Riding down First Ave. through Belltown today, I came upon an otherworldly sight:


A.L. Humphrey House at First and Cedar in Belltown

Yes, friends, this is a brand-new mid-rise multifamily building that includes not a single parking stall. Trust your eyes, what you're reading is the truth. And as far as I know, it is the first carless building of significant scale built in Seattle for probably half a century or more.

But before you get too excited, there is a rational explanation.  Because why would anyone in their right mind put up a building without parking in a dense, mixed-use, walkable urban area with great transit access? Crazy talk.



The explanation is that it's subsidized housing for homeless people suffering from mental illness and other disabilities. Developed by Plymouth Housing Group and designed by SMR Architects, the project provides 84 studio units and 2,000 square feet of retail space.

But regardless of the underlying reason, this project is a milestone for the city of Seattle. And if we were smart, we'd find a way to make it feasible for developers to build the market-rate equivalent.