoerman has prepared the "Yesler Terrace Background Report." The report contains historical information as well as insights and potential strategies for redevelopment. A six-page Executive Summary of the report available is available in PDF format:

The complete 102-page Yesler Terrace Background Report (PDF, 6.73 MB) is also available.

Planning elements overview

This overview presents the redevelopment schedule and illustrates key redevelopment elements, as they relate to the Guiding Principles and planning goals. Download the Yesler Terrace planning elements overview (PDF, 3.85 MB).

Urban design case studies & elements

A presentation of four urban design case studies, along with a collection of urban design elements that offer intriguing ideas and components that could be integrated into the redeveloped Yesler Terrace. Download the urban design case studies and elements presentation (PDF, 10.4 MB).

Neighborhood studies

An exploration of two existing urban neighborhoods in Seattle—Belltown and First Hill—and how they compare to Yesler Terrace. Download the neighborhood studies document (PDF, 3.02 MB).

Exploration of ideas

An exploration of two concept variables related to redevelopment: building height/massing and open space. Download the exploration of ideas document (PDF, 5.52 MB).

Concept variables and planning concepts

An exploration of additional concept variables (topography, connections/edges, circulation, land use: office, and land use: retail) and three planning concepts. Download the concept variables and planning concepts document (PDF, 16.2 MB).

Concepts for evaluation

Information and evaluation criteria used to gain feedback on concepts from the Citizen Review Committee and the community. The evaluations and comments from this exercise will be summarized and refined by the CRC. Download the concept evaluations document (PDF, 5.35 MB).

CRC and resident evaluation of concepts

CRC members and Yesler Terrace residents evaluated three redevelopment concepts using seven criteria. CRC member and resident comments related to the concepts were noted. General questions were answered as well. Download the evaluations of concepts document (PDF, 944 KB).

CRC evaluations summary

The evaluation report reflects thoughts from the CRC about the individual concept variables as well as each of the three preliminary concepts. These thoughts and comments will be considered along with input from other stakeholders and consultants (i.e. City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development, Transportation, Utilities, Seattle Design Commission, the development community, financial consultants, etc.) to inform and guide the Yesler Terrace redevelopment plans. Download the evaluations summary document (PDF, 5.55 MB).

Financial model overview

A summary of the Yesler Terrace financial model, including assumptions for costs, revenues, land use, and planning. Presented to the Citizen Review Committee on February 11, 2009. Download the financial model overview (PDF, 88 KB).

Planning glossary

A glossary of urban planning and design terms is available in PDF format: