2.0 EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS ALASKAN WAY WESTERN AVE POST ALLEY ANALYSIS

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1 2.0 ANALYSIS EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS The Union Street corridor offers an excellent visual connection to the waterfront and bay, but due to the sharp changes in grade, its role as a pedestrian link is limited today. Within the project boundary, the ground elevation rises 39 feet from Alaskan Way to Post Alley, and 78 feet to the Four Seasons Plaza at Upper Union. The lower block of Union Street opens onto Alaskan Way on the east side at elevation 16 feet, and continues to the base of a 20-foot-high retaining wall supporting the western side of Western Avenue. Between Western Avenue and Post Alley, Union Street rises at a grade of about 15% to 55 feet, and ends at a 37-foot-high garage/building wall that supports upper Union Street. AERIAL PHOTO OF UNION STREET Rooftop Parking 84 Union St 98 Union St CLL Seattle Antiques Market ALASKAN WAY Loading Zone WESTERN AVE 25 SW 30 UNION ST 14 SW POST ALLEY CLL Public Storage SW WESTERN AVE 10 BIKE SW LANE Seattle Steam Seattle City Light Substation Four Seasons Hotel 373 UNION STREET PROJECT AREA 20 Book 4: Union Street Schematic Design

2 Schematic Design EXISTING PLAN ACCESS TO PIKE PLACE MARKET CLL ROOFTOP PARKING SEATTLE ANTIQUES MARKET TW UNION ST (Architectural Interest) 98 UNION ST ALASKAN WAY % LOADING SCL vault access STAIR (to be removed) WESTERN AVE % BS SERVICE ACCESS 15% TREES (to remain) STAIR GARAGE (to be removed) FACADE 12% POST ALLEY CLL Pedestrian Bridge TS Bench / fountain PUBLIC STORAGE SEATTLE STEAM FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ACCESS TO HARBOR STEPS LOWER UNION MIDDLE UNION UPPER UNION 2.0 ANALYSIS: 21

3 APPROX HEIGHT ANALYSIS ROOFTOP PARKING SEATTLE ANTIQUES MARKET CAVITY BLANK WALL WESTERN AVE 4.5% PUBLIC STORAGE STAIRS (TO BE REMOVED) % APPROX LOADING ZONE LOWER UNION SITE ANALYSIS 22 Book 4: Union Street Schematic Design

4 Schematic Design FOUR SEASONS HOTEL 84 UNION ST THOA S RESTAURANT STAIR (TO REMAIN) ATTRACTIVE FACADE AND TREES APPROX PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACCESS TO PIKE PLACE MARKET ACCESS TO HARBOR STEPS POST ALLEY 12% % APPROX MIDDLE UNION SITE ANALYSIS 2.0 ANALYSIS: 23

5 ANALYSIS FOUR SEASONS HOTEL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO MARKETPLACE FLATS STAIR (TO BE REMOVED) PROPOSED STAIR ACCESS BENCH/ FOUNTAIN/ SCULPTURE ARAGONA 24 PROPOSED DECK APPROX. 35 APPROX. 9 RAISED CURB FLUSH CURB UPPER UNION SITE ANALYSIS 24 Book 4: Union Street Schematic Design

6 Schematic Design % 20-0 TIDELINE PROMENADE ALASKAN WAY SW LOWER UNION SW SW WESTERN AVE MIDDLE UNION POST ALLEY UPPER UNION EXISTING SECTION MAIN CORRIDOR SD-PHASE EXISTING CONDITIONS * NO ADA-COMPLIANT ACCESS FROM UPPER LEVELS TO WESTERN WAY OR ALASKAN WAY 2.0 ANALYSIS: 25

7 2.1 ANALYSIS ADJACENT BUILDING USES ANTIQUES WAREHOUSE The Seattle Antiques Market building is on the north side of Lower Union, with parking on the roof. The building owners have plans for redeveloping this property into a residential mixed use building that would potentially add residential and retail activity along the Alaskan Way and Western Avenue frontages. 84 UNION (MARKETSIDE FLATS) A 1915 brick building which used to be a U.S. Immigration building and is now listed as a City of Seattle landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places under ID # It has been converted to apartments. 98 UNION CONDOS Built in 1985, 98 Union rises 13 floors and is home to several popular restaurants. ANTIQUES WAREHOUSE 84 UNION 98 UNION CONDOS ALASKAN WAY WESTERN AVE. POST ALLEY PUBLIC STORAGE SEATTLE STEAM SCL SUBSTATION FOUR SEASONS HOTEL EXISTING CONDITIONS PUBLIC STORAGE The property owner has no intention to develop this property in the short term, and requires 24-hour-a-day access to the loading bays on Union Street. Several uses/facilities encroach on the public ROW, under yearly permit. SEATTLE STEAM AND SEATTLE CITY LIGHT As these properties are utilities, it is assumed they will remain in place and will not be developed. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Built in 2008, the Four Seasons comprises both a hotel and private residences, and an underground parking garage. 26 Book 4: Union Street Schematic Design

8 Schematic Design 2.2 DESIGN OBJECTIVES In response to client priorities, existing conditions, and design feedback from the Design Oversight Subcommittee and the Seattle Design Commission, the following project objectives were developed: Set positive precedent for Waterfront Seattle project delivery The project will develop systems for coordination across different Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) divisions and closely related City and State projects. Improve access Facilitate a seamless east-west connection from Alaskan Way and the central waterfront up to 1st Avenue, specifically in the context of Union St s proximity to the downtown arts and culture district, in a way that overcomes the significant grade change and facilitates east-west pedestrian movement, including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access. Enhance the public realm The project will create appealing and flexible public spaces for walking, sitting, and experiencing views of the waterfront, bay, and mountains. Plantings, paving, and street furniture will improve the look and feel of the spaces.top priorities are to: Achieve an early win The project is high visibility and should set the stage for waterfront projects coming later; it will likely be the first Local Improvement District (LID)-funded project. Accommodate existing conditions The proposal will take into account the possible Antiques Market redevelopment, assume Public Storage remains long term and accommodate its access and loading on Lower Union, and maintain vehicular access to Post Alley. Furthermore, the project must accommodate the unusually high amount of existing utilities on both blocks. Existing public and private stairs will be removed. The existing conditions, combined with the above design priorities, led to several studies that explored various options for vertical circulation, including escalators, conventional elevators, inclined elevators, stairs, and pedestrian walkways. These studies were developed into three options: The City directed the design team to pursue the accessible direct and legible path approach, while preserving open views to the water along the corridor. Frame long-term stewardship decisions The project will provide a concrete decision-making framework for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) decisions for the future waterfront. 2.0 ANALYSIS: 27