Friday, June 4, 2021

Construction Work To Start June 22 On Aegis At Five Corners










An updated start date for construction on Aegis Living, a senior community to be located at the triangular site (3200 NE 45th Street) at Five Corners, is the end of this month, according to Jennifer, a representative with Aegis. 


"In June we will be mobilizing, setting up temp power, dewatering and making a storm drain connection into the street. The contractor will be sending out a neighborhood notice when we get closer with additional detail" Jennifer told the Laurelhurst Blog last week.


Exxel Pacific  General Contractors sent the Laurelhurst Blog this information:

Utilities construction on the storm line in NE 45th St is to begin 6/22/21. Demolition of the existing asphalt/concrete on site is slated to begin 7/15/21. All work will be completed in strict accordance with the State of Washington social distancing and Phase 2 construction guidelines. Any changes to Phase and requirements will be met. Trucks will be accessing the site from 45th St. at existing curb.
The design proposal, submitted in July 2016, includes 135 units in a six story building (55-70 feet) with 53 parking stalls and 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor proposed to house a salon and cafe.  Amenities will include  elegant dining, salon, barber shop, pub, theater, trail view  lounge, chat cafe, courtyard, and 6th floor Sky Lounge. 
First residents are scheduled to move in around spring of 2023 according to the Aegis website
Demolition at the site  which included 5 long-term businesses was completed in October 2020.  In July 2020, the building in which China Village resided for over 30 years was demolished. The Wong family have owned the restaurant since 1987. In 2016 Amy, and her brother, Lee Wong bought out another family member and changed the name from "China Village" to Uncle Lee's and remodeled the restaurant. It is now located at Sandpoint Village (5408 Sand Point Way).

Amy told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff at the time: "We started off as “China Village” and now we will continue our family business and passion as 'Uncle Lee’s'!"

Also demolished was the building where Benton Jewelers used to be, which was most recently a brokerage firm.

Before demolition, the landmark Benton clock, which since 1986 stood in front of the old Benton Jewelers location, was removed and put into storage at a cost of $30,000. The new clock location, at the corner was unanimously approved by the Landmarks Preservation Board in January at a Certification of Approval meeting.  The clock enclosure was powder coated and the restoration of mechanisms is underway.  

Also demolished was the building, in which for over four decades, Baskin-Robbins was located.  In September 2015 it was forced to close, even though the building was not demolished until 4 years later. 

The manager of Baskin-Robbins who owned that franchise for 15 years, told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff at the time that "unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement regarding a lease on the site with the Broderick Group, a real-estate brokerage company, so Baskin-Robbins is forced to close." 

He added that the new landlord "wanted to raise the rent by more than 50% with all costs included." 

Other buildings demolished housed well-know long-time businesses at one time or another, including Select Hair Salon which had rented their building for over 20 years and was originally located in the north side of the current Varlamos Pizzeria (3617 NE 45th Street) before it expanded.  

After demolition, the site appeared to be unmaintained for a number of months and began to be covered with graffiti and weeds.

The Laurelhurst Blog contacted Aegis and asked if mesh covering could be put on the fence surrounding the property since construction would not start immediately at such a well-travelled intersection and entry point into many neighborhoods.The site also consistently has graffiti , which the City requires to be covered within 10 days. 

Aegis installed a blue mesh cover on the the entire fence surrounding the construction site.  They also are  continually maintaining the vegetation on site, as well as keeping the site clear of trash and graffiti and ensuring the fence remains standing. 

Aegis had a contractor paint the adjacent wall, which is not their property, to match the adjoining business and are trying to keep it painted throughout the project. A project manager does regular site visits to ensure the site security and maintenance. 

Recently the project manager painted over the tagging on the adjacent wall and also has been replacing some of the mesh paneling and a sign on the fence that were tagged. 


Offering 111 stylishly designed assisted living apartments for seniors and 24 memory care apartments for your family member needing specially trained dementia care. Aegis at Laurelhurst is designed to be the center of social activities. With a large plaza at the main entry, families can play, connect, and relax. Don’t miss the top floor sky lounge with views of the UW campus, Lake Washington and the Seattle skyline.
Another retirement home, Empress Senior Living (4020 NE 55th Street), is currently under construction, on the former Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital site, across from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 74 units with a restaurant at street level and parking for approximately 30 vehicles above and below grade.

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