Site Report #4- The Past and Future U District

Block 73 is located just between the two outer radiuses to the nearest stations, meaning it is located far from the to-be heart of the University District. Published in 2015. City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. 

This map of potential development sites shows many older buildings are somewhat prioritized for redevelopment in the near future. Published in 2012. City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. 

Key to the map of potential development sites. Published in 2012. City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. 

Photograph shows one of few currently empty business units on Block 73. University District, Seattle, WA. Taken on 2017-02-09. Photographed by Mina Liao. 

Photograph shows the relatively well-kept condition of the University Way sidewalk on Block 73. University District, Seattle, WA. Taken on 2017-02-09. Photographed by Mina Liao.

Nearly a century ago, Block 73 began taking shape as a cluster of single family homes and small businesses. Today, most of these homes and business complexes still exist as they did when they first came into existence. In simple terms, the block consists of a residential strip on Brooklyn and a business strip on University Way. The retail strip consists of mostly fast food eateries and also includes mid-rise apartment building. Being on the North end of the Ave, the retail strip on the block overall is in poor condition with hardly maintained and vacant business units. The residential strip is also not in its best state as most front-facing yards are unkept and older single-family homes have long been displaying signs of its age.

Although many of the Pre-1960 structures on the block are on priority list for redevelopment, it is unlikely the block as a whole will face a large-scale change in the next few years as the Northern end is not the core focus at the moment. The redevelopments are expected to take place first in close proximity to the Light Rail construction site and in converting Brooklyn to a “Green Street" (City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development 6). Block 73 will most likely follow the trend of the rest of Seattle to eventually transform into a cluster of multi-family housing units. There are already multi-family residences on the block that have been built within the past decade as well as one that is under construction right now. The Office of Planning and Community Development predicts that around 40 to 275 homes will be demolished in the next 20 years to make way for residences with larger capacities. Many of the aging single-family homes on Block 73 are bound to be demolished in the near future, but some delicately styled homes may survive under historical preservation efforts. If the plan to make adjacent University Heights Community Center a even larger hub for community activities succeeds, there will be an increased chance of the area being cleaned up to provide a more pleasant space for both visitors and residents. Brooklyn’s Green Street concept will bring streetscaping and greeneries to the Brooklyn side as well as curve bulbs to provide safer crossing conditions for pedestrians (City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development 9). The sidewalk on University Way; however, is not expected to undergo changes as the sidewalk had been expanded in the recent decades and its conditions are fair. The row of business units will probably maintain its current state for a while as well, assuming the plan to improve the general attractiveness of the Ave will take a while longer to be properly implemented. After the implementation, changes are likely to begin taking place from the opposite end near the heart of University District. The ultimate goal of the redevelopment is to attract much wider demographics to the area, and the issue lies in that almost all businesses on the Ave are targeted to students. Additionally, the sidewalks in the main strip of the Ave are quite dirty and difficult to walk on with many signs cluttered in front of businesses (Downtown Works, LLC). In essence, changes to Block 73 will be coming as a ripple effect once redevelopment begins to take shape in the core of University District. If all goes well in promoting cleanliness and store diversification on the Ave, the same success will likely gradually reach the businesses located on the North end. If redevelopment is unsuccessful, we can expect to see more vacant businesses. Similarly, the Green Street redevelopment of Brooklyn will reach Block 73 if the first of the transformations down South prove an effective. We may even see bicycle parking on the block in the future if enough people transition to commuting by bike as a result of the redevelopment. The redevelopment that will sweep through the District in the next coming decades are overall, planned with the goal of accomodating for the student population and to attract people who are not exclusively part of the University of Washington community.