Downtown Seattle Office Tower Set for Conversion to Housing

California-based Orton Development is considering converting the nearly century-old Joseph Vance Building, an art deco property in downtown Seattle.

Location at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street downtown, the project would turn unused Seattle offices into housing, reported the Seattle Times. City and state officials have recently passed legislation to encourage and support developers to undertake these types of conversion projects, offering tax breaks and regulatory relief.

Potential plans are still being finalized, but the Vance building project includes the initial vision to create 155 residential units and 10,000 square feet of retail space in the 14-story building. The 1929 Vance building offers potential as a conversion, given the property’s shape and layout.

Another one of Seattle’s well-known office buildings, Smith Tower, was recently sold to Seattle-based GT Capital which acquired the 110-year-old, 42-story building and Butler Garage in Pioneer Square.

Photo credit: Kidder Mathews