Coming to E Olive Way

With an ongoing housing affordability crisis and a development landscape across the city, Capitol Hill, and the Central District that has been frozen by challenges around interest rates and inflation construction costs, it might feel like Seattle will never be able to build its way out of trouble. News that a long-pushed “neighborhood center” growth plan that would open the way for denser development in more parts of the city will be further delayed won’t help.

There are empty lots and stalled plans. One of the most prominent dead spots is where the old Olive Way Improvement Company building used to stand. The corner block of Denny and E Olive Way has been cleared for years but the development project, like most others, remains locked in economic purgatory.

There is also hope. On Capitol Hill, a new eight-story apartment building under construction at Broadway and Pine as part of the Constellation Center affordable housing, youth education, skills training, and employment academy project in partnership with YouthCare will open in 2027. There are market rate housing pioneers in this frozen era too. The seven-story Tanager Apartments now rises above the cluster of music clubs and bars it was designed to puzzle-piece together with at 14th and Madison.

Across Capitol Hill and nearby areas, there are rumbles of activity where planning is underway and, sometimes, crews are digging in. The current era of projects is an interesting mix of one of a kind, public-backed projects like the Constellation Center and market rate ventures advancing because of peculiar financing windows and unique opportunities.

Here are ten projects in the area CHS found that continue to move forward despite the frozen conditions.

Ten Capitol Hill-Area Projects Cracking the Development Freeze

1. 1651 E Olive Way
   Permit: 6979957-DM
   Status: Issued (October 9, 2026)
   Valuation: $57,000,000
   Scope: Demolition of the north commercial office building and associated south parking structure to clear the site for an 8-story, 173-unit mixed-use apartment building with ground-floor commercial space and 94 below-grade parking stalls (MUP 3039620-LU).
2. 1121 E Fir St
   Permit: 6782317-CN
   Status: Issued (February 24, 2026)
   Valuation: $16,480,355
   Scope: Construction of a 8-story mixed-use building featuring 118 residential apartment units, and ground-level retail.
3. Fred Hutch Cancer Center (1208 Eastlake Ave E)
   Permits: 7130750-CN and 7143517-CN
   Status: Reviews in Process (Applied September 22, 2026) / Issued (September 17, 2026)
   Valuation: $20,700,000 (Lab expansion) / $650,000 (Shared circulation)
   Scope: Substantial interior alterations and mechanical upgrades to Level 1 of an existing commercial facility to build out expanded wet/dry life science laboratories.
4. 1530 E Fir St
   Permit: 7099881-CN (MUP 3043274-LU)
   Status: Ready for Issuance (Plan review completed September 18, 2026)
   Valuation: $8,204,949
   Scope: Construction of a 6-story, 34-unit apartment building with below-grade parking, developed under religious-organization affordable housing provisions (SMC 23.42.055) for households at or below 80% AMI.
5. 228 11th Ave E
   Permits: 6837439-CN and 6837441-DM
   Status: Issued (June 3, 2026) / Demolition Completed (May 18, 2026)
   Valuation: $6,071,878
   Scope: Demolition of an existing apartment building and construction of a new multifamily apartment building creating 70 residential units.
6. Bertschi School (2227 10th Ave E)
   Permits: 6964136-CN and 6964137-DM
   Status: Issued (April 14, 2026) / Demolition Completed (May 16, 2025)
   Valuation: $3,546,730 (Addition) / $4,132,000 (Demolition)
   Scope: Removal of the former School House structure and site barriers, followed by construction of a multi-level school addition, exterior decks, and alterations to the existing campus building.
7. 1305 E Jefferson St
   Permits: 6801644-DM and 6801643-CN
   Status: Demolition Issued (March 4, 2026) / Construction in Review
   Valuation: $6,000,000 (Demolition) / $5,443,399 (Construction)
   Scope: Demolition of an existing single-story commercial structure formerly home to a succession of short-lived restaurants to advance development of a mixed-use residential apartment building with ground-floor restaurant and retail space.
8. 1312 E Olive St
   Permit: 6981107-CN
   Status: Issued (March 25, 2026)
   Valuation: $2,484,123
   Scope: Construction of a multi-family residential building establishing 9 attached rowhouses.
9. 300 11th Ave E
   Permits: 7065494-CN and 7065495-DM
   Status: Construction Issued (August 28, 2026) / Demolition Issued (March 10, 2026)
   Valuation: $1,922,032 (Construction) / $2,000,000 (Demolition)
   Scope: Demolition of a single-family dwelling and construction of a multifamily building containing 6 attached dwelling units.
10. 1708 & 1710 25th Ave
    Permits: 7091167-CN, 7113564-CN, and 7091168-DM
    Status: Construction Issued (October 6, 2026) / Demolition Issued (September 30, 2026)
    Valuation: $1,943,378 combined construction / $1,330,000 demolition
    Scope: Removal of an existing multifamily building and construction of two separate 3-unit townhouse structures (6 residential units total).

New Hope

How about an 11th that adds a little more hope for affordability in the central city? At 116 21st Ave and 123 21st Ave, construction topped out this summer on the New Hope Family Housing project. The development has created two seven-story buildings on each side of the street on church properties. Combined, the project from the Low Income Housing Institute located on land owned by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church is adding 92 units including 28 two-bedroom apartments. The new housing will serve families and individuals earning up to 50% and 60% of the area median income.

When will more join the growth? While the economic tides play out, Seattle is also considering a plan that would slash Seattle development fees up to 80% — if builders hurry up and break ground.

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The legislation would amend municipal code to give SDHR authority to design, bargain, and implement early retirements. While the city offered similar programs in 1996 and 2002 to “mitigate layoffs on the City’s workforce in anticipation of significant revenue shortfalls,” a council analysis noted that unlike those prior initiatives, the legislation being proposed this week would not require explicit council approval to enact.

The City Budget Office estimates payouts will cost around $6.5 million, in addition to $2.3 million of sick/vacation cashouts above normal. The CBO expects departments to absorb these costs using “vacancy savings” without additional appropriations.

According to council documents, officials do not anticipate savings in 2027 due to upfront incentives, but CBO “aims to save around $8 million GF per year ongoing” starting in 2028.

The plan comes under Mayor Katie Wilson’s 2027-2028 budget proposal which would wipe out a $175 million deficit without tax increases or withdrawals from city reserves. The proposal would cut roughly $50 million annually in General Fund spending by eliminating 128 positions and aligning departmental budgets with historical costs, pairing these cuts with $50 million in shuffled funding by leveraging JumpStart payroll tax revenues to cover core services and homelessness programs.

As the council shapes the budget over the coming weeks, arts organizations have called on leaders to move $6 million from spending on police hiring to support artists in the city.

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(Image: Acer House)

Acer House, the new “Afrofuturist”-styled development at the corner of 23rd and Cherry, is seeking its first residents. It also has two commercial tenants lined up to bring the corner back to life.

Permits show plans for a new Drip Drip Coffee cafe at the corner along with a neighboring canine grooming business called Dog Wash.

The businesses will open where neighborhood favorite Flowers Just 4 U once stood as part of the new mixed-use development from the Great Expectations development firm.

CHS reported in late 2023 on a crucial city council decision approving a surgical rezone for the property that would allow the five-and-a-half-story apartment building development to move forward.

Of the 114 planned apartments ranging in size from about 400-square-foot studios to two-bedroom units between 700 and 800 square fee, 30% are reserved for low-income residents under the Mandatory Housing Affordability and Multifamily Tax Exemption requirements.

The Urban Black commercial property management firm working on the development told CHS it also had hopes to add a childcare provider to the project.

You can learn more about the building and lease opportunities at acer.house.

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(Image: Pizza Rasoi)

Capitol Hill’s only nano-brewery now has a pizza counter with global flavors. Pizza Rasoi is serving inside 12th Ave’s Outer Planet Brewing.

Founded by Maahir Kasliwal, Pizza Rasoi is kind of like if you beamed up a slice and a curry at the same time, mixing the energy fields of an Indian kitchen into pizza. Chef Kasliwal’s creations center on hand-crafted dough topped with aromatic curries and marinades, pitching each pie as “a bold Desi twist on your favorite comfort slice.”

Pizza Rasoi directly translates to “Pizza Kitchen.”

Kasliwal’s venture has grown as a pop-up and with its first spot located inside South Lake Union self-serve bar Tapster.

The Capitol Hill menu now being served at Outer Planet features $20 medium pies anchored by chicken and housemade paneer options across regional profiles.

The lineup includes classic Tikka atop a “rich and creamy tomato tikka sauce,” Achari dusted in a “Mustard and fennel forward pickling spice blend,” Hariyali finished with sliced jalapeños and julienne ginger on a “rich and herby spinach and cilantro puree,” and a cardamom-tinged Malai sauce, alongside a Lasooni chicken tikka featuring a “bright yogurt herb base” topped with “confit garlic” and garlic oil.

The arrival of Pizza Rasoi on 12th Ave adds to the street’s slice selection. The Brunton brothers opened Roma Roma in February with Roman-style pizza sold by the pound in the space formerly home to the Capitol Hill Racher’s Ginger Beer.

The new addition is part of new growth at tiny Outer Planet which celebrated new ownership last fall  as beer maker Amory Carhart took over the 2015-born microbrewery wedged in beneath microhousing.

Pizza Rasoi is now open inside Outer Planet Brewing at 1812 12th Ave. Learn more at pizzarasoi.com.

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The video posted around 9 AM shows tactical law enforcement personnel gathered around the open driver’s door of a sedan parked in the market lot along Bellevue Ave with an unmarked dark patrol vehicle stationed directly behind it. The vehicle is pinned by the unmarked enforcement cruiser directly behind it in an operation that unfolds in broad daylight alongside passing morning neighborhood activity, including a stopped yellow school bus and nearby pedestrians.

The officers are clustered inside the open driver’s side doorframe of the car, either restraining or handcuffing an occupant or taking someone into custody near the vehicle.

While the clip is labeled as an “I.C.E.” operation, the tactical gear and unmarked vehicle could also be federal task force or regional units, making the exact agency unconfirmed from the visual evidence alone.

CHS is checking with officials to learn more.

In August, CHS reported on a video showing an operation on 10th Ave E involving similar agents. In that video, one officer dismisses questions, stating, “I’m not getting into this with you guys” before remarking, “Biden hired me. I don’t know what to tell you.”

Regional spokesperson for ICE Alethea Smock did not respond to our previous inquiries about operations in the neighborhood.

Reports from efforts like the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network show that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field operations have continued across Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest.

@ovo_axel I.C.E in Capitol Hill this morning. #seattle #capitolhill #fyp #becareful #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Axel

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