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Seattle & Northwest  + Seattle  + Office  | 

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

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Orton DevelopmentKidder Mathews

About Jasmine Kilman

Jasmine Kilman is Content Director of Connect Commercial Real Estate, covering Chicago and greater Chicagoland, the Midwest, Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest. She covers industry trends, transaction deals, market research, and produces daily news stories. With experience in marketing and communications for academic nonprofits and corporate clients, including Hearst Media, Hilton, and Coldwell Banker, Kilman has written about commercial real estate, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), technology, healthcare, and philanthropy. She was born and raised in California and graduated with a degree in public relations. In her spare time, Kilman enjoys hiking and traveling to new locations with her family.

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