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Preliminary Proposal for Uptown Urban Center

PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL FOR UPTOWN URBAN CENTER

After more than three years of engaging community members in envisioning a vibrant future for the Uptown neighborhood, OPCD has issued a preliminary rezone recommendation. The proposal will result in an estimated 600 new affordable homes, neighborhood design standards that respond to community priorities, incentives for new arts and cultural spaces, improved connections to Seattle Center, and enhanced walkability in the Uptown Urban Center.

“Seattle continues to grow as our strong economy attracts new workers from across the country and around the world,” said OPCD Director Sam Assefa. “While we have done a great job of guiding that growth to our urban centers like Uptown, we have failed to grow affordably. We are implementing Mandatory Housing Affordability in Uptown, so that new development contributes to affordable housing options for low-income families.”

The proposal allows new building heights for many areas of the neighborhood already zoned for multi-family residential and mixed-use commercial buildings, providing much-needed capacity for market-rate and income-restricted housing within walking distance of South Lake Union, Belltown and Downtown. No zoning changes are proposed outside of the Uptown Urban Center or in single-family zones nearby. The iconic public views of the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline as seen from Kerry Park and other key view corridors are protected under the proposal. New development standards will support Green Streets with better connections to Seattle Center for a more walkable neighborhood.

Written public comment on the preliminary rezone recommendation can be submitted by writing to jim.holmes@seattle.gov.