Requirements

We are no longer accepting submissions. Those who have submitted can still view their submissions in our submittal portal below.

Teams were required to be comprised of a property owner or building owner in the downtown core (view this area map) and a design or development firm. Additional community, not-for-profit, and business partners are an added benefit. Submissions requirements  included:

1. Your building’s typical existing floorplate, and that same floorplate after a proposed conversion from a nonresidential use to a residential use. Include a typical residential unit floor plan. Describe the segment of the housing market your proposal would seek to serve.
2. Two visualization images of the project including a ground floor external image of how the project contributes to the streetscape and public realm at the ground floor where the building meets the sidewalk.
3. A rough order of magnitude of the conversion total combined hard and soft costs and associated per square foot construction costs, and a rough order of magnitude estimation of rent or income generated from the converted space.
4. Incentives the City of Seattle might provide or potential code/policy changes that would make it easier or more desirable for your team to complete the project.

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Evaluation Criteria

Submissions were evaluated by a jury of community member experts. The jury scored proposals according to the five criteria with a maximum of 20 points in each category. Additional considerations may have been considered by the jury to further distinguish proposals.

• Potential for Action: The submission has a likelihood of implementation and a realistic potential to be built, with the right supports.
• Innovative Thinking: The submission demonstrates creativity and outside of the box thinking.
• Downtown Activation: The submission would contribute to downtown vitality and would have a regenerative economic influence.
• Housing Impact: The submission would provide a meaningful contribution towards housing – in terms of the quantity, type, or affordability of homes that would result.
• Centers Racial Equity: The submission would not disproportionately impact communities of color, and has potential to provide housing or other supports to BIPOC community members in specific and tangible ways.

Additional Considerations

• Exploration of alternative residential models
• Inclusion of economically viable strategies for successfully activating the street level including activation by art and cultural uses.
• Solutions can propose conversion to uses in addition to residential, but housing should be the primary use.