I went to the Parc presentation center when it first opened several months ago. While the construction plan looked solid and we were impressed with Avenue One (built by the same team that will be doing the Parc), it has struck me that the Parc is notably nondescript.
What I mean is that there seems to be so many new projects all over the city and each one has a distinct flavor. Looking around, you have hotel / luxury condo combinations like Madison Tower, forward thinking efficient design places like Lumen, and parts of the Vulcan empire in South Lake Union like the innovative Veer Lofts.
The Parc, on the other hand, is more like your standard modern concrete and steel condo project straight from central casting. Sure, it's got a great location in Belltown, arguably more desirable than some of its competition but there's certainly no Whole Foods underneath, movable walls, or luxury hotel attached. Of course, the Parc's more memorable competitors are not cheap. Interestingly enough, from memory I wasn't particularly impressed with the Parc as a value play either. It seemed like it was a bit cheaper but if someone is gonna pay a few hundred grand for a condo, you might as well pay a little more for a more unique, more downturn resistant design or go for an older building and get a much bigger discount.
In some ways, the Parc may be in this oddly uncomfortable place. Too pricey to be a great value play but not really that memorable to make for a hot resale opportunity a few years down the road. On the other hand, perhaps the Parc is as close as we can get to a reasonable, no-nonsense project where some of the better heeled new projects will be considered a relic of mid 2000 condo extravegance? Personally, I think I'd look for a resale unit at the Vine or even Avenue One if I'm looking to stretch the dollar or go for the gusto with one of the newer loft or more interesting condo projects that will have a more spirited resale market.
Related posts:
Parc Incentives
The Parc Update
Pre-Construction Marketing versus Reality
Rent a condo or hotel?
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You are right on about the Parc. This is exactly what we thought when we looked at it.
Given today’s pricing of condos in Belltown, isnt the Parc at a noticeably lower pricepoint than any other new construction?
Also, relative to Avenue One it has:
– better appliances
– 24 hour concierge (even with the same HOA dues as Ave 1)
– better fitness area
– higher ceilings
It’s hard to say for sure — we’ll have to see how Parc actually turns out. From the exterior, it looks quite awful but perhaps when it’s done it will be a nice building.
I just toured the lobby and everything. I’d say its relatively nice.
Avenue One had some horrible last minute changes and many residents had the Builder come in again and redo the caulking on countertops, fix plumbing fixtures etc..(me included).
Parc seems to have gone with a better designer for doing the overall work. It’s still very similar to Avenue one but the two story lobby is actually decent, the water feature is comparable to Cristalla (although the rest of the building pales in comparison :)). The finishes are marginally better than Ave 1, hallways are wider etc..
All in all, I think everything in Belltown is a little ridiculously priced these days, but Parc is just the lowest of the lot.
The biggest problems with the Parc are the unattractive exterior and small windows. Some units have floor to ceiling windows but most seem to have really short windows. Obviously this will hurt views, light, and make the units feel smaller than they could feel with bigger windows. Ellington made the same mistake and their owners have more trouble selling as a result.
Let me begin by saying that Avenue One is a beautifuly designed and well constructed building.Garret Cord Werner is first class.
There were no “Horrible last minute changes” to the building, but there were minor repairs done… caulking, minor plumbing fixture handle
repairs.The quality of the finishes, woodwork,common areas,layout etc is much higher than The Parc. Varun was NOT a homeowner
he was a renter, who’s lease was not renewed.
The quality of finishes at the Parc are much better than Avenue One, in my unit- the doors were flimsy as hell, the units were loud and didnt trap noise, the faucet and garbage disposal broke on a regular basis, and I was just one of several residents (renters are still residents KT) who were extremely unhappy with the overall quality of the building with its sad excuse for a gym, and no 24 hour concierge) I do agree that Avenue One’s commmon area is much better than the Parc, but for me that was the least significant detail.
Even though I purchased at the Parc, I’ll be the first to say that the Parc overall has been a not pleasant buying experience what with the ridiculous delays they’ve had and everything else that one has to go through with buying new construction, but having moved in I am 100% happy with my purchase at the Parc.
I have a one bedroom unit with an awesome view of the water, the mountain, and the City) and I paid 50K less for it 3 months ago than any comparable unit in Belltown today and I just completed my walks and moved in. What’s so bad about that?
The exterior design of Parc really is quite disappointing. And curb appeal does matter when it comes to resale.
I was just deciding last week between Avenue One and The Parc. I chose Avenue One.To me, the “feeling” of Avenue One is more sophisticated and the design is well thought out.The interiors are contemporary yet timeless.(Love the “Club Room” and all the outside Terrace space)I DID notice the Unit’s interior doors,but all the other finishes were
done very well.The unit I was in at The Parc was LOUD.I could also hear the music playing next door.The Parc does have a nice Work Out area.
Agree w/ Steven. Avenue One is one of the best condos in Belltown when you consider the price and quality.
I’m glad that Avenue One does not have a 24-hour concierge. I’m already irritated w/ the phony service of the one they currently have– what’s his name?
The perfect vantage point for getting a little DOG spotting in!! We are truly blessed 🙂