Seneca Towers

Laconia, LLC and Time Equities purchased this site in 2005/6 and worked with Mulvanny G2 Architecture from project design through bidding and permitting with Lehman Brothers providing the development financing and construction loan commitment.

Located on First Hill at 8th and Seneca Streets and overlooking Freeway Park, this LEED design consisted of two towers, one 11-story and one 25-story. The 11 story tower contained 2 story high, mezzanine lofts and is connected to the higher tower by sky bridges every other floor.   The two towers contained 294 Condominiums, totaling 372,000 SF including 5 basement floors of parking. The unit mix included one and two bedroom flats, two bedroom mezzanine apartments, as well as a mix of studios which ranged from 360 to 450 SF.  Amenities included two roof-top gardens, a theatre, fitness center, and an interior courtyard.  As with Icon Tower, the 2007 recession halted progress, and in 2010 Laconia proceeded with development with new partners and a modified design.  Both designs included a publicly accessed bridge connecting the complex to Freeway Park, a historically underused park that spans over Interstate-5 and ties the complex to Seattle’s downtown business core as well as the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. With a broad sidewalk that effectively serves as a new south entrance to Freeway Park, the Seneca Towers design provides a “yard” for its residents that is an organic part of the city.  The increasing park usage, not only by its residents, but also by patrons of Town Hall and other nearby properties who would be invited to walk through the park on their way elsewhere, enhances the area’s urban feel while increasing the “eyes’ on the park, and thus safety.  As Project Director of Acquisition and Development for TEI (the managing member of the development entity), Glenn Erikson, PhD, AIA managed the asset and its development process while Laconia was assigned the day to day management.