Community Post

Don’t Pop the Cork Just Yet, Marty

While I am glad to see the SLOG cover the Union and MLK development (not exactly an endorsement), the community has just begun to learn more about the project and has not exactly wrapped its collective arms around it…YET.

In fact, several members of the community at the intersection of the CD and Madrona attended the Design Review Board’s hearing on the project.

In general, folks are for development, but the details as laid out drew serious concerns from nearly all attending. Specifically the concerns were about height (going from 3 to essentially 5 stories with rooftop structures), sidewalk setbacks and overall look and feel of the building.

Also, parking was clearly an area of concern. There will be 25 units with 25 spaces underground, so presumably there will be 15-20 cars added to the street.

Marty appeared eager to listen, but it will be interesting to see what he does to address neighborhood concern.

Again, I think everybody is excited about the prospect, but wants to know more and understand how he plans to pull off a pretty ambitious project (solar panels on roof, practice space for musicians, rooftop gardening, exercise machines that pump electricity back into the grid).

0 thoughts on “Don’t Pop the Cork Just Yet, Marty

  1. Its hard to understand how some folks feel there will be 15 to 20 extra cars on the street due to this project- possibly on a temporary basis due to the retail activity but it seems like the group liked our ideas for retail tenants. Additionally, the on-site parking is on grade, covered by a green roof, and not underground like one blogger described. Finally, its hard to see how a solar greenhouse on the roof which is setback from the building edges and is barely visible from the street constitutes a 5 story building- a bit of an exxageration I think. As we showed at the presentation, we’ve set back the building on the west side of the site about 60 feet to allow for solar access to the townhouses west of our building, instead of the 10 feet that the code permits which would have eliminated much of the sunshine to these homes. Regards all.

  2. I just wanted to give Marty a plug. In 1999 my husband (then boyfriend) purchased one of Marty’s townhomes on 15th Ave. The townhome was well designed, well built and didn’t fit the cookie cutter projects that are popping up all over the CD. In an nutshell, it was a quality home.

    I am excited to see that Marty is planning on building something else in the neighborhood. We like the retail space he built on 34th and Spring. Based on his track record, I am confident that Marty will build another thoughtful space that serves the residents and the community well.

  3. I have seen the perspective rendering of the proposed building (actually a massing study sans fenestration). It is architecture at its most dreadful. As some wag put it on another forum about this building I read, “it looks like Rapunzel’s castle crash landed on an American colonial-era frontier log fort.” That’s an apt description. For all the talk of attracting pedestrians to the area, its street level facade is not the least bit pedestrian friendly. Surely Marty can do better.

  4. I think that Marty was responsible for the horrible peoject across from Madrona park that houses the cupcake place …. the units are horrible and I imagine the project will wear poorly as have the projects up on 15th ..he uses cheap cheap building materials. tenants might get a break but the neighborhood pays for years and years … the project for MLK sounds great but sadly looks horrible.