SEATTLE—While construction on the Zella Apartments began two years prior to adoption of the city's mandatory housing affordability legislation, Pastakia + Associates voluntarily rezoned to allow increased height and density while adding units to support housing affordability. In addition to using the multifamily tax exemption program to add units at 80% area median income, the project voluntarily added eight additional units at 60% area median income prior to the mandatory affordability requirements. In total, more than a quarter of the building's homes are affordable to tenants earning 60 to 80% of area median income through the multifamily tax exception program and Seattle's Housing and Livability Agenda program.

The Seattle-based property development firm recently launched the seven-story multifamily building. Located at 429 Second Ave. West in Seattle's popular lower Queen Anne neighborhood, the 114,000-square-foot 128-unit residential apartment building features a mix of one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units and 38 live/work spaces. Since the building's soft opening earlier this month, 62% of the units have been pre-leased.

“We're really proud of the affordable housing components achieved in this new building,” Tejal Pastakia, Pastakia + Associates managing principal, tells GlobeSt.com. “Our work to bring additional affordable and workforce units to the building was voluntary and much in advance of the city's new requirements. This achievement reflects our commitment to always finding creative development solutions and adding the right mix of housing to each individual project.”

Amenities at the Zella Apartments include stainless steel appliances, floor-to-ceiling windows and white stone counter tops. Community amenities include a double-height lobby with electric fireplace/built-in seating elements, resident lounge, fitness center, and rooftop amenity space with dog run and fire pit.

Residents at the Zella Apartments can choose from 29 floor plans in the building comprised of brick, metal panels, fiber cement panels and cedar siding. Secure on-site parking is provided including 52 below-grade parking stalls, along with secure parking spaces for 33 bicycles.

The property is located within walking distance of Seattle's popular Seattle Center including Key Arena, McCaw Hall, Pacific Science Center, MoPop and the Space Needle. This location is near a mix of restaurants, shops and residential communities in lower Queen Anne.

Slated for US Green Building Council LEED for Homes certification, the Zella Apartments also features numerous eco-friendly elements, with everything from the building materials to the apartment's circulation formulated for optimal energy flow, including energy-efficient interior/exterior LED fixtures, energy-efficient heat pumps/hot water heaters, electric-resistance heat in units, a solar panel array and green elements on the roof.

The landscape at Zella is also designed to achieve low water use while being low maintenance, with an emphasis on native and drought-resistant ornamental plants that have proven successful in the Puget Sound climate. Additionally, trees on Second Avenue West were preserved, with plants designed to act as natural filtration areas in bio-filtration planters while providing pollutant removal and some storm water infiltration.

Project team members on the Zella Apartments project include Pastakia + Associates (developer), Graham Construction (general contractor), Encore Architects (architect), Object | Space (Interior designer), Greystar (property manager) with CBRE as project lender via the US Department of Housing & Urban Development.

In addition to the Zella Apartments, Pastakia has numerous projects underway or completed in Seattle and the surrounding region, including Bogtown Flats, Surrey on Main Apartments in Bellevue, Fremont Crossing office building and Aria Flats in Redmond.

Multifamily finance professionals see strong fundamentals in multifamily, with 37% of a recent survey citing this as the biggest positive factor for the sector this year. Multifamily professionals also named availability of capital and job growth as positives for 2019.

“Despite the impact of some external pressures and uncertainties, we're looking at a multifamily industry that is confident in its core fundamentals,” said Jeff Lee, president, Capital One Multifamily Finance. “Supply is tracking well with demand, and both buyers and sellers remain optimistic about economic conditions.”

Instant Insights /

Affordability is at the Foundation of Multifamily Project

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