After sitting in limbo for years, a small apartment site at 228 11th Ave East is finally getting a serious upgrade. The Pointe at Thomas broke ground this month in Capitol Hill, where a seven-story building is set to bring 67 income-restricted apartments to one of Seattle’s priciest neighborhoods.
The project is led by C&A Development, a venture tied to former Seahawk Cliff Avril and Cohen Properties, and is planned for households earning roughly 40 to 80 percent of area median income. Backing from Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund and Seattle Credit Union helped the team clear long-standing financing hurdles that had kept the site on ice. Developers say the building will meet green standards and sit within easy walking distance of light rail and Broadway’s restaurants, bars and shops.
According to Connect CRE, the Amazon Housing Equity Fund committed $6.7 million in low-cost capital to the project, while Seattle Credit Union is stepping in as senior lender with about $11.4 million in construction financing. The development also received a Washington State Department of Commerce grant that reimbursed eligible pre-development costs, a crucial boost that helped push the plan into active construction.
Developer Team And Community Partners
C&A Development is a joint venture between CA Family Properties, founded by Cliff Avril, and Cohen Properties, according to the project announcement. The developers are teaming up with the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic and plan to give clinic staff, patients and family members first notice when units are available for lease, per the announcement reported by WebWire.
Design, Affordability And Location
The seven-story design by b9 Architects will replace a small apartment building from 1963 at 11th and Thomas and is planned to meet a Built-Green 4-Star standard, with features such as a green roof and a heat-pump water heater, Capitol Hill Seattle reports. Units are slated for households earning about 40 to 80 percent of area median income and will stay under affordability covenants for 99 years, locking in long-term below-market rents on the hill.
Where This Fits Into Amazon's Push
Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund has directed roughly $940 million toward projects in the Puget Sound region and has supported thousands of affordable homes across Seattle and Bellevue, according to Amazon. The Pointe at Thomas is one more transit-oriented development the fund has helped move forward in recent years, tying new housing to light rail access for lower and middle income renters.
“When working families can afford to live near transit, it transforms their daily lives,” Senthil Sankaran, managing principal of Amazon’s housing fund, said in the project announcement reported by WebWire. Seattle Credit Union’s interim CEO framed the financing as community infrastructure, arguing that partnerships like this can open up high-opportunity neighborhoods to the workers who keep the city operating.
Next Steps
Local reporting indicates the site had been stalled since 2021, but it now has permits and the necessary financing stack to move ahead after a long pause. Groundbreaking was announced in mid-June, and developers say the project will proceed under the current financing plan, Connect CRE reported.
