4/C, also known as 4th & Columbia, is a proposed supertall skyscraper in Seattle, Washington, United States. If built, the 1,020-foot-tall (310 m), 91-story tower would be the tallest in Seattle, surpassing the neighboring Columbia Center, and the first supertall in the Pacific Northwest. The project has been under development by Miami-based Crescent Heights since 2015 and undergone several design changes and modifications under three architecture firms. As of 2023, 4/C is expected to have 1,090 residential units—apartments up to the 64th floor and condominiums from the 65th to 90th floor—along with several coworking and retail spaces. The latest version was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

4/C
Design render of 4/C, 2022
4/C is located in Seattle WA Downtown
4/C
Site of the proposed building within downtown Seattle
Alternative names4th & Columbia
General information
StatusProposed
TypeMixed-use
Address701 4th Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Coordinates47°36′14″N 122°19′53″W / 47.6040184°N 122.3314913°W / 47.6040184; -122.3314913
Owner4th & Columbia LLC
Height
Roof1,020 feet (310 m)
Technical details
Floor count91
Floor area1.2 million square feet (110,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firmSkidmore, Owings & Merrill
DeveloperCrescent Heights
Other information
Number of units1,090
Parking873 spaces
Website
www.crescentheightsseattle.com
References
[1][2]

History

edit

Crescent Heights bought the half-block property, which was home to two parking garages owned by the Costacos family, for $48.75 million in September 2015.[3] The project was announced during the same month, standing 1,111 feet (339 m) tall with 102 stories,[4][5] as the first supertall skyscraper in the Pacific Northwest and surpassing the neighboring Columbia Center, which is 933 feet (284 m) tall.[6] Its initial design, led by LMN Architects, had a total of 1.2 million square feet (110,000 m2) in gross leasable area split between 1,200 apartments, 150 hotel rooms, 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2) of office space, and retail.[7]

Concerns over the supertall skyscraper affecting traffic from nearby Boeing Field and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to review the project, similar to concerns shared with the nearby Columbia Center when it was built in the 1980s.[8] On January 4, 2016, the FAA sent a "notice of presumed hazard" to Crescent Heights regarding the 102-story building and recommended reducing the height to 965 feet (294 m), slightly shorter than the Columbia Center, for a favorable determination.[9][10] The FAA was also concerned that the tower crane required for the skyscraper's construction would interfere with helicopter operations at nearby Harborview Medical Center, resulting in a temporary closure of the hospital's helipad.[11]

The proposal was downsized from 101 to 100 stories in February 2016, reducing the number of residential units by 100 rooms and removing half of the proposed hotel rooms.[12] Ahead of a design review meeting in early March, Crescent Heights scaled back its plans further, proposing a 1,029-foot (314 m) skyscraper with only 93 stories to comply with the FAA's request. The adjusted height would make the building taller than the nearby Columbia Center and the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles, but fall short of the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles and the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco.[13][14] Crescent Heights also submitted an alternative 959-foot (292 m) proposal for design review, which would fall short of the Columbia Center.[13]

A new design by ODA named "Seattle Tower" was released in June 2020, featuring a 1,185-foot (361 m) high-rise with a large central cutout facing south to create views of Mount Rainier.[15][16] The design proposal was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for fresh air during self-isolation and quarantine, according to ODA.[17] A revised plan submitted in October 2022 includes 1,018 residential units—of which 234 are condominiums on the upper floors—amenity spaces on the 62nd and 63rd floors, and coworking spaces. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was listed as the architect for the project.[18]

Design

edit

As of 2023, the revised design for the building is a 91-story supertall tower that stands 1,020-foot (310 m) at the top of its mechanical penthouse. It would comprise 1.2 million square feet (110,000 m2) of interior space, primarily for 1,090 residential units that are divided between 856 apartments from the 3rd to 61st floors and condominiums from the 65th to 90th floors. These residential units would average 766 square feet (71.2 m2) for apartments and 1,034 square feet (96.1 m2) for condominiums; the three penthouses on the 90th floor, at 968 feet (295 m) above street level, would have up to 1,778 square feet (165.2 m2) each.[19] Amenity spaces for the apartments and condominiums would be separated between the 62nd and 63rd floors, respectively; additional coworking and lounge areas are also planned for the ninth and tenth floors.[20]

Several retail spaces are also planned on the north side of the building. The design also includes 873 parking spaces split between an underground garage and five floors aboveground that are served using a car elevator rather than traditional ramps.[19] In earlier designs, the garage was proposed to be built for future conversion to housing and office space, using level floor plates and pre-built components for electrical and climate control equipment.[21]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "4/C". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
  2. ^ "4/C". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Miami firm pays $49M for half-block on Fourth". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  4. ^ "Crescent Heights: 4/C tower will be 1,111 feet". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  5. ^ Stiles, Marc (September 25, 2015). "First peek: With added floor, new Seattle skyscraper will be 'approximately 102 stories'". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  6. ^ Bhatt, Sanjay (November 16, 2015). "Seattle about to enter elite skyscraper club". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  7. ^ Stiles, Marc (August 26, 2015). "Miami developer plans huge, new skyscraper in downtown Seattle". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  8. ^ Stiles, Marc (September 24, 2015). "Proposed 101-story Seattle skyscraper is so tall the FAA is reviewing the plan". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. ^ Stiles, Marc (January 4, 2016). "FAA says proposed 102-story tower is too tall". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  10. ^ DeMay, Daniel (January 4, 2016). "Proposed 102-story tower would be too tall for FAA approval". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Markovich, Matt (January 4, 2016). "Proposed 101-story Seattle skyscraper hits FAA snag". KOMO News. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  12. ^ Stiles, Marc (February 17, 2016). "Downsized: Seattle's mega skyscraper now has only 100 floors". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  13. ^ a b "Crescent Heights shows new images for a shorter 4/C tower on 4th Ave". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  14. ^ Pacheco, Antonio (June 21, 2016). "Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles vie for tallest tower west of the Mississippi". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  15. ^ Harrouk, Christele (June 9, 2020). "ODA Introduces New Approach to Tower Building in Seattle". ArchDaily. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  16. ^ Klein, Kristine (June 8, 2020). "ODA carves high-rise park into residential tower proposed for Seattle". Dezeen. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "High-Rise Park Carved into a Residential Tower Proposed for Seattle". Tall & Urban News. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  18. ^ Stiles, Marc (January 18, 2023). "Height of Crescent Heights' planned Seattle skyscraper cut by over 150 feet". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Miller, Brian (March 2, 2023). "On the Block: The mystery of Crescent Heights". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  20. ^ Stiles, Marc (January 18, 2023). "Height of Crescent Heights' planned Seattle skyscraper cut by over 150 feet". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  21. ^ Marshall, Aarian (November 2, 2016). "It's Time to Think About Living in Parking Garages". Wired. Retrieved November 11, 2016.