Wright Runstad & Company has announced that a Master Use Permit was issued by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) for the redevelopment project of Rainier Square in downtown Seattle.
"This is a big milestone for Rainier Square," said Greg Johnson, president of Wright Runstad & Company. "The Master Use Permit is the culmination of the city's land use and design review and public comment period. The design incorporates feedback from the design review board for a bolder and more dramatic sweeping curve up the east face of the tower. The exciting visual interplay between the new tower and existing Rainier Tower makes Rainier Square a strong complement to one of the city's most iconic buildings."
According to their press release in Business Wire, the redevelopment project will include a tower of 58 stories containing more than 750,000 square feet of office space and approximately 200 apartment units, 30,000 square feet of distinctive restaurants and retail shops, a separate 12-storey premium hotel building with 155 rooms in the mixed-use complex, and a new underground garage that can accommodate parking for more than 1,200 cars.
"Not only does Rainier Square provide jobs for our union members but [the project] also reflects the pride we all feel in the great buildings of Seattle," said Jeff Glockner, Business Manager of Iron Workers Local #86. "We congratulate Wright Runstad on this milestone and look forward to building the new Rainier Square."
Rainier Square is a part of the University of Washington's Metropolitan Tract that also includes other buildings such as the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, the 5th Avenue Theater, and the IBM Building. The 11-acre lot used to be the original location of the university before it was transferred to its present location in 1895.
"It's an exciting time in our urban core, with a really wide range of activity that will transform this area of downtown," said Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO, Jon Scholes. "From streetscape improvements to new retail, restaurants and large-scale developments, there's a lot of momentum here, and a number of these projects are contributing to affordable housing, providing even greater benefit to the community."
