North Seattle’s Aurora Avenue just hit a new milestone in its ongoing makeover, with local nonprofit LIHI celebrating the topping out of a seven-story senior housing building at 12245 Aurora Ave N. The 125th Senior Housing project is set to deliver roughly 90 energy-efficient apartments, including one live-in staff unit, for residents aged 62 and older, with rents targeted to households earning up to 50% of area median income. The building is on track for a year-end finish and marks another permanent project replacing a LIHI tiny-house site in the neighborhood.
Project Details and Federal Award
According to LIHI, the 67,345-square-foot building is rising on a 16,674-square-foot parcel and will offer a mix of studios and one-bedroom units. The project received a HUD 202 Senior Housing award that provides about $3.3 million in construction funds and operating subsidies covering 89 of the apartments, with one remaining unit reserved as an on-site live-in staff home. The announcement lists Runberg Architecture Group as architect, Marpac Construction as contractor, and KeyBank as construction lender and tax-credit investor.
Cost and Schedule
As reported by the Puget Sound Business Journal, the development is valued at roughly $50 million and is slated to wrap by the end of the year. Branded by LIHI as "125th Senior Housing," the project secured a 9% state low-income housing tax credit allocation, which helped draw in equity and construction financing. Officials say the layered mix of public and private funding is designed to keep rents affordable for the long haul.
From Tiny Houses to Permanent Homes
According to LIHI, the site most recently hosted the Friendship Heights Tiny House Village, which will be relocated to make way for permanent housing. "We are thrilled that 125th Senior Housing has topped out and is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year," LIHI Executive Director Sharon Lee said in the announcement. LIHI’s strategy of converting tiny-house villages into long-term apartments has been playing out across the city, as local coverage of a Lake City village that throws open its doors to neighbors in need highlighted earlier this year.
What’s Next
Marpac Construction will move from structural framing to exterior enclosure and interior finishes over the spring and summer, with inspections and systems testing to follow before residents can move in. The Puget Sound Business Journal again notes the project is on track for a December completion and pegs the overall cost at about $50 million. Developers say HUD rental assistance, city contributions, and tax-credit equity will work together to lock in long-term affordability once seniors begin to take up residence.
