Washing, drying, and folding a hospital’s laundry is big business, one that until recently belonged to the Central District.
Now, though, the Hospital Central Services Administration (HCSA), which serves Swedish, Virginia Mason, Overlake Medical Center, Providence Health & Services and Seattle Children’s, is shuttering the laundry facility that has operated at 1300 E. Columbia St. since 1966.
Current hospital laundry facility at 1300 E. Columbia St.
The HCSA is relocating to a new, ultra-green facility in Auburn. With the move, over 150 new jobs will be created in Auburn — and that means those jobs are leaving the Central District.
The HCSA is also selling the building, and according to a report in the Puget Sound Business Journal, there has been a lot of interest. Current zoning would allow a five-story residential project on the site. The large, 1.4-acre site is one of the few large development plots remaining in Seattle.
The building is also in Seattle University’s overlay, and we’re currently awaiting word from Seattle U’s facilities department to see whether they’re interested in buying the building. When we know more, we’ll pass it along to you.
The Auburn location better be “ultra green” to make up for the multiple 50 mile round trips they’ve created.
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far cheaper to operate in Auburn vs. Seattle, even with transportation costs. I once thought about locating in Seattle but the same space in kent/auburn was a 1/4 of the cost, just in rent.