Honoring the History of a Dynamic 1940s Era Neighborhood. See more ideas about terrace, seattle housing, the neighbourhood. [3], As of 2005, there were 1,167 residents. Al also led the planning and entitlement effort for Yesler Terrace, a 30 acre mixed use redevelopment project now being developed in downtown Seattle. The site of Yesler Terrace was prominent from Seattle’s beginnings as a city. Formal planning on the project began in 2006 with the hiring of a planning team and recruitment for a citizen review panel. [4], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}47°36′08″N 122°19′12″W / 47.60222°N 122.32000°W / 47.60222; -122.32000, "Yesler Terrace." Uphill across Interstate 5 from Pioneer Square and the International District. The primary mover behind Yesler Terrace, Jesse Epstein, argued in 1940, “We have an opportunity to prove that Negroes and whites can live side by side in harmony.” The Yesler Terrace area was already mixed by … A city ordinance was passed in 1937 creating a Local Advisory Housing Commission. There were many benefits to the site selected for Yesler Terrace: The original development would replace deteriorated housing stock. Harborview Medical Center sits at the top of First Hill in the background. Also known as “Profanity Hill,” because of the steepness of street grades, the surrounding area was developed up through the first decade of the 20th century with dense, wood-frame multi-family townhouses, apartment hotels, and boarding houses. Epstein’s comprehensive knowledge of enabling legislation and new federal funding programs qualified him to draft the bill allowing a housing authority in every city and county in the state. This is the first known formal collaboration across two … This view, among other things, was an important factor in offering the eventual residents of Yesler Terrace pride of place. Neighborhood park that features a play area with slides and climbing equipment, as well as picnic tables with a view of the Cascades and Magnolia, as well as a long green strip. Yesler Terrace. Seattle Parks and Recreation awarded the construction contract to Wyser Construction Company. Contact us | Sign up for our newsletterCopyright © 2020 Seattle Housing Authority, Income level - Housing Choice Voucher program. This is a great place to steal a quick view of Puget Sound too. Shortly after its organization, SHA received $3,000,000 from the federal government for low-income public housing and slum clearance. The “pretty much” completed Yesler Terrace photographed from the same Marine Hospital prospect. The site of Yesler Terrace was prominent from Seattle’s beginnings as a city. Yesler’s Origin Story Yesler Terrace was a dream conceived as the Great Depression ended and America went to war. Founded in 1939, Yesler Terrace was the country's first racially integrated public housing project. June 5: The Lake Washington Floating Bridge opens, connecting Seattle with Mercer Island and the Eastside. Rainier to the south and Elliot Bay and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Creation of a public housing authority in the Seattle was initiated when a young Seattle attorney, Jesse Epstein, approached Mayor Arthur Langlie in 1937 for assistance in realizing local housing reforms. How can I find a great home where I can use my voucher? [7] The new development will include at least 561 units for those earning 30% of the area median income (AMI) or less as well as 290 units for 60% of AMI and 850 units for 80% of AMI. Photo: courtesy of Seattle P-I Collection, Museum of History and Industry Construction of Interstate 5 in the 1960s taking out 11 acres and 260 units of Yesler Terrace. The Yesler Terrace property extended to 12thAvenue, to an area of Jewish settlement in the late 19th century. Its southernmost edge was part of what was known then as “Japantown,” later the International District. The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA), Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda), and Capitol Hill Housing (CHH) announced a joint venture to develop 158 apartments of affordable homes for working families in and around the communities of Yesler Terrace, Little Saigon, and the Central District. The Seattle Housing Authority has committed to a fifteen-year plan for the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace. [5] Formal planning on the project began in 2006 with the hiring of a planning team and recruitment for a citizen review panel. with the same frame, but of the completed Yesler Terrace Public Housing. Beginning in 2012, resources started to come together for Yesler Terrace’s $290 million re-development. A grand opening celebration for Red Cedar, Yesler Terrace’s newest residential building, will be held on June 28. 1, Yesler Terrace has been a part of Seattle’s history for nearly 80 years. Epstein formed a committee to write legislation to enable the city to create a housing authority and thus receive government assistance. It was very controversial, and very progressive. Meanwhile, in March of that year, the Seattle Housing Authority was established and Epstein was named director. For purposes of this determination, height shall be measured pursuant to SMC 23.86.006. The logistics and undertaking of the housing began shortly before the U.S. entered World War II, as Seattle was experiencing a significant migration of African Americans to the city. [citation needed] The name "Profanity Hill" could have its origins from the cursing of the attorneys and litigants at having to climb so steep a grade after missing the cable car,[2] or because of the slum neighborhood known for its uncouth inhabitants to the south where Yesler Terrace is now situated. At its western shoreline, Yesler Way was first the site of Yesler’s mill—the first mill in Seattle—and the city’s first center of development. [9][10] The project, the largest such redevelopment in Seattle's history, is anticipated to take up to 20 years for the full buildout. Renewing Yesler’s Promise The revitalized Yesler will be a community of opportunity for all. Our History. Location Washington; Timeline 2018; Construction Methods Piling; Scope. Yesler Terrace is located on the southernmost part of First Hill, along Yesler Way immediately east of downtown Seattle. King County Equity Now wants to stop the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace, a public housing complex in the Central District that is a mix of deeply … Epstein also approached the members of City Council with his proposal and secured support from three of its five members. Yesler Way is an east–west street in Seattle named for Henry Yesler.East–west streets in Seattle south of Yesler Way are prefixed "South"; avenues are suffixed with "South" as they cross Yesler Way. Communal celebrating Seattle history. The first new building, Kebero Court, opened in May 2015 and was followed by the opening of Raven Terrace in February 2016. Other members of the Seattle Housing Authority Board included prominent citizens George W. Coplen, Kenneth J. Morford, Charles W. Doyle, and Mrs. Frank D. Henderson. The southern part of the hill came to be known as Yesler's Hill, Yesler Hill, or Profanity Hill. He highlighted the fact that many other states were ahead of Washington in creating local housing authorities and using federal aid for low-income housing projects, and also emphasized the jobs that construction of these projects would provide. At its western shoreline, Yesler Way was first the site of Yesler’s mill—the first mill in Seattle—and the city’s first center of development. Yesler is becoming a connected, diverse, mixed-income neighborhood that honors the neighborhood’s history and cultural richness with safe, healthy and sustainable affordable housing, new parks and open spaces, enhanced health, Andersen's 5th consecutive project with Seattle Housing Authority, this multi-building development will be complete in Fall 2021. In a July 1938 article, he outlined the principles and purposes of the U.S. Housing Authority: “to provide financial assistance to the States and political subdivisions thereof for the elimination of unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions, for the eradication of slums, for the provisions of decent, safe, and sanitary dwellings for families of low-income, and for the reduction of unemployment and the stimulation of business activity.”. The result was the nation’s first racially integrated public housing project. An estimated 38% of households are Asian or Asian American, 40% are African or African American, 11% are White, and 3% Native American. The original King County Courthouse was located on this part of First Hill, situated between 7th and 8th Avenues and Terrace and Alder Streets. Yesler Terrace sits on 28 acres (11 ha) with 561 residential units in 68 buildings, many of which are two-story rowhouses. In the near future, though, it will be completely demolished. Demolition of “Profanity Hill” neighborhood for Yesler Terrace housing project, October 7, 1940. Built between 1941 and 1943, Yesler Terrace is home to 1,200 residents and represents one of the most diverse and economically challenged communities in Seattle. In 1938, the City Council declared intent to establish a housing authority eligible for federal assistance. 1942 Epstein explained to Langlie how the new federal legislation worked and how Seattle could obtain federal funds for slum clearance projects and new low-income housing. During this process, Epstein did his best to persuade the public of the importance of public housing. Through YCC, neighborhood organizations forged strong working relationships and the YCC board was expanded through a name change and charter revision to continue this important work. Information for Housing Choice Voucher clients and stakeholders, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Housing Authority Insurance Group Life Insurance, Information for people with disabilities and reasonable accommodation requests. 14 Feb. 2017. The dreamer, then-29-year-old Jesse Epstein, imagined a haven for poor families jammed into the then-as-now bursting city’s apartments. HISTORY TENDS to repeat itself on Henry Yesler’s hill, where Seattle’s first elites built mansions to distance themselves from downtown’s ills. As Washington State’s first public housing development and the country's first racially integrated housing development 1, Yesler Terrace has been a part of Seattle’s history for nearly 80 years. Razed in 1931, the courthouse site was roughly the western portion of the present-day Harborview Medical Center. The original King County Courthouse was located on this part of First Hill, situated between 7th and 8th Avenues and Terrace and Alder Streets. [7], Prior to the start of construction, existing Yesler Terrace residents had organized to oppose any redevelopment plans that would reduce the number of units available to residents with the lowest income. [7], The First Hill Streetcar, which began operation in 2016, connects Yesler Terrace to Capitol Hill via Broadway, and the International District via Jackson Street. Epstein was made the committee chairman, and $25,000 was granted to it to begin its work. Construction of the new park has begun and we anticipate being completed in the fall of 2018. Yesler Way was originally the skid road on which logs were skidded down to the mill. F ive years before Joe Wood died on Mount Rainier, I took him for a walk around Yesler Terrace, Seattle's oldest housing project. It was home to about 1,000 people living in 471 separate dwelling units, of which only 22 were owner-occupied. The 1940s-era Yesler Terrace includes a mix of public and private developments delivering … Yesler Terrace is Seattle's oldest public housing project. “We’re thrilled to welcome Kaiser Permanente to Yesler,” said Andrew Lofton, executive director of the Seattle Housing Authority. Founded as a nonprofit partner for Seattle Parks and Recreation and fueled by the energy of civic leaders whose efforts to build a 60-acre “Seattle Commons” in South Lake Union were twice thwarted at the ballot box in the mid-1990s, Seattle Parks Foundation became an independent nonprofit in 2001. Furthermore, it offered residents close proximity to the nearby County Hospital and several public schools, and to downtown, which was easily accessible by foot or streetcar. Yesler Terrace 4 contains a multitude of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces—from sports courts to communal game rooms—that have been named and themed in honor of Seattle’s prominent founders. Our History Crescent Collaborative emerged from Yesler Community Collaborative, which was funded through 2019 to work with neighborhoods surrounding Yesler Terrace as it was redeveloped. [8] The SHA partnered with developer Vulcan Real Estate, who would buy and develop private parcels, and architects Weber Thompson. Mar 22, 2017 - Explore Rose Manos's board "Yesler Terrace" on Pinterest. It was revolutionary when it was completed in 1940. On December 2, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) approves a $3 million loan to the Seattle Housing Authority for the construction of 700 dwelling units in a slum area in the First Hill neighborhood. In 2006, when it had become evident that Yesler’s infrastructure and 561 aging housing units needed to be replaced, SHA began a conversation with residents, surrounding neighbors, city officials, key partners … Rich in history and cultural diversity, this neighborhood was one of the first areas settled in downtown Seattle. And now, thanks to a strong public and private collaboration, it’s an inspiring part of the city’s future. Live at Metroline Flats apartments and experience life in the center of the emerging Yesler Terrace Neighborhood. Yesler Terrace is known as the first racially integrated public housing project in the United States, and it set a nationwide tone for the future of public housing. In … It was 1994, and Wood, a … Lowe is developing a multi-phased, multifamily community in the 30-acre Yesler Terrace, a mixed-income, transit-oriented, master-planned community currently being redeveloped under the guidance of the Seattle Housing Authority and the City of Seattle. As part of the Yesler Terrace redevelopment, this project will include 139 low-income apartments across three buildings connected via sky bridges and exterior walkways. 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