Before heading for a client appointment, I had a chance to make a quick stop at the Decatur Grand Opening on Friday on Spring St and Boren Ave in First Hill. Decatur is a 13 story conversion condo with one bedroom and two bedroom floor plans.
A few model units were available for prospective buyers to view to get an idea of the finishes and layout. Finishes include hardwood floors (in entry and kitchen), stainless steel appliances, slab granite countertop in the kitchen, and a retro bathroom with pedestal sink.
Their largest one bedroom in the building is The Monroe floor plan (680-700 square feet). If you prefer space over view, I would check out this floor plan. Their only two bedroom floor plan is the 07 stack on the northwest corner of each level. Homeowner dues for their one bedroom’s range from low to high $200/month with two bedroom’s around $300/month. Sales of the units have already started during the grand opening. If you are interested in Decatur, expect a 30-60 day completion date for move in. Price list.
Pros
– Nicely layout units
– Newer systems (electrical, plumbing and roof)
– Proximity to downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill
Cons
– Units do not come with parking and storage (Parking available for purchase for $35,000 and storage available for $3,500)
– Narrow kitchen
– No washer or dryers in units (communal laundry room)
– Limited amenities
Exterior: Average
Interior: Good
Location: Good
Value: Average
View: Good
Amenities: Average
Overall: Average
Overall, a decent building with great night views. If you work downtown and don’t own a car, this condo will be a very good match.
Technorati Tags: Decatur condos, Wysong Group, Tobira condos, Empress apartment, First Hill condos, Seattle condos
I lived in this building until Feb 2006. It was generally believed in the neighborhood that the properties directly across Boren from the Decatur were bought by Virginia Mason to be torn down so a new hospital building could be constructed. This would obviously destroy several of the beautiful views of downtown.
I lived in this building for some time and even the views from the highest level could not make up for the blaring ambulances at 2 in the morning EVERY night. The fire alarm also went off every other day due to malfunctioning. The polution from Boren is unbreatheable. The parking garage is also awful for the bottom of your car.
DON”T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Come and visit the place – it is coming along and there are some great improvements. Luxury bath details and great kitchens. The sales staff is friendly and professional. The price points stand up to comparison and the location is terrific – check it out and don’t let a couple of negative blogs keep you from a good deal.
I lived at the Decatur for 7 long years in the nineties/early 00’s. Rented a 6th floor 1br for 3 years and them moved to a 3rd floor 2br.
The neighbourhood used to be nice. However, it is noisy. Sirens wail all the time, especially at night.
Elevators/corridors are poor. Laundry is reasonable. Storage areas in the basement are hard to access.
Some of the views are nice, especially
the higher you go. Its basically a choice between living in the area (pro) against amenities/convenience (con).
I do believe Seattle has lost a lot of its
charm. So First Hill may not be what it was.
Left the city 5 years ago. Will not return.
Sid: Great scoop on decatur. Where do you live now?
I was wondering if anybody new the history of the Decatur? Was it once used as a hotel? What was the name of this building and what was it originally used for? If anybody knows any info and how I could find out that would be great. Please post. Thanks
I bought in the Decatur and am truly enjoying it. Complaining about city noise when you choose to live in the city is ridiculous. I have lived in Belltown and on Capitol Hill and experience less noise issues than any other place I have lived in the city. City noise is a given if you choose to live in a populated city neighborhood.
The area is pretty with trees old and new construction and is constantly expanding its businesses and restaurants.
The building is solid, quiet as far as neighbors are concerned and tastefully redone and no I don’t work for the contractor or property management firm.
The fire alarm does go off randomly which is being looked into by the developer and going to be replaced, or so they have stated.
As far as the history of the building goes, I believe it was built in the 1950’s by the same architect who designed the space needle.
This building has been so-so so far. The property management company has done a subpar job as far as condo conversions go, in my opinion.
There’s been a lot of let downs in regards to what was promised vs. what is actually being offered. A lot of that is the fault of the buyer here (me) because it wasn’t written into a contract, but still… The property management company a few months ago even agreed that it refreshed its previous staff and replaced them with a new staff because they were not representing the builder and what he promised to do.
For instance, there was a promise of a roof-top garden above the garage, but apparently the building decided to promise the garden, then install a roofing material that can’t support the garden without voiding the warranty. Why they decided to go with that roofing material KNOWING they promised the garden, I’m not so sure. Regardless, it was a huge disappointment and some people were talking about getting some compensation back from the sellers due to false promises.
There was a big resident meeting and some interesting things came out, both good and bad. The project is costing more and taking more time than expected, there’s issues with corner-cutting it seems and a lot of the buyers weren’t generally happy in the meeting. The guy who bought the building did a big mea culpa, which was nice, but ultimately not helpful.
Overall, the neighbors here are great and looking out for the best interests of their fellow neighbors. They’re quick to say something when something the seller/ mgmt company is doing that isn’t kosher. Young-ish crowd, too, which is nice…
The actual places themselves are really slick and done well.
Overall, if price and location to downtown is key, this will be a good choice. If you can afford more, then I’d say skip it.
C+ at worst, B- at best.
A big thanks to voices of experience – please do comment here and in other blogs and forums. I have been looking for a condo, but I worry about problems with new construction, a lack of track records on homeowners’ associations and dues, and inevitible conflict between the developers and owners as the supply of unsold units grows. (I would not have thought to worry about the last item, but I just saw an ad for a seminar aimed at getting lawyers ready for it). Older more established developments have their drawbacks, but I am leaning in that direction. I really do appreciate hearing from actual buyers and occupiers of Seattle condos, as I’m sure others do as well. Again, thanks and keep those comments coming.
Wysong hasn’t done a good job living up to their end of the bargain concerning the Decatur conversion. Before buying here, I checked out the Press. I was very impressed with the rooftop deck, and this was a feature on the top of my considerations in purchasing a new home at the Decatur. During the sales process, my consultant told me the rooftop deck would be large enough for tables, chairs and barbeque grills. Since the Press had all of those features done in a nice way, I assumed this would be the case at the Decatur too (same developer). It has been over a year since the building was first converted and the rooftop deck is only now in the permitting phase with the city. The current plan is for a 150 square foot deck. That is just over one square foot per unit. Obviously this will be unusuable for most owners, and it won’t be able to support the activities most owners had in mind. It is clear only a select few will have the chance to see 4th of July fireworks from the deck. Again, the reason for such a paltry deck has been attributed partially to having to modify the new rooftop. Why wasn’t this taken into account when construction planning was underway? Wysong’s sales staff built up the expectation of a nice space. Their postings on zillow, etc. talk about the deck, so the expectation was made very clear. The same comments apply to the rooftop garden several of us were promised. Wysong supposedly is well over his budget, and sales are slower than expected. This is a cost of doing business, and penalizing his already existing customers by not fulfillling promises is not an acceptable way of doing business. Wysong has also done a poor job of communicating with their owners about snags in the road such as these issues. Beware of what you’re told during the sales process and get everything explained in very explicit detail.
As an owner of a condo at the Decatur, I would have to honestly say that much of what is said in these blogs is not necessary correct.
I think what is important to note, is that Decatur’s developer, Wysong has recently made dedicated efforts to connect with their buyers and live up on their promises. In my opinion, I have recently seen that many positive strides have been made to improve buyer communications and are slowly moving forward to meet or exceed buyer’s expectations. Although, I too was underwhelmed to learn about the 150 square food roof top deck, but let’s also keep in mind that this was a city of Seattle code requirement. If you have ever been to the roof, you will see the views will still be an amazing 360 degrees of city, water and mountains.
More importantly, the Decatur is a solid building with amazing views, in a pretty tree lined neighborhood and with its proximity to Downtown and Capitol Hill; I would not live anywhere else. Even more important are the residents here. They have been incredibly welcoming, courteous and take pride in their community, which is a rare thing these days!
The building is great. The apartments fantastic. The views unbeatable. The neighborhood is wonderful. 8-10 blocks to Nordstrom, a few blocks to Capitol Hill. I love it. Great neighbors.
I have to say there are good and bad things about living in the Decatur. While there are lingering problems–occasional fire alarm malfunctioning, a trash chute that smells up the *entire* building, and defective materials used by the developer/contractor in the renovation process (faulty toilet paper holders, bad caulking around the windows, a flood in a vacant condo that soaked and smelled up the 7th floor, and buckling hardwood floors)–the place is still pretty nice at a decent price. It is also true that there are a number of ambulance sirens at all hours of the day/night, but this is Pill Hill and the building is near 3-4 hospitals so that’s a consequence of the location, not the building. The rooftop deck is a major disappointment; there is barely any room to do anything up there. But the residents are nice, when you don’t hear them having sex at all hours of the night because of the ventilation and insulation. Additionally, there isn’t a service elevator, so moving large items (e.g., a fuller couch) won’t work in the regular sized elevators.
Lastly, the building is not zoned for area parking, which means that if you have a car you’ll need to buy a parking space or drive around looking for hourly or after-hour parking, which varies by the day and season. This is an important disclosure I wish I had known beforehand.
The positives? Location, location, location! I like living in the city and downtown area so I can overlook many of these things, but I recognize that there are a lot of new and old issues that continue to emerge while living here.
On the whole I would give the place 7 stars out of 10.
I purchased my one bedroom unit at the Decatur almost one year ago to the day, and am extremely pleased with my decision. I’ve owned 10+ properties, in three states (WA, NY, FL), and can honestly say that when considering location, unit finishes, and dollar per square foot there wasn’t/isn’t a better choice on First Hill/Capitol Hill (I previewed 25+ units before purchasing & have continued to look just for fun). The kitchens have been completed with wood floors, thick slab granite counter tops, and “higher end” GE stainless steel appliances — not simply the cheapest model Frigidaire ones you find in most other new/converted buildings. While the kitchens are, in some units, a bit narrow — the appliances are full sized which makes life much easier for someone like myself who cooks at home 5-6 nights per week. True, the units do not come equipped with washers & dryers, however, each floor has 2 washers/2 dryers conveniently located. There is also a very large laundry room in the basement. Best of all — the washers/dryers are FREE! (I realize we pay for the electric/hot water in our HOA dues, but a central boiler is always much less expensive to run than individual water heaters.) We have an on site management company (staffed by a homeowner/resident) who quickly responds to owners needs. (In my opinion, that’s gold since most mngt co’s aren’t worth a dime). Our roof deck has been completed, and sports some of the best views in Seattle. I personally love having the gas grill up there! I know I’m not the only one who appreciates the deck as I’ve often run into my neighbors enjoying wine & cheese while watching the sunset. While it’s true there were a few “issues” early on with the developer, after several meetings with the homeowners, Wysong has definitely come to the table and held up to their promises. The building is truly walking distance to anything Downtown, on Capitol Hill, or First Hill. And, when somewhere is too far to walk, there are buses, or Zipcar within steps. I love my purchase, and would be more than willing to speak with any prospective buyers. I can be reached at [email protected]. Regarding noise, I would have to agree with one of the other bloggers — this is urban living, and if you are seeking solitary quiet then the heart of a large metropolitan city is the wrong choice. Regarding the bloggers who were renters and added their comments regarding hallway aesthetics, etc. — the current incarnation of the building doesn’t even resemble what it looked like prior to the conversion. The neighborhood is gorgeous, tree lined, and extremely dog friendly. The Decatur is a solidly built concrete & steel building. I for one, would go crazy living in one of those new wood buildings where just the sound of someone walking down the hall can wake you from a deep sleep.
so, when does wysong’s other property, the decatur, go to auction?
even with the economy being what it is, jeff wysong has done a hideous job doing his, well, job.
I used to live in Decatur in 1998 once it was for rent only. I lived on the 10th floor and the view from our place was sort of nice.(I was able to see the Mr Rainer) I am not too sure how much improvement they made, however, the interiors and details were not very nice at the time.
The price range is for location….if I had to pay that amount, I would rather buy brand new place a bit far from city.