Yeah, the phrase “something old, something new” is used for weddings, but it describes a new Pioneer Square development just perfectly.
RailSpur is a new “micro-district” within three ~116 year old buildings in the 100 block of King Street. Two of the three buildings are already open with retail and residential space. A third is in the works that will house a boutique hotel.
The fun stuff
The completed shopping, living, and office areas include:
- 26 fully-furnished apartments
- Retail and dining options like biking hub Cassette Club, Heard Coffee cafe, and taqueria Tacolisto
- Event spaces in the alleyways joining all three buildings
Hotel Westland — opening in 2024 — will be the last piece to the puzzle. Only a few renderings have been released to give Seattleites a taste of what’s to come, but the hotel will be operated by the Aparium Hotel Group.
It’ll have:
- A new restaurant
- 120 guest rooms
- And, tah dah — Pioneer Square’s first rooftop bar with views of the Puget Sound and surrounding sports stadiums
The developer said the general idea of the micro-district is to create something where there’s always activity — whether that’s someone sitting on a patio with a margarita or working hard at their desk.
The nerdy stuff
Denver-based developer Urban Villages is leading the renovation project, the company’s first foray into Seattle.
President and Partner Jon Buerge said their goal on refurbishing older buildings — rather than staring from scratch — is to protect the historical nature of the spaces, which attracted them to Pioneer Square.
“You can’t replace the heavy wood, the brick, or the layers and layers of stories,” said Buerge.
Renovating pre-existing structures is also, in general, a little softer on the environment since developers aren’t expending energy resources on a full rebuild.
Ready to check it out? Take a tour of the available space (and some work from local artists) during Pioneer Square’s First Thursday Art Walk.
