Overview
Over the years, the northeastern corner of Roosevelt Way NE and NE 65th St has quietly emptied out. The Shoe Advantage closed for good. East West Bookshop relocated (first to the upper level of Roosevelt Square, and then) to Edmonds. And most recently, Atlantic Crossing left its longtime spot on Roosevelt Way for Green Lake. What’s left behind is a corner ready for something new.
That something new may be taking shape: real estate developer and building technology company Sustainable Living Innovations (SLI), working with architecture firm CollinsWoerman, has proposed a 9-story apartment building for the site. The plan calls for 144 units, retail space on the ground floor, and 21 parking spots.
As this project will be on the very busy intersection between Roosevelt Way NE and NE 65th St, SLI will seek methods that demonstrate sustainability and reduce construction time, such as prefabrication and solar panels.
Land Use Context
The whole site is currently zoned NC3P-95 (M) — Neighborhood Commercial 3 Pedestrian, 95 feet — a zoning designation that took effect April 19, 2019, under Ordinance 125791. Because it sits on the same block as the southern half of the light rail station, this zoning allows for a dense (up to 95 feet tall), mixed-use building with housing and a wide range of businesses. At the same time, because the site borders two major streets in Roosevelt, it needs to stay pedestrian-friendly. That means parking has to be more limited than usual, and drive-throughs aren’t allowed.
The project also falls under Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program. Under MHA, developers like SLI have two options: pay into the city’s affordable housing trust fund, which supports affordable housing projects elsewhere in Seattle, or set aside a portion of the units on-site as affordable housing. Roosevelt falls into MHA’s medium payment and performance tier, so if SLI chooses to build affordable units on-site rather than pay the fee, it would need to set aside 6% of the units, roughly 8 to 9 units, as MH affordable housing.
- August 2021 to September 2022: Neighborhood Outreach and Early Design Guidance
- TBA: Land Use Permit Issued
- TBA: Construction Permit and Start
- TBA: Construction Complete
- TBA: Grand Opening
Issues and Solutions
Since becoming vacant, the storefronts at the corner of NE 65th St and Roosevelt Way NE have faced ongoing maintenance and communication issues. Frustration first surfaced in late 2021, when community members said developers stopped responding to inquiries after a community input flyer went out. As the building sat empty, it racked up several vacant building complaints, including punched-out storefront windows, broken glass on the sidewalk, and graffiti. The city’s Code Compliance Division stepped in with multiple investigations to address the safety concerns, prompting the owners to patch and board up the broken windows and paint over the graffiti. The building is still standing today, and these repairs have been an ongoing effort to keep the property in decent shape while it waits for future development. Lately, there have been no major incidents in 2026.
Because of the NC3 zoning, a wide range of amenities can be built and featured here. But real-world factors, like construction costs, play a big role in whether a project actually moves forward. Interest rates in particular shape whether any commercial real estate investment makes financial sense, and this apartment project is no exception. When rates are high, borrowing costs more, construction financing gets pricier, and expected returns can shrink to the point where a project that once made sense on paper no longer does. Unfortunately, there’s not much the neighborhood can do to directly speed up development on this site.
That said, if problems like litter, graffiti, break-ins, or encampments show up on the property in the meantime, we can take action. Reports can be submitted directly to the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) by calling 206-615-0808 or by using the “Make a Complaint” tool on their online portal.
Site Valuation History
| Year | Total Appraised Value |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,652,000 |
| 2024 | $7,652,000 |
| 2023 | $7,652,000 |
| 2022 | $7,652,000 |
| 2021 | $7,652,000 |
| CAGR | 0% |
Valuation history includes estimates from King County Department of Assessments starting from when the project was first proposed. They are only an approximation and are heavily influenced by a variety of factors, including the existence and condition of built structures.
Resources:
- Project Proposal 1: Early Design Guidance
- 6500 Roosevelt Project Brochure by JLL
- 3038609-LU Master Use Permit
- Ordinance 125791
- Chapter 23.58C.040 – Mandatory Housing Affordability for Residential Development, Payment Option
- Chapter 23.58C.050 – Mandatory Housing Affordability for Residential Development, Performance Option
- Parcel Info for 6500 Roosevelt Way NE
- Parcel Info for 1008 NE 65th St
More Roosevelt Horizon Projects
Learn more about Roosevelt land use on the Roosevelt Horizon page.