Belltown Lofts is an interesting 6-story condo tucked in the corner of Bell St and Western Ave. It received a green honor award by AIA, the Built Smart certification from Seattle City Light, and obtained historic landmark status. The condo is comprised of two portions: a renovation of an existing building and an addition.
The south portion was an old warehouse built in 1914 and was renovated by Driscoll Architects and U-Arc Design. It was completed in 2000. This 3 floor portion houses 25 loft homes. The majority of them are 2 story lofts with exposed brick walls and wood beams. Penthouses come with their own private rooft top deck.
The north portion is a new building that was added during the renovation and has 33 traditional flat units featuring one and two bedroom floor plans. The lobby has a display of art work that resembles an art gallery. The community shares a common rooftop deck and a bamboo courtyard with water fountains. A few of the units on the street level are live/work lofts and have access directly to Western Ave.
Belltown Lofts' location is a mixed blessing. It's conveniently located close to Pike Place Market and the waterfront but it's also right next to the Alaskan Viaduct Way, creating a little bit of road noise for homes on the east side of the building. The proposed new tunnel going underground should greatly improve curb appeal. The layout of the traditional flats are functional and open with big windows. Loft homes have ceiling heights as high as 20 feet, which is kind of neat. Belltown Lofts is a great one to check out if you're fond of the brick style loft homes, since there are a limited selection for this type of homes in the neighborhood. The biggest drawback for this building is probably the lack of parking spots, only about half of them come with parking :-(
One bedroom 569 – 726 square feet
Two bedroom 825-831 square feet
2 Story lofts 661-1,781 square feet
Condos near to Belltown Lofts:
Just a side note on this building. VERY BAD NEIGHBORHOOD!!! I used to live a few buildings down at The Vine, and moved because of the amount of crime in this area. It seems to be getting worse.