Seattle's public-housing buildings are undergoing extreme makeovers through the homeWorks project. The Green Lake Plaza apartment building, at 505 N.E. 70th St., is currently at the center of construction changes.
Towering far above the rest of the community, this 12-story building is home to more than 100 residents. Green Lake Plaza was built in 1969 and is the first of 22 public-housing buildings picked to undergo improvements.
Most noticeably, the apartment complex has been revamped with new colors, taking it from a fading white to elegant green and terra cotta hues. However, the new paint was not just for aesthetic purposes. The elastomeric paint used provides a durable, waterproof protection for the building.
"I love the paint on the front of the building," one resident said. "The colors I thought were not going to match, but on the walls and in the sun, it looks really nice."
Sven Koehler, communications liaison for the Seattle Housing Authority, which is responsible for the ongoing construction, said, "Public-housing buildings were built 30 to 40 years ago, and basically, we are trying to make sure they last and function into the future."
No costs to residents
In addition to the new paint, the most costly part of the improvements are new copper pipes that are being installed to replace worn-out galvanized steel pipes in all kitchens and bathrooms.
Another improvement will be to the community room. New furniture, kitchen and floor will give the residents a place to gather in comfort. A professional color designer was responsible for the bright-red walls.
"The community room is what sets apart public housing," Koehler said. "It'll probably be the one thing that [the residents] really notice."
"We started working to inform residents in December about the improvements," he explained. "They were a bit skeptical about us going into their apartments to work on the plumbing, which was the most costly part. But once [it] started, people seemed happy."
"Maybe it'll turn out OK, but it's been an inconvenience to have people coming in and out of your apartment when you're trying to sleep," said one resident.
The improvements to the Green Lake Plaza will cost about $2 million.
"We don't pass the cost on to the residents," Koehler said.
A combination of bonds with the state and tax credit will pay for the construction costs, according to Koehler. Residents' rent will not increase.
Rent in public housing depends on income. Low-income housing targets those who earn 30 percent or less of the median income for the Seattle area.
Neighborhood approval
The Plaza, with its improvements, and all of the other buildings selected for makeovers will remain public housing for at least the next 40 years, the legal duration.
"This looks like a brand-new building to me. The new paint job looks nice. I remember the old, plain, white building, and this looks much better and really, I think, it livens up our area," said Ben Johnson, a nearby Green Lake resident.
"I've noticed the construction going on [at the Plaza], and everything is looking really well done," said Amanda Yi, another nearby resident. "It makes [the Plaza] stand out in a great way."
This homeWorks pro-ject will continue over the next five years, giving makeovers to all of Seattle's public-housing buildings that need revamping.
"We've already heard lots of talk that the Plaza is now one of the most beautiful buildings," Koehler said. "It really raises the stature of public housing."
For information about how to apply to live in Seattle Housing Authority's Low-Income Public Housing buildings, call 239-1500.
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