Capitol Hill’s Mud Bay pet store on Broadway is set to close next month, clearing the way for demolition of the century‑old Wilshire Building so a long‑planned affordable apartment project can finally break ground. Employees at the shop told neighborhood reporters the last day of business will come in July, and crews have already started clearing parts of the site. It is the latest shake‑up on Broadway, where new housing is steadily crowding in alongside the strip’s older small businesses.
As reported by CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News, Mud Bay employees said the Broadway location’s final day will be in July and that developers say demolition prep has already begun at 229 Broadway E. The outlet notes that a small personal‑training gym is the only other business left on the parcel. Developers told the site the work is intended to clear the way for a multi‑story affordable housing project.
What’s planned
The plan on the table is a seven‑story, mixed‑use building with roughly 100 studio and one‑bedroom apartments, plus a few ground‑level live/work units and new street‑facing retail. The Seattle Office of Housing listed the proposal, called “Broadway Urbaine,” in its 2021 Annual Investments Report (Seattle Office of Housing), showing about $4.0 million in capital funding for the project, including $3.0 million from the city’s Office of Housing itself. Design materials for the development list Knit Studios as the project architect.
History and permitting
The Wilshire Building dates to 1903 and was the focus of a preservation fight before the Landmarks Preservation Board declined to landmark the structure in 2022. That decision removed a major legal obstacle for redevelopment, according to PubliCola. The preservation debate, along with earlier rounds of community feedback, helped shape how the proposal moved through design review and into the city’s affordable housing pipeline.
Retail and neighborhood impact
Broadway regulars say losing a neighborhood‑scale pet shop will leave a noticeable gap on the block, even as housing advocates point to the benefit of more income‑restricted homes in the core of Capitol Hill. As CHS has noted, the building’s other long‑running tenants have gradually thinned out, and neighbors are already speculating about which businesses might eventually land in the future storefronts. Business groups and preservation advocates are expected to keep a close eye on both permitting and leasing plans as the project advances.
Timeline and next steps
Developers say demolition is underway and that they plan to move into permitting and full construction as approvals line up. The project is eligible to use emergency procedures the city created during the COVID‑19 pandemic that allow some publicly funded affordable housing to move ahead under administrative or otherwise expedited review, a change the City Council put into emergency legislation and ordinances (Seattle City Council). With public capital already committed and those faster review options available, project backers say the aim is to shorten the gap between demolition and the day the new deeply affordable units open.
