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Sustainable and affordable Pantages Apartments opens its doors
Builds on City’s commitment to SeaGreen standards:
durable, energy-saving and healthy

Note: For information on renting a Pantages apartment, call (206) 329-7303

SEATTLE – Pantages Apartments, a sustainable development providing 49 new units of housing for low and extremely low-income families in Seattle, is opening its doors. Pantages is built in accordance with Seattle’s SeaGreen standards for environmentally conscious development – the eighth affordable housing project in Seattle to do so.

“Green building can sometimes seem difficult to achieve on the limited construction budgets with which affordable housing developers must contend. But with creative design and use of available incentive funding, sustainable building can be a reality,” says Betsy Hunter, Pantages Project Manager.

SeaGreen guidelines urge projects to incorporate green practices, coordinating them into development, design and construction efforts in a holistic manner. Pantages is an example of a project that included all SeaGreen essential action items and then went beyond SeaGreen to reach for a 3-Star Built Green^TM rating.

“Development teams and owners are committed to producing cost-effective, durable, practical, high quality healthy living environments that protect the environment by conserving resources, including energy, water and materials,” said Joanne Quinn, Office of Housing Sustainability Specialist, “but they are challenged by limited and highly competitive funding. Venturing beyond current practice, SeaGreen sustainable building strategies protect and enhance Seattle’s affordable housing stock and the community as a whole.”

Sustainable strategies at Pantages include:

• Deconstruction and salvage materials from 2 old houses on site prior to demolition. Some of these salvaged materials were reused in the new project.
• Salvaged and reused many existing plantings from original landscape. A Western Cedar that had to be removed because of location of new construction was carved into a totem pole by a local artist and donated back for the lobby.
• Rainwater cistern installed that stores 1175 gallons of stormwater used to irrigate landscape.
• 50+ year life span on exterior siding materials.
• Rain screen system behind exterior siding promotes longevity of materials and resists mold growth in the building.
• Low VOC paint on interior surfaces.
• Energy Star refrigerators.
• Seattle City Light’s Built Smart^SM program criteria: exceeding code for energy efficient lighting, heating, traction elevator, ventilation, insulation, in addition to better windows and thermostats.
• Windows with higher insulation value than energy code in the new construction.
• Flooring includes: natural linoleum, stained concrete, laminate wood floors, and carpet with recycled content.
• Walsh Construction achieved over 86% construction debris recycled.
• Landscape is planted with drought-tolerant and native species.
• Transit-oriented: minimal parking spaces, extra bike racks, located on several buslines.

Funded partially by the City of Seattle Office of Housing, Pantages also received City financial incentives for green building including Seattle City Light’s Built Smart^SM for Affordable Housing, HomeWise weatherization, and Built Green^TM Incentive Program funds.

Funding that promotes sustainable building is available through the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing. Beginning in 2003, all new applications for City funding must submit Sustainability Plans that incorporate at a minimum, all “essential” items noted in the City’s SeaGreen—Greening Seattle’s Affordable Housing Guide.

The City Office of Housing contributed $2.5 million dollars to this $9.9 million dollar project, which was developed by Capitol Hill Housing, designed by Stickney Murphy Romine Architects and built by Walsh Construction. The 49 units include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Eleven of the units are funded by Sound Families to help homeless families become more self-sufficient. Another ten units are funded by the Seattle Housing Authority and are replacements for Holly Park.

Pantages will be open to the public on December 15, 2005 at an Open House to celebrate its sustainable building successes. The building is located at 803 E. Denny Way. The community is welcome to attend.

Get the mayor’s inside view on initiatives to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm.

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Office of the Mayor

Office of the Housing

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