Seattle, WA
Seattle Architects Unveil Designs for Social Housing Ahead of February Vote – The Urbanist
In support of their effort to build social housing in Seattle, the nonprofit House Our Neighbors recently released architectural designs for transforming a piece of surplus publicly-owned land in Northgate. In the vision, designed by Neiman Taber Architects, a row of townhomes, a block of family-sized apartments, and a wing of co-living efficiency studios are wrapped around a central courtyard.
While voters approved formation of the Seattle Social Housing Developer in 2023, the city has a special election on deck in February with dueling ballot measures to actually fund that public developer. House Our Neighbors put forward the grassroots Initiative 137 that will be on next February’s ballot as Proposition 1A, while the centrist majority on Seattle City Council proposed the reactionary alternative. Voters will be asked whether they want to fund social housing at all, and if yes, they’ll have to choose between one of the two options.
“For House Our Neighbors, [Neiman Taber Architects] designed a detailed proposal for this parcel as a proof-of-concept to expand our idea of what a brighter, more equitable future could actually look like,” House Our Neighbors wrote. “Their design shows what is possible when we put people over profit; A variety of unit types to suit all kinds of households — from students and working class people to elderly folks, people with mobility needs, and families with and without children and with ample communal space and an interior courtyard where the community can come together to socialize and support each other. All of it affordable. Forever.”
House Our Neighbors Co-Executive Director Tiffani McCoy said more design examples are on the way, with a call out for architects to lay out their own visions for surplus City-owned parcels.
“This is all pro bono from these architecture firms, but we know from I-135 that architects are incredibly excited about social housing, not just because they would be able to actually afford to live in the city in which they work, because architects are often between 80 to 120% of AMI [area median income], but also, you know, they’re just so restricted in their craft,” McCoy told The Urbanist. “Their creativity is really lost a lot because we’re more focused on quantity over quality, which has its benefits. But especially working in typical affordable housing buildings, the focus is as many as you can with the amount of funding.”
The first social housing prototype came from the 2023 Seattle Design Festival with a submission by architects Jacqui Aiello and Anna Brodersen, McCoy said. The pair proposed a nine-unit apartment building with one ground-floor commercial space and a mix of unit sizes including two- and three-bedroom units. The roughly 4,000-square-foot lot being eyed was a surplus City-owned site at 1405 NE 65th Street in Roosevelt.
As laid out in the charter for the Seattle Social Housing Developer, the Roosevelt building would be built to Passive House standards, which go above and beyond the energy efficiency and sustainability requirements of Seattle’s already rigorous code.
In addition to meeting very high environmental standards, social housing proponents are also hoping to design spaces that encourage socializing and social wellbeing. The courtyard space in the Northgate proposal seeks to foster those bonds, as does the rooftop and atrium in the Roosevelt proposal.
“You have these spaces that are designated to getting to know people, relationship-building community space,” McCoy said. “There’s this beautiful opportunity there to grow friends, maybe lifelong friends, that you wouldn’t have in a traditional apartment setting.”
House Our Neighbors is also planning to create a financial model, or “pro forma” in developer lingo, to go along with Neiman Taber’s architectural designs. That model would demonstrate the feasibility of actually turning the plan into a real-life building. Nonetheless, part of the value of the architectural plans is helping visualize for voters the work the Seattle Social Housing Developer would do — if they elect to fund it.
“We are just the ones creating the vision and showing people that this is what it looks like this is what could be in your neighborhood,” McCoy said. “People don’t know what this looks like. So that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Social housing advocates are confident of success in the upcoming February special election. McCoy did note that council added a wrinkle by putting a competing measure on the ballot, which will make it a two-part vote. House Our Neighbors is also expecting a more robust opposition campaign than in 2023, when there was no funding source involved.
“We’ll just have a little bit more education to do since the council put on their alternative, which isn’t social housing,” McCoy said. “It’s just getting people to recognize that you have to vote twice. You have to vote yes twice, not just one. You have to make sure to do [Prop] 1 and 1A.”
Nonetheless, recent results point toward likely success.
“Seattle has already showed us that they’re very, very strongly supportive of social housing. You’ve seen that with the 14-point win in February 2023. We’ve seen that again with over 38,000 people signing Initiative 137, now Proposition 1A,” McCoy said. “And we’ve seen overwhelmingly Washingtonians want to tax the wealthiest in our state in order to provide services that regular people need. I have no problem thinking that we will win resoundingly at the ballot.”
Doug Trumm is publisher of The Urbanist. An Urbanist writer since 2015, he dreams of pedestrianizing streets, blanketing the city in bus lanes, and unleashing a mass timber building spree to end the affordable housing shortage and avert our coming climate catastrophe. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in 2019. He lives in East Fremont and loves to explore the city on his bike.
TikTok food critic Keith Lee, who taste tests dishes from family-run restaurants around the country while sitting in his car, stunned his nearly 17 million followers in the last week with a video from Seattle that his followers alleged included him unknowingly eating a piece of sushi with a “worm” in it from Fob Sushi Bar in Seattle. The restaurant was his first and highest-rated stop in the city until all hell broke loose on the internet.
Lee did eat several other places while he was in town, however. Here’s where and what he thought of them.
King’s Barbeque House
518 6th Avenue S, Seattle
The ducks hanging in this window of this Chinatown spot caught the attention of Lee and his family, so they stopped to buy one and filmed the process of its preparation for takeout — including the head. “I’m not going to eat this, I just thought it was interesting,” Lee says. Cool, cool, cool.
He proclaimed it seasoned to perfection, said it tasted like a duck but not gamey or exotic, and just seasoned meat — which… seems normal? Loved the rice and proclaimed the skin the home of all the flavor. Ultimately, he gave it a 9.5 out of 10 and said he likes Seattle.
Pike Place Market
This stand outside Pike Place, where shoppers buy a cup or try as many different drinks as they like, caught Lee’s eye on a rainy day. His first sip was of the buttered rum cider, which he judged to be “real sour” and “real good.” That and lavender cider got 7s, and his highest rating went to the cinnamon spice cider at an 8. Lee bought everyone else waiting in line cider and attempted to leave one of his trademark large tips for the staff but noted on the video in a caption, “[T]ipping isn’t a thing in Seattle so it took some time to explain what we were doing.” In the end, Lee purchased 60 large cups and asked the vendors to keep anything left over from people who wanted a smaller size.
3114 NE 125th Street, Seattle
A fan of this restaurant emailed Lee to ask him to visit, saying it struggled during COVID and was still trying to get back on its feet. His family purchased doro wat, beef tibs, oatena, injera, and samboosa. Lee found the presentation of the beef tibs in a to-go container lacking because the grease was leaking, and although the beef was tough, the flavor was “deep” and “spicy.” Several family members rated it and opinions were varied. The samboosa was not to his liking, with too many lentils, and was “very mushy.” Its rating was a 1. He compares the doro wat to barbecue or braised chicken (it is stewed and covered in spices, so… yes) and gives it a 7.9. Why not an 8? The world will never know.
Lee and his family left the restaurant with $1,000 to pay for anyone who came in to eat after them, which is admittedly very cool.
A Seattle teriyaki chicken taste-test
Various locations
Lee decided to get teriyaki chicken from several places and taste-test them against each other. What could go wrong?
Chickens from the top five most recommended places, including Toshio’s Teriyaki, Rainier Teriyaki, Nikko Teriyaki, Toshi’s Teriyaki in Bellevue, and Ichi Bento. Spoiler alert: Ichi Bento and Toshi’s tied, but Ichi would have won if they had rinsed the rice so it was less starchy, per Lee.
504 5th Avenue South, Suite 107A, Seattle
The Filipino food at Hood Famous received raves, though Lee seemed to struggle to accurately describe the dishes. He ordered multiple dishes, from savory mains to desserts. In describing them, the word ube was used a lot, and although it was an ingredient in some of the dishes, he meant umami a few times. But honestly, who knows?
Seattle weather: Chance of showers Thursday, less winds
FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Ilona McCauley has your latest western Washington weather forecast!
A much calmer afternoon and evening after strong winds moved through the area Tuesday into early Wednesday. We had stronger storm cells off the Washington coast, prompting a tornado warning near Westport. No damage was reported. This evening, scattered showers continue with even a lightning strike along the coast. Our next round of wind and rain will move in by the end of the week.
This evening, scattered showers continue with even a lightning strike along the coast.
Overnight showers will continue with mild temperatures, lows in the upper 30s to low 40s. Scattered showers will continue through the day Thursday.
Scattered showers will continue through the day Thursday.
Highs will be slightly cooler with temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.
Highs will be slightly cooler with highs in the mid to upper 40s.
Our next round of wind and rain will move in on Friday as another low pressure system moves into the Pacific Northwest. We are tracking gusty winds along the coast and north interior, but not as strong as what we saw with this bomb cyclone. Stay tuned!
Our next round of wind and rain will move in on Friday as another low pressure system moves into the Pacific Northwest. (FOX 13 Seattle)
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The Nashville Predators’ road trip concludes Wednesday with a nationally-televised game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
Nashville (6-10-3) won 5-3 in Vancouver on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak, with Steven Stamkos recording his first two-goal game as a Predators player.
Seattle (9-9-1) had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday. Goaltender Joey Daccord has seized the No. 1 goaltender spot and is 8-3-1 with a .918 save percentage this season.
The Predators and Kraken last played on Oct. 15, a 7-3 Seattle win at Bridgestone Arena.
Follow the Tennessean’s live Predators game updates below:
Nashville Predators vs. Seattle Kraken: Live updates, highlights from NHL game
- Date and game time: 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20
- TV channel: TNT and truTV nationally
- Streaming info: FUBO (free trial available), MAX app
- Radio: 102.5 FM The Game
The Nashville Predators vs. Seattle Kraken game will be televised nationally on TNT and truTV, with streaming available via FUBO and MAX.
Odds according to BetMGM on Wednesday, Nov. 20
- PUCK LINE: Predators -1.5 at +180, Kraken +1.5 at -225
- O/U: 5.5 goals
- MONEY LINE: Kraken +120, Predators -140
All times central; Games on FanDuel Sports Network South unless otherwise noted
Record: 6-10-3, 15 points
October
- Oct. 10: Dallas Stars, L 4-3
- Oct. 12: at Detroit Red Wings, L 3-0
- Oct. 15: Seattle Kraken, L 7-3
- Oct. 17: Edmonton Oilers, L 4-2
- Oct. 19: Detroit Red Wings, L 5-2
- Oct. 22: Boston Bruins, W 4-0
- Oct. 25: at Chicago Blackhawks, W 3-2
- Oct. 26: Columbus Blue Jackets, W 4-3 OT
- Oct. 28: at Tampa Bay Lightning, L 3-2 OT
- Oct. 31: Edmonton Oilers, L 5-1
November
- Nov. 2: Colorado Avalanche, W 5-2
- Nov. 4: Los Angeles Kings, L 3-0
- Nov. 6: at Washington Capitals, L 3-2
- Nov. 7: at Florida Panthers, L 6-2
- Nov. 9: Utah Hockey Club, W 4-0
- Nov. 11: at Colorado Avalanche, L 3-2 OT
- Nov. 14: at Edmonton Oilers, L 3-2 OT
- Nov. 15: at Calgary Flames, L 2-0
- Nov. 17: at Vancouver Canucks, W 5-3
- Nov. 20: at Seattle Kraken, 9 p.m. on TNT
- Nov. 23: Winnipeg Jets, 6 p.m.
- Nov. 25: at New Jersey Devils, 6 p.m.
- Nov. 27: Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 29: Tampa Bay Lightning, 2 p.m.
- Nov. 30: at Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m.
December
- Dec. 4: at Toronto Maple Leafs, 6:30 p.m.
- Dec. 5: at Montreal Canadiens, 6 p.m.
- Dec. 7: at Ottawa Senators, 6 p.m.
- Dec. 10: Calgary Flames, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 12: at Dallas Stars, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 14: at Colorado Avalanche, 8 p.m.
- Dec. 17: New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 19: Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 21: Los Angeles Kings, 12:30 p.m.
- Dec. 23: Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 27: at St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 30: at Winnipeg Jets, 6:30 p.m.
- Dec. 31: at Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m.
January
- Jan. 3: at Vancouver Canucks, 9 p.m.
- Jan. 4: at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m.
- Jan. 7: at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 11: Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 14: Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 16: Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 18: Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 21: San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 23: at San Jose Sharks, 9:30 p.m.
- Jan. 25: at Anaheim Ducks, 9 p.m.
- Jan. 29: Vancouver Canucks, 8 p.m.
- Jan. 31: at Buffalo Sabres, 6 p.m.
February
- Feb. 1: at Pittsburgh Penguins, 6 p.m.
- Feb. 3: Ottawa Senators, 6:30 p.m.
- Feb. 7: at Chicago Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.
- Feb. 8: Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 22: Colorado Avalanche, 5 p.m.
- Feb. 23: New Jersey Devils, 5 p.m.
- Feb. 25: Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 27: Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m.
March
- March 1: at New York Islanders, 11:30 a.m.
- March 2: at New York Rangers, 6 p.m.
- March 4: at Boston Bruins, 6 p.m.
- March 6: Seattle Kraken, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
- March 8: Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m.
- March 11: at San Jose Sharks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (sign up here)
- March 14: at Anaheim Ducks, 9 p.m.
- March 15: at Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m.
- March 18: St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. on ESPN
- March 20: Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m.
- March 22: Toronto Maple Leafs, 6 p.m.
- March 23: at St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m.
- March 25: at Carolina Hurricanes, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (sign up here)
- March 27: St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m.
- March 29: Vegas Golden Knights, 5:30 p.m.
- March 31: at Philadelphia Flyers, 6 p.m.
April
- April 1: at Columbus Blue Jackets. 6 p.m.
- April 3: at Dallas Stars, 7 p.m.
- April 6: Montreal Canadiens, 6 p.m.
- April 8: New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
- April 10: at Utah Hockey Club, 8 p.m.
- April 12: at Vegas Golden Knights, 9 p.m.
- April 14: Utah Hockey Club, 7 p.m.
- April 16: Dallas Stars, 7 p.m.
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