The demand for new housing and offices in Seattle’s core somehow keeps getting stronger, as the greater downtown region hits another record for construction.
There are 74 major projects getting built from South Lake Union to Sodo, the most since the Downtown Seattle Association began tracking construction in 2005, the organization said in a report issued last Thursday.
The downtown group updates the region’s construction totals twice a year. A year ago, the region reached a new record with 65 buildings under way. Then six months ago, the count increased again, to 68. (In addition to downtown, the report covers Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union, Capitol and First hills, the International District and Sodo).
Are the jackhammering, closed sidewalks and roadblocks ever going to end? Probably not anytime soon.
Half of the projects under way now are scheduled to wrap up this year. But there are about 150 projects still in the pipeline, and about one-third of those are ready to break ground soon.