Tonight Public Meeting About Upcoming UVillage Expansion And More Details

Tonight at 6:30pm, the public is invited to share comments regarding the University Village's proposal, Project 3025629, for expansion in the northwest part of the shopping center where there is now surface parking. 

Four buildings would be constructed, which would include approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and 915 parking spaces provide within one of the structures. A portion of an existing building would be demolished.

Written comments regarding important site planning and design issues to help in the preparation of the early design guidance  are accepted through today.  

Comments and requests to be made party of record should be submitted to PRC@seattle.gov or City of Seattle – Seattle DCI – PRC, 700 5th Avenue, Suite 2000, P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA  98124-4019.

Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) invited Susan Plummer, Vice President and General Manager of the University Village, to their recent monthly Trustee meeting to speak about the upcoming University Village expansion plans.

LCC provided this summary of the meeting: 

Susan Plummer, Vice President and General Manger, presented the U Village plan to add a 65 foot high  West Parking Garage off 25th Avenue NE in the Anthropologie parking lot.  

The primary entrance is off 25th Avenue NE, but also another will be off NE 49th Street. Almost all surface parking in the Village will be removed in this phase, and they plan to add 100,000 sq feet of new retail/restaurant space in this build out, except a few rows on the east side of the center.  

Currently, they operate 480,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, and are considered a "Lifestyle" Shopping Center, without large retail chains as anchors, and this new project would be 21% increase.

LCC expressed concerns about the already gridlocked traffic that the area experiences from the back ups (especially eastbound) on NE 45th Street Viaduct, and all the way from the Montlake Interchange.   

Ms. Plummer mentioned that a professional transportation consultant was hired to do a traffic study, and LCC requested a copy to analyze and collaborate with them to mitigate adverse traffic impacts. Plummer also suggested that more roadway signing can help in the future to direct mall visitors to the parking lots, and is trying to work with neighboring businesses and the University of Washington.

She also noted that the commercial perimeter around the University Village is expected to add "about" 1200 residential units in the next 5 years, and some of this development has already begun on Blakeley Avenue NE and Union Bay Place NE with more to potentially come along 25th Avenue NE.

King5 news and the Daily Journal of Commerce have both posted details about the expansion.

Tonight's meeting will be held at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Avenue N, Room 202).
For more information regarding this application or the Design Review process, contact Michael Dorcy at 206-615-1393 or Michael.dorcy@seattle.gov.