Overview

Yesler Terrace was developed by the Seattle Housing Authority in the early 1940s as the city’s first publicly subsidized housing community. When it became evident that existing infrastructure and over 560 aging housing units on the 30-acre site needed to be replaced, SHA engaged residents, neighbors, city officials, key partners, and the Seattle public to create a vision for transforming the neighborhood.

 

In 2013, the revitalization of Yesler Terrace began. A dynamic new civic-oriented community is now emerging — one that honors neighborhood history and culture while creating vibrant housing options that take advantage of the site’s central location, public transit options, and panoramic views of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains.

 

Yesler Towers will lead by example and serve as the front porch of this newly redeveloped neighborhood. The project, which is targeting LEED Gold, includes 430,000 GSF of residential development across two towers, a shared podium, and a below-grade parking garage. The 23-story North Tower and 21-story South Tower contain 356 rental units, including 22% affordable units, ranging from studios to 2-bedrooms. The North Tower was completed in 2024, while the South Tower will be completed this summer.

 

Envisioned a building that grows from the site and extends the adjacent park, we designed Yesler Towers to engage the surrounding neighborhood, utilizing topography, views, and light to activate flexible new spaces for community use. Residential lobbies and commercial spaces face onto a central public plaza available for resident and neighborhood gathering, extending park activities into the site. The landscaped roof begins at the central plaza and continues to level 3 as public open space.

 

Publicly accessible areas along the sloping roof include a colored light folly and a community meeting room — a sculptural focal point at the heart of the project. With expansive views and visibility from the adjacent I-5 and park, this event space provides a new venue for private and neighborhood activities.

Project Team

OWNER – SU DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN ARCHITECT – BOHLIN CYWINSKI JACKSON

ARCHITECT OF RECORD – STUDIO – SKH

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT – SWIFT COMPANY

CIVIL ENGINEER – KPFF

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER – KPFF

MECHANICAL | PLUMBING – OCEAN PARK MECHANICAL

FIRE PROTECTION – ADVANCED FIRE PROTECTION

ELECTRICAL | TELECOMM – STATESIDE POWER

BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTING – MORRISON HERSHFELD

SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT – GLUMAC

GEOTECHINICAL – GEOTECH CONSULTANTS INC.

TRAFFIC – HEFFRON TRANSPORTATION, INC.