³ÉÈËXÕ¾

SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Seattle skyscraper shrinking under FAA regulations

Feb 25, 2016, 2:24 PM | Updated: May 8, 2016, 2:25 pm

The developer of what could be the West Coast’s tallest building isn’t completely backing off from its project though it does seem willing to make some compromise.

Plans for a 1,111-foot-tall building in downtown Seattle at Fourth Avenue and Columbia Street were altered after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice that the skyscraper exceeded height restrictions. reports the developer, Crescent Heights, reduced the proposed height to 1,029 feet above the ground. An alternate height of 959 feet is also in the plans.

Related: Long-awaited project moving forward in Tacoma

Though the alternative height should please the FAA, it’s proposed height might not. In 2015, the FAA said if the developer reduces the height to 965 feet above ground level it could allow the project to proceed. The main concern is related to aircraft activity in the area. Such a tall building could disrupt operations. A crane to construct such a tall building or a shorter one for that matter could also disrupt helicopters going to and from Harborview Medical Center, according to the notice.

Original plans called for 83-floors worth of residences, with additional floors for hotels, office and retail space. The Times reports the new plan calls for 75 residential floors and up to 10 floors of commercial space.

Under its proposed height, the skyscraper would be the tallest on the West Coast. The U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles is 1,018 feet.

The alternative height of 959 feet would just beat the Columbia Center in Seattle, which stands at 933 feet.

Crescent Height Principal Bruce Menin told the Times that the developer has no “particular target height.”

The plans were released prior to a March 1 public hearing.

What are they building?

FILE - House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, attends a press conference in St. Paul, Mi...

Associated Press

Minnesota’s slain Democratic leader saw liberal victories, then brokered a budget deal out of power

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota House’s top Democrat helped shepherd a package of liberal initiatives to passage when her party had a narrow majority two years ago. After Democrats lost their majority, she helped broker a deal to keep state government funded and provided a crucial vote to pass it, though her party hated it. […]

14 minutes ago

FILE - A boat navigates large icebergs near Kulusuk, in eastern Greenland, on Aug. 15, 2019. (AP Ph...

Associated Press

First direct flight from US to Greenland since 2008 lands on Trump’s birthday

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — The first direct flight from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline landed in the capital city of Nuuk on Saturday. The United Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey at 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT) and arrived a little over 4 hours later, […]

23 minutes ago

14-year-old Tacoma chase...

Frank Sumrall

Amber Alert canceled for 2-year-old girl kidnapped in Tacoma

An Amber Alert has been canceled Saturday for a 2-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped in Tacoma at approximately 9:10 a.m.

1 hour ago

The crowd grows at the University of Washington "No Kings" rally Saturday, with more campus police ...

Julia Dallas

More than 50 protests in the Puget Sound under way Saturday as part of ‘No Kings’ movement

Two Seattle protests, including one near UW graduation, are planned for Saturday.

2 hours ago

Associated Press

A Minnesota mayor says two state lawmakers were shot in their homes early Saturday

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota mayor says two state lawmakers were shot in their homes early Saturday. Mayor Ryan Sabas of Champlin said state senator John Hoffman and state representative Melissa Hortman were shot, and that Hoffman’s wife was also shot. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that investigators […]

6 hours ago

sea lion ballard...

Frank Sumrall

Shilshole sea lion surge: Marina docks overrun in Ballard

Dozens of sea lions have made the public guest docks at Shilshole Bay Marina in Ballard their new, temporary home, a customary move over the last few years.

7 hours ago

Seattle skyscraper shrinking under FAA regulations