3rd & Cherry facts for kids

3rd & Cherry
Cleared site for Civic Square, seen in 2016 with Seattle City Hall in the background
Former names	Seattle Civic Square
General information
Status	Proposed
Location	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Address	601 Fourth Avenue
Height
Roof	629 feet (192 m)
Technical details
Floor count	57
Design and construction
Architect	James K.M. Cheng
Developer	Bosa Development

3rd & Cherry, formerly Seattle Civic Square, is a proposed 629-foot (192 m) tall, 57-story skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. The residential high-rise, located near Seattle City Hall and the Seattle Civic Center, will have 520 condominiums and amenity spaces, including a public plaza at ground level and retail spaces.

Triad proposal

The site, at 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street, was formerly home to the Public Safety Building, which was demolished in 2005. A 43-story residential and office tower, named the Seattle Civic Square, was approved in 2009, with developer Triad Development and a design team lead by Foster + Partners and GGLO. The original building plan included space for retail, offices, and residences, as well as a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) public plaza. The Civic Square project was put on hold during the Great Recession as the developers search for financing or a tenant.

In late 2015, Mayor Ed Murray announced he would not renew the contract with Triad Development after an employee of Triad's was accused of coercing Seattle City Council candidate Jonathan Grant into settling a lawsuit with the Tenants Union of Washington over the renewal of the project's construction permit. A different group of displaced tenants filed a suit against the city and Triad, alleging special treatment from the city for the project; the suit was settled in October 2015, with Triad paying $5.5 million into a housing affordability fund if the project is built. Touchstone Development was granted Triad's interest in the project in March 2016, and began searching for possible tenants and financing.

Bosa proposal

In May 2016, Mayor Ed Murray announced that Touchstone would not continue developing the project, having failed to secure financing and tenants within the 60-day deadline. On October 28, 2016, Mayor Murray announced that Bosa Development would take over the contract and develop the building, paying into an equitable development fund and affordable housing. The project would be subject to design approval and could begin construction as early as 2018. Under the new deal, Bosa would pay $16 million to build a new condominium tower (with a new design) on the property, and contribute $5.7 million to an affordable housing fund.

In 2017, Bosa unveiled their new proposal, designed by James K.M. Cheng, with no office space. The proposal, for a curving 58-story building with 423 condominiums and 586 parking stalls, went through repeated design changes during the review process. The project site and development rights were sold to Bosa in December 2019, but the project has not been granted a land-use permit as of October 2020.