SEATTLE—February 26, 2006—Two of Seattle Housing Authority's long-term housing partners have recently opened new projects that will creatively add to the city's stock of low-income housing and help to complete SHA's commitment to replacing all of the original Holly Park low-income housing units.
"These are both great apartment developments, and we are proud to contribute to their success," commented SHA Executive Director Tom Tierney.
enny Park Apartments, owned and managed by Low Income Housing Institute, and Pantages Apartments, owned and managed by Capitol Hill Housing, are providing housing to low- and extremely low-income families in Seattle. Both were built to high environmentally-conscious standards and 15 of their units serve as Holly Park replacement housing.
SHA contributed construction capital and project-based Housing Choice Vouchers to make these units affordable for households with incomes below 30 percent of the area median income.
Denny Park Apartments, 230 Eighth Ave. N., offers 50 units located over street-level commercial space. The units range from studios to three-bedroom apartments and are targeted to families and individuals with incomes under 60 percent of the area median income. Ten units are reserved as transitional housing for homeless families.
Three of the two-bedroom apartments and two of the three-bedroom apartments provide Holly Park replacement housing and are available to extremely low-income households who have incomes lower than 30 percent of the Area Median Income.
Denny Park Apartments is the first project nationally to receive funding under the new Green Communities Initiative, a five-year, $550 million commitment to build more than 8,500 environmentally-friendly affordable homes across the country. This initiative is a partnership of The Enterprise Foundation, Enterprise Social Investment Corporation (ESIC) and the National Resources Defense Council.
Some of the major sustainable design features include the use of low VOC, low-toxic finishes, a centralized hydronic heat system, a high-efficiency water heater and an abundant use of daylight to reduce reliance on artificial light. The building also features a stormwater collection system that helps irrigate the landscaping.
The building was designed by Runberg Architectural Group and constructed by The RAFN Co.
antages Apartments' 49 units are helping to house low- and extremely low-income families. Eleven units are reserved as transitional housing for homeless families. Ten of the two-bedroom apartments serve as replacement housing for the Holly Park redevelopment.
Pantages is named after the home's original owner and founder of the Pantages Theater chain from the early 1900s. CHHIP has restored the original house facade and structure of the house to serve as housing, as well as the entry to the new apartments.
Pantages is the eighth affordable housing project in Seattle to be built in accordance with Seattle’s SeaGreen standards for environmentally-conscious development. SeaGreen guidelines encourage projects to incorporate green practices, coordinating them into development, design and construction efforts in a holistic manner. Pantages is an example of a project that included all SeaGreen essential action items and then went beyond SeaGreen to reach for a 3-Star BuiltGreen rating.
Some of the major sustainable features at Pantages include the use of low VOC paint on the interior surfaces, a rain screen system behind the exterior siding to promote longevity of materials and resistance against mold growth, energy efficient refrigerators, natural linoleum and carpet with recycled content for the flooring, salvaged and reused materials and the use of salvaged materials.
Funded partially by the City of Seattle Office of Housing, Pantages also received City financial incentives for green building including Seattle City Light’s BuiltSmart for Affordable Housing, HomeWise weatherization, and BuiltGreen Incentive Program funds.
The City Office of Housing contributed $2.5 million dollars to this $9.9 million dollar project, which was developed by Capitol Hill Housing, designed by Stickney Murphy Romine Architects and built by Walsh Construction.