More affordable apartments coming to Othello

Seattle's Southeast Design Review Board has approved the design for a new 8-story apartment building in Othello.  The project, at 7324 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, is within a block of the Othello Link light rail station.  

The building will be 143,419 square feet and include 269 one-bedrooms and two 2-bedroom units.  About 2,700 square feet of ground floor retail and 11 below-grade parking spaces are also part of the project plans, plus storage space for 217 bicycles. The project's apartments are all priced to be affordable for people making between 60% and 70% of area median income (AMI).  The design features a "donut hole" in the center of the building that serves as a multi-level entry and gathering point.

The property is in a qualified opportunity zone and was purchased in 2020 for $2,675,000.  The developer is OZ Navigator, a partnership between Nitze-Stagen, which - among other projects - developed Starbucks' SODO offices, and Housing Diversity Corporation. The project team includes Neiman Taber Architects, Karen Kiest Landscape Architects, and STS Construction Services.  

The project will be the latest transit-oriented development to be added to the neighborhood. Across the street is Othello Square, a mixed-use building developed by HomeSight, which includes 230 units of affordable housing, a school, a day care, and a health care space.