Zahilay Cuts Ribbon on Northgate Station Affordable Housing, With Phase 2 in Limbo

On Tuesday, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay joined other dignitaries in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 235 low-income apartments next door to Northgate's light rail station. The seven-story building replaces a nearly one-acre corner of King County Metro's former park and ride lot, with the County long teasing plans to convert the remaining five acres of the site to even more housing.

However, officials confirmed this week that Phase 2 of the project remains in planning limbo – already a decade-long journey for the site. That means the remaining Metro land will remain a station-adjacent parking lot next to Sound Transit's 443-stall parking garage and Northgate Mall's 730-stall garage, rather than upwards of 1,000 homes currently feasible under existing zoning.

Community Roots Housing and San Francisco-based BRIDGE Housing jointly developed the newly opened project, which has been christened Copperleaf Northgate. King County contributed public land and $30 million in transit-oriented development funding, an amount that made it largest single contribution that the County had ever awarded to an affordable housing project.

“Copperleaf Northgate marks an important contribution to the enhancement of the Northgate neighborhood and the quality of life for hundreds of people,” said Colleen Echohawk, CEO of Community Roots Housing, in a statement after the ribbon-cutting. “It is our largest community to date, and its location next to the Northgate transit center makes it a true transit-oriented development — expanding access to jobs, schools, and services for so many residents while meaningfully advancing our mission to create inclusive housing and foster thriving, just communities.”

https://www.theurbanist.org/zahilay-cuts-ribbon-on-northgate-station-affordable-housing-with-phase-2-in-limbo/ newsletter