For those who have been paying attention to Downtown Seattle’s skyline, you may have noticed a significant increase in new mixed-use construction, condo conversions, and other residential highrise developments. There are over a dozen different projects totalling over two thousand new units currently underway, and researchers are confident that market demand will continue to increase for these types of housing.
Skeptics are wary of flooding the market with too many condominiums at once, but developers say that the target income brackets for high end condos in the Downtown and South Lake Union areas are some of the fastest growing in Seattle. Attempting to attract empty-nesters away from big suburban homes is done with the promise of luxury amenities and convenience- who wants to mow the lawn when you can go to the spa instead? Another target group is upwardly mobile young professionals who want to live close to the restaurants and nightlife of Seattle’s downtown core.
Regardless of who buys, the benefits of urban living are being packaged and marketed en masse by various projects, from luxury condos on top of hotels to modern urban lofts that appeal to Seattle’s hipsters and artists. With change on the horizon, the question remains of what type of communities will form within and around these new developments. Thankfully, with Seattle’s inclination towards urban villages as more walkable and liveable neighborhoods, shared open and green spaces will help to add some personality and character to what could otherwise become a cold and colorless exercise in urban density. If you’re wanting to move into the city, you better act fast- many units are pre-selling quickly!
