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The Manhattanization of Mercer Island

Opinion   March 23, 2010 at 4:35 pm Dan Bertolet

Over the past half-dozen years, downtown Mercer Island has sprouted seven midrise multifamily projects within a few-block radius. It’s an impressive transformation. Let’s take a look-see, shall we?  (Click all photos to enlarge).

First up: 77 Central, with 171 apartments and 13,000 square feet of commercial space, designed by Mithun, and developed by Seco.


Nice corner.

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Apparently someone with some influence likes pitched roofs on mid-rise. Not I.

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The back side faces a bike/ped trail with public art.

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Next door to 77 Central, we have 7800 Plaza, with 24 condo units, 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and three levels of underground parking.  TSA Architects had some fun with this one.


One of those love-it-or-hate-it designs.

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Circling back to the west along Sunset Highway, we have Aljoya, with 114 assisted living units and 95 parking stalls, designed by Weber Thompson:



Big back yard.

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Aljoya’s front door, on 76th Ave SE.

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The next three projects were completed between 2004 and 2006.

First, kitty corner to the southeast from Aljoya, behold the colossal magnificence of The Mercer, a 235-unit apartment/mixed use project designed MVE & Partners out of Irvine, CA. Lawrence Creek had some spot-on things to say about this thing back in 2006. In short, it’s one those buildings that gives density a bad name.


Out of place: both the car and the building.

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Not a nice corner.

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Now back to the east, across SE 27th St from 7800 Plaza, the full-block Island Square project, with 210 apartments, 11,000 square feet of office spac, and 31,000 square feet of commercial space, designed by Mithun.

The photo below doesn’t look like a 210-unit building. That’s because the designers intentionally split the project up into five architecturally distinct buildings. It’s a design trick that some criticize as dishonest, and it’s tough to pull off, but I think it succeeds fairly well. The Mercer building (shown above) is a prime example of what they were trying to avoid.


Pitched roofs again, but it works better here than it does on 77 Central above.

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The back side faces a more typical Mercer Island downtown context.

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The west edge runs along 78th Ave SE, which has received a nice pedestrian-oriented streetscape treatment.

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Next up, two blocks south of Island Square, a sad beige mediocrity known as the Avellino Building, with 23 apartments, designed by Antonio D’Ambrosio Architect.

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And one more—sorry, no photo: Newell Court, with 40 apartment units, located a block south of the Avellino Building.

That’s a total of 817 new housing units, plus gobs of new pedestrian-oriented commercial space.

In a word: Transformative.


  • Asa

    Dan, as an Island resident who works in Seattle, I do get what you are up to, I really do. But I think it is really shortsighted that you did not inquire into the long discussions of the MI Council and Commissions about the story of the new downtown and how it came to be. There are a lot of people like me who could have explained the goods and bads.

  • George VanHoover

    Oh this is just ridiculous, as though any native Mercer Islander would embrace a tenant of these monstrosities, this is a very class based society, your abode defines you. These cubicle condos are nothing more than a way for low income Washingtonians to enroll their children in Mercer Island's schools or post their mail with a 98040 zip code.

  • Jason_Mitchell

    Would love to know your definition of “low-income,” George. As people move into these developments and ever more are built, the character of Mercer Island will change for the better.

  • joshmahar

    Wow, that is a heck of a lot of early millennium architecture in one place; a “Mercer Island Historic District” in the making.

  • DK

    I feel this article is particularly devoid of any real content or discussion on the merits of these projects from a planning perspective. The pictures are nice, but they don't explain how a city like Mercer Island even got to this point and where they are relative to their overall vision.

  • Jason_Mitchell

    Seems like folks (“Asa” and “DK”) are being unnecessarily critical. Why can't a photo essay just be a photo essay? For the great many in the region who rarely (if ever) have cause to hop off I-90 as they cross the lake, this is a great visual snapshot of development they probably didn't realize is happening. I know I wasn't aware it had occurred to this extent.

  • joshuadf

    Explain away, I'm listening!

  • Sophia Katt

    Once you have sat on a condo board and listened to a calculation by the building committee about the $$$ needed to repair a flat roof leak (Again. Again), you will better understand a predilection for pitched roofs in the great Northwest.

  • ktstine

    Wow, well a 2bed 2bath in that 24 unit development is listed at 975k. Better keep those poor people out!

  • gloomy gus

    Mr. Hoover, your Island roots are shallow indeed if you don't fondly remember a time when its schoolteachers and first responders could find a happy home there themselves. It's good news that there are more options again at last.

    Trust me, the pioneer Island families don't truck with arriviste nonsense like yours.

  • sarah68

    Could someone explain why anyone builds stuff with flat roofs? Perhaps they're less expensive — less material used? I guess that's a disingenuous question, because they're cheaper for the developer and why would he/she care what it costs for repair down the line.

    OK, so never mind. Unless I'm wrong.

  • Bill_in_Central_District

    Lots of open spaces between this “Manhattan” scale density. Lots of parking lots at grade. Are any of these buildings 65' – let alone 85 or 125?

    Is Dan impressed or just (photo) reporting?

    If this scale of “density” were found in (god forbid) southeast Seattle (or any urban village), Dan, Futurewise and the Quality Growth Alliance would bust a blood vessel.

    Will those Mercer Island “NIMBYs” fight putting a Light Rail TOC with minimum 50 units/acre within a half mile radius of their station, forego any park and ride facility, and accept those formula retail amenities? stay tuned…

    http://www.soundtransit.org/News-and-Events/Mee…

  • ph

    they are all 65' because that is the height limit on the rock. they are all 5-stries because that is the zoning limit. all the parking you see at grade are undeveloped or underdeveloped lots.

    i'd love to see this sort of whole-neighborhood density in belltown or south lake union (bet there are more underdeveloped properties as a percentage there) before allowing upzoning in the neighborhoods.

    i'm glad dan was willing to make the trip to mercer island. they have a fairly nice P&R there, though it is too bad that it is on the wrong side of the freeway.

  • Inside Source

    Any good restaurants there? Need to know if the bus ride over would be worth it (given I'm not much into looking at 5-story buildings, but do appreciate nice walking neighborhoods and good food)!

  • Matt_the_Engineer

    “If this scale of “density” were found in (god forbid) southeast Seattle (or any urban village), Dan, Futurewise and the Quality Growth Alliance would bust a blood vessel.”

    I think we'd all love this scale of density in urban villages. Check out Dan's density cheat sheet. That's around the density of Burien Town Square (89 DU/AC). Anything more dense than townhouses can meet the 40 DU/AC standard.

    Density doesn't have to be skyscrapers. Paris is nearly as dense as Manhattan and isn't more than 5-6 stories high in most areas.

  • giffy

    So? It sounds like they will have plenty of condo dwellers to befriend. Why would they care what a bunch of pretentious islanders with entitlement complexes think?

  • giffy

    I think it has to do with height limits. If you can only go so high a flat roof lets you maximize units whereas a sloped roof 'wastes space'.

  • giffy

    Nice to see density in places you would not expect! Are these near the coming light rail station?

  • Jarvis

    I grew up on Mercer Island, and get back there occasionally. From a smart growth perspective, this is great. But architecturally, man those are some ugly buildings.

  • J.R.

    Why would anyone want to “post their mail with a 98040 zip code?” George, you're a little odd.

  • Donolectic

    Thanks for the photo essay Dan and good for MI.

  • just sayin'

    i think DPD is recommending 125 feet at the north Rainier station area. and up to 150 ft in Little Saigon (at the intersection of the state's two largest freeways) — not as beautiful a place to live as Mercer Island.

    wouldn't the more desirable place to put the housing and density be on Mercer? There's views. access to east and west side via light rail (or auto).

    so the zoning NOW is 65'. is there any call from the density lovers for some of that Vancouver-envy height and markedly greater density around the new light rail stop on the rock?

  • Matt_the_Engineer

    I'll call for that. I agree it would be a great location for tall buildings. Although I'm happily suprised with what they're doing already.

  • Miqu

    To me these buildings constitute cookie-cutter urbanism. Nested boxes, only a little more bearable than McMansions, bandaged by an inappropriate color mix (always that brown, beige, terracotta spectrum, why?), barren and soul-deadening aesthetics. Architects building in Seattle better come up with a new formula. Otherwise I see mass depression coming.

  • Paul_kimber

    Is the Mercer Island Travelodge still there?