Seattle DJC.com local business news and data – Architecture & Engineering

August 13, 2025

Topped by housing, design takes shape for new Lake City Community Center

The project will co-locate the new community center with 113 affordable rental homes.

What will the new Lake City Community Center look like?

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) have scheduled two events this week for people to learn more about the redevelopment of the community center.

The old community center at 12531 28th Ave. N.E. was damaged in an arson fire in April 2023; it has since been demolished.

Now, a project is in the works to build a new community center on the site — topped by affordable housing.

As the DJC reported in April, SPR and the Seattle Office of Housing (OH) are working with Mercy Housing as the lead redeveloper for the Lake City Community Center. The project will co-locate the new community center with 113 affordable rental homes near the Lake City Branch Library and Albert Davis Park.

Plans call for an eight-story, 178,210-square-foot building; the community center will take the first two floors, with housing on floors three through eight. According to the city, units will be two-, three- and four-bedrooms, with an average affordability of 49% of area median income. FamilyWorks will provide services on the site for both residents and community center visitors.

Mithun is the architect, landscape architect and interior designer for the project. Walsh Construction Co. is the general contractor. Atlas Design Group is in charge of structural engineering and shoring. Construction is expected to start in spring 2027.

SPR says this is its first development partnership with OH, which will allow the city to pool resources to add the affordable housing units on top of the new community center.

SPR will continue to own and operate the community center. Subject to City Council approval, it is expected that the city will provide the land to Mercy Housing through a ground lease with a term of up to 99 years.

SPR and the design team will be out Thursday at the Lake City Farmers Market, from 3-7 p.m. at Albert Davis Park, 12526 27th Ave. N.E.

And an ice cream social open house is scheduled for Friday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Akin Building, 12360 Lake City Way N.E.

The outreach effort will focus on the design of the two-floor community center space.

Lisa Lannigan can be
reached by email or by phone
at (206) 622-8272.