Onni South Lake Union Explained

Onni South Lake Union
Alternate Names:1120 Denny Way
Status:Completed
Building Type:Residential
Location:1120 Denny Way
Seattle, Washington, US
Coordinates:47.6189°N -122.335°W
Start Date:2017
Opened Date:May 2022
Owner:Onni Group
Architecture Firm:Chris Dikeakos Architects
Developer:Onni Group
Structural Engineer:Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers
Unit Count:827 apartments
272 hotel rooms[1]
Parking:1,461 spaces
References:[2] [3]

Onni South Lake Union (Onni SLU), also known as 1120 Denny Way, is a complex of two high-rise residential buildings and a hotel in South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington, United States. The residential buildings—both be 41 stories tall—comprise a total of 827 apartments. They are connected by a 12-story hotel with retail and amenity space. 1120 Denny Way was developed by Onni Group, which is also redeveloping the adjacent Seattle Times Building site. The project began construction in 2017 and was completed in 2022.

History

The Seattle Times Company acquired much of its property in the late 1920s, prior to the construction of its headquarters building in 1931. The lot immediately south of the headquarters, facing Denny Way, was converted into a parking lot with a small park at its northeast corner. The company sought to redevelop the lot into a new office building in the 1990s, as part of a cancelled expansion project.[4] The Times Company put the parking lot up for sale in 2011, as part of its plans to sell its headquarters to private developers.[5]

In July 2013, The Times Company announced that it had sold the block, along with the adjoining headquarters, to Onni Group for $62.5 million.[6] The following year, Onni submitted designs for a four-tower project with 1,950 residential units on the two blocks, including a pair of 40-story towers on the Denny block.[7] The proposal included removal of the Seattle Times Park, which sparked outcry from nearby residents and local preservationist Peter Steinbrueck.[8] A revised plan to preserve the park was approved in July 2014, in exchange for raised building heights on the north block.[9] [10] The project was approved in 2016 and began construction in early 2017.[11] It was scheduled to be completed in 2020.[12] By May 2020, the project was 15 months behind schedule due to a reconfiguration of the penthouses and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

The residential portion opened in May 2022 as Onni South Lake Union.[14] The hotel portion, named Level South Lake Union, opened a month later with 272 rooms furnished similar to apartments for extended stays. The complex also has three swimming pools, a fitness center, and space for a grocery store and restaurants.[15] By October 2023, 95% of units in the residential portion were leased with monthly rents that ranged from $2,450 to $40,058.[16]

Design

Onni SLU is one of the largest residential projects to be constructed in the city's history.[17] The complex includes a 41-story, 425adj=midNaNadj=mid tower on the northwest corner of the block, facing Boren Avenue and John Street; a 41-story, 415adj=midNaNadj=mid tower on the southeast corner, facing Denny Way and Fairview Avenue; and a 12-story hotel podium on the southwest corner, facing Denny Way and Boren Avenue. The northeast corner is the historic Seattle Times Park, which was expanded to accommodate new public spaces around the project.[2]

The three buildings comprise a total of 827 apartments and 272 hotel units;[16] they were designed to be convertible into condominiums.[18] The complex also has of retail space and 1,461 underground parking spaces.[2] [19] The podium includes multiple landscaped rooftop decks, as well as two outdoor swimming pools, garden spaces, a solarium, and a children's play area.[19] The podium's exterior incorporates historic headlines from The Seattle Times etched into the façade between floors.[20] Early proposals for the complex included the use of a district heating system to save energy.[21]

Notes and References

  1. News: Miller . Brian . July 20, 2022 . Onni starts digging up dirt for offices within landmarked Seattle Times facade . Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce . January 10, 2023.
  2. Web site: May 19, 2016 . 1120 Denny Way Mixed-Use Project: 2nd Design Recommendation . Seattle Department of Planning and Development . November 15, 2017.
  3. Web site: 1120 Denny Way Project . https://web.archive.org/web/20171116082140/https://www.emporis.com/complex/129621 . dead . November 16, 2017 . Emporis.
  4. News: Buck . Richard . June 11, 1996 . Times gets OK for $150 million building project . D1 . The Seattle Times.
  5. News: Pryne . Eric . January 28, 2011 . Times sells building to California real-estate investors . A10 . The Seattle Times . November 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161016225300/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2014059205_denny28.html . October 16, 2016 . dead .
  6. News: Bhatt . Sanjay . August 1, 2013 . Seattle Times Co. reaches $62.5M deal for SLU parcels . A11 . The Seattle Times . November 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161011114950/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021509200_dennysalexml.html . October 11, 2016 . dead .
  7. News: March 18, 2014 . Onni plans nearly 2,000 units for Seattle Times blocks . . subscription . November 15, 2017.
  8. News: Stiles . Marc . May 16, 2014 . Private green space at center of uproar . . subscription . November 15, 2017.
  9. News: Bhatt . Sanjay . July 16, 2014 . Onni wants taller towers in return for saving green space in South Lake Union . A9 . The Seattle Times . November 15, 2017 . November 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171115230841/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2024077515_onnigrouptowersxml.html . dead .
  10. News: Stiles . Marc . July 15, 2014 . For the birds: Seattle's biggest project gets even taller . Puget Sound Business Journal . November 15, 2017.
  11. News: Stiles . Mrac . December 8, 2016 . Construction starts soon on mega South Lake Union residential project . Puget Sound Business Journal . November 15, 2017.
  12. News: Stiles . Marc . May 8, 2017 . Massive South Lake Union residential project might swap apartments for office space . Puget Sound Business Journal . subscription . November 15, 2017.
  13. News: Khashimova Long . Katherine . May 30, 2020 . Big developer backs out of $25M South Lake Union land deal, blaming coronavirus downturn . The Seattle Times . May 30, 2020.
  14. News: Stiles . Marc . June 1, 2022 . As Onni's big Seattle project fills up, Holland moves forward with tower plan at old Elephant Car Wash site . Puget Sound Business Journal . subscription . October 18, 2023.
  15. News: Thompson . Joey . April 11, 2022 . Upscale hotel at site of former Seattle Times building set to open . Puget Sound Business Journal . subscription . October 18, 2023.
  16. News: Stiles . Marc . October 18, 2023 . Onni gears up to start construction on South Lake Union high-rise . October 18, 2023.
  17. News: DeMay . Daniel . February 3, 2016 . Proposed dual 41-story towers on Denny Way . . November 15, 2017.
  18. News: Stiles . Marc . May 16, 2014 . Condos or apartments? Canadian developer shares details of mega project in Seattle . Puget Sound Business Journal . November 15, 2017.
  19. News: Bentley . Kristin . May 25, 2016 . Vancouver-Based Developer To Build Largest Residential Project in Seattle's South Lake Union Neighborhood . . November 15, 2017.
  20. News: May 12, 2016 . Read all about it: Onni tweaks the design for huge SLU development . Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce . November 15, 2017.
  21. News: February 1, 2016 . Onni Group looking at district energy system as part of huge SLU complex . Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce . November 15, 2017.