Northgate Mall Overlay District

Introduction

Among the major US cities, Seattle is often considered to be the fastest-growing in terms of population (Balk 2014). Tech-based jobs from companies like Microsoft and Amazon have been attracting newcomers from around the world, creating a demand for new housing and transportation options. There have also been additional demands for creating a more sustainable Seattle, and the city has responded fairly effectively. Rather than sprawling further and further away from the central business district, the city has lifted height restrictions for new developments surrounding Downtown, increasing density as well as the walkability of the city. In 2009, a new light rail was constructed connecting the CBD with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and is due to open a new northward extension in the coming year.

There is, however, one neighborhood that still resembles the car-oriented designs of the past century: Northgate. In the center of the neighborhood is a large mall surrounded by large parking lots. Residential zoning, for the most part, is limited to low-rise, low-density housing separated from the commercial districts in the neighborhood. While the neighborhood has a walkability score of 75, the fast traffic surrounding the mall can make walking on main streets (and even on the parking lots), such as NE Northgate Way and 1st Ave NE, difficult and even slightly dangerous.

History

Widely considered to be the country’s first shopping center called a, “mall,” Northgate’s construction was announced in 1948 to be in a 60-acre tract of land in the north side of Seattle (McNerthey 2013). Its original design was a collection of smaller stores containing a pedestrian walkway through the center, and the entire development was to be surrounded by a large parking lot and a, “Decorative parkway,” which are both signs of a mid-20th century automobile-oriented development.

The mall opened in 1950 (McNerthey 2013), and was at the time still mostly surrounded by open space and single-family housing developments.

Over time, however, as Seattle followed the nationwide trend of outward, low-density urban development, the mall became absorbed by the city. As part of President Eisenhower’s 1957 Interstate Highway Act, a new major freeway called the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma Superhighway (today’s Interstate 5) would be constructed immediately next to the mall (Guzman 2010), bringing in more customers from further away. In 1967, the highway opened, and development continued further north. Later, the mall’s original open-air design would be changed into the usual indoor-style mall with the installation of roofing and consolidation of the various stores in the mall.

Northgate Today

Today, Northgate remains a major commercial and employment center for north Seattle. The mall is the same size, as are its parking lots (with an additional garage constructed to its south). New office parks and strip malls have been constructed throughout the neighborhood, partially due to the majority of the area surrounding the mall to be zoned as “Neighborhood Commercial” (City of Seattle 2015). Though there are some areas zoned as low- and mid-rise residential areas in the neighborhood, as well (City of Seattle 2015). Therefore, for the most part, the neighborhood contains primarily segregated uses and small single-unit/apartment developments, with a few exceptions, which will be discussed later.

The neighborhood today also remains one of the few affordable places to live within Seattle. As housing prices soar in areas closer to the central business district, Northgate’s have remained well below the median. According to the US Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey (ACS), Northgate’s median housing value was at $247,400 - much lower than that of overall Seattle’s $453,000 (US Census Bureau 2011). Additionally, there is also a fairly wide range between per capita incomes, with Northgate’s at $28,577 and Seattle’s at $41,695 (US Census Bureau 2011).

Despite the area’s proximity to Interstate 5 and the dominance of the mall’s parking lots, Northgate still enjoys fairly easy access to public transportation. The Northgate Transit Center - located just south of the mall - is a major bus hub for three different regional transit agencies that serve the entire Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area: Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Community Transit. From there, commuters can catch buses to Downtown Seattle and the north suburbs via bus rapid transit on Interstate 5. However, according to the 2011 ACS, only 15.1% of Northgate residents commute to work via public transit, while 37.5% still commute by car (US Census Bureau 2011). Figure 1 shows commuting data for Northgate, Queen Anne (a neighborhood just north of the CBD) and overall Seattle. A primary goal of the sustainability overlay district will be to reduce Northgate residents’ automobile use and increasing usage of public transportation.

As Seattle grows, there is an increased demand for new housing and transit options all throughout the city - Northgate included. Several projects are currently underway in the neighborhood, most notably the construction of Northgate Station - a light rail stop that will connect Northgate with neighborhoods further south, all the way to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. According to Sound Transit, commuters will be able to travel to Downtown Seattle via light rail in as little as 14 minutes. Currently, tunnels are being constructed from the University of Washington campus northward, and the system is scheduled to be up and running by 2021 (Sound Transit 2008).

Inspiration for Sustainability Overlay District: Thornton Place and Northgate North

One of the most innovative development projects in the city was constructed just south of Northgate Mall, and is the inspiration for continued improvements within the area. Widely considered to be Seattle’s first transit-oriented development (TOD), Thornton Place was completed and opened in 2009. Within the area of just two city blocks (which were formerly parking lots), Thornton Place includes 387 apartment and condo units (20% of which are affordable by Seattle standards), 50,000 square feet of retail space (including a multi-level 14-screen movie theatre), a 2.9-acre senior housing development, and a complete restoration of Thornton Creek (which flows eastward into Lake Washington). This complex lies just across the street from the Northgate Mall and a very short walk east of the Northgate Transit Center.

Another innovative shopping complex in the area is Northgate North. While there are no housing units within the development, it is easily accessible to the primarily residential neighborhoods to its north. The development consists of several nationwide stores, such as Best Buy, Target, and PetCo, but rather than their usual “big box” nature, these stores are consolidated into a multi-level development. Taking up just one city block, Northgate North and its corresponding parking garage are easily accessible by car and foot. Overall, this development could be a shining example of what cities can do to reduce urban sprawl.

Recommendations for Northgate Mall

In order to make the neighborhood more walkable and safe for pedestrians, I will propose a number of recommendations for Northgate. Many of these will require, of course, cooperation with the mall property owners, but will likely bring in a number of benefits to local retailers due to increased population and foot traffic.

1. Consolidation of Northgate Mall Parking Lots into One Multi-Level Garage

The primary reason that the neighborhood lacks pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is because of the sprawling parking lots surrounding the mall, particularly on its east side, which also has no permeable surfaces to take in stormwater. The western parking lots, which are closest to Interstate 5 and accessible via 1st Ave NE, have been improved (through city of Seattle regulations) with rain gardens, trees, and other forms of vegetation and open soil that reduce stormwater runoff on the otherwise impermeable surfaces. Therefore, because these improvements, as well as the relative lack of residences, the west side parking lots will remain, while the east side will be demolished.

Currently, there is already a multi-storey parking garage on the south side of the mall, with a large parking lot adjacent to it. In order accommodate the demand for automobiles, an additional garage will be built on the adjacent lot. While it may make driving into and out of the mall property more difficult, it will create a large tract of open land that is ripe for residential and commercial development.

2. Establishment of a Thru Street Parallel to 5th Avenue NE

While there is currently a lane within the parking lots accessible to vehicles, it has no connection to NE Northgate Way to the north or NE 103rd Street to the south. As a result, car traffic is diverted into just two different lot entrances, as are pedestrians. To correct this, A new thru street will be established in its place, with three entrances along 5th Ave NE to improve access for both cars and pedestrians. The new street will also serve as an alternative to 5th Ave NE, reducing traffic congestion along that corridor.

The new street will be shared by bicycles and automobiles, with bike lanes between the parking lanes and sidewalk. In order to reduce car speed, the pavement should be textured, or speed bumps could be built. Along the sidewalks will be bioswales with trees planted inside them (reducing stormwater runoff). If funds permit, permeable pavement should also be used for the sidewalks. These new streets are represented as blue lines on the map below:

3. Mixed-Use, Multi-Level Development On East Side of Northgate Mall

Within the areas previously used as parking lots, new high-rise developments will be constructed featuring hundreds of new apartment and condo units, as well as thousands of square feet of retail and restaurant space. These new buildings are represented as yellow boxes on the map above. The concept of the development will resemble that of Thornton Place; it will draw in consumers who don’t necessarily live in the area, while also providing services to those who do.

Of course, brand new apartment complexes are not usually considered “affordable,” and with the construction of the new light rail station, local property values are bound to increase dramatically. Therefore, the city of Seattle should subsidize the developers in order to keep the rents artificially low. These funds can be taken out of increased property tax revenues, or the city could also establish a tax-increment financing (TIF) district that can provide more funds earlier.

4. Conversion of Southeast Parking Lot into Green Space

Much like Thornton Place’s restoration of Thornton Creek and its connectivity to the rest of the greenway, another project could bring about even more green space in an area currently paved over completely. In the southeast corner of Northgate Mall’s property is an underutilized parking lot which lies at a lower elevation than the rest of the lots. This is a prime location for new green space, which can help reduce stormwater runoff and provide an area of recreation for the new residents that will move to the proposed development. Because of this areas lower elevation, any stormwater flowing along impermeable surfaces could easily flow into the area via a new waterway that could be connected to Thornton Creek just to the southeast.

Benefits of Redevelopment/Overlay District

As discussed previously, Northgate’s accessibility to pedestrians has the potential to be improved dramatically, and the proposals mentioned can do just that. New street and mall entrances can provide alternative points of access for automobiles as well as pedestrians, shortening walks that currently have the potential to be prohibitively long. Additionally, the infrastructure along these streets can improve bicycle infrastructure as well as stormwater runoff management, with bioswales (rain gardens) and trees to absorb excess water. These improvements can benefit local residents as well as merchants within the mall - if more people will be taking transit to the Northgate neighborhood, enhanced walkability will draw them to commercial spaces.

The new residential spaces can also provide numerous benefits to the neighborhood and city as a whole. Rather than displacing current residents, the new developments will be constructed on land that is currently only occupied by automobiles (parking lots). The scale of the project could add enough housing stock the neighborhood to help alleviate any dramatic rise in property prices and rents, keeping the neighborhood affordable for those who currently live there, and accessible to anyone who wants to move there. With the opening of new commercial space, new services can benefit residents both new and old, and will draw in more customers from further away, increasing sales tax revenues for the city of Seattle. Finally, patrons who currently drive to Northgate need not worry, either. Though garages may not be as easy to enter/exit as parking lots, there will still be adequate parking around the mall. But ideally, more shoppers will begin to take advantage of the increased access to bus and rail transit.

Conclusion - Metrics of Success

As the world’s first mall, Northgate paved the way for a new era of consumer culture in the United States. From miles around, shoppers traveled by automobile to take advantage of the new commercial opportunities available to them. This age of car culture, however, has begun a downward trend, and with cities like Seattle growing rapidly, new modes of transportation must be taken into account. To do this, Northgate must undergo a transformation into a walkable, bike-friendly neighborhood.

The proposed recommendations are ambitious, yet attainable. As a designated urban village, Northgate is prime real estate for new high-density development, and with projects currently underway throughout the neighborhood, it’s only a matter of time until the proposals will be realized. But how exactly can one measure the success of these projects? How will we know if Northgate’s new urbanist revitalization has achieved the goals in mind?

There are numerous metrics through which one could examine the success of these recommendations. A relatively simple one would be the walk score of the community. Walkability.com’s measurements are taken into account by many when they decide to move to a new neighborhood, and if Northgate’s is increased from its current score of 75, one could consider that a success. Additionally, one could measure transit ridership data from the Northgate Transit Center as well as the new Link Light Rail station. The Washington State and Seattle Departments of Transportation could also measure how many cars are driving along major corridors, such as 1st Ave NE, NE Northgate Way, and 5th Ave NE, to determine whether traffic has been diverted to other corridors or if congestion has indeed been reduced.

Housing and demographic data could also be taken into account. As previously mentioned, it would be most ideal for local property values to rise at a stable pace, rather than quickly accelerating after the opening of new transit options. If the median property values do, in fact, rise at a regular pace, then the new developments were successful in their goals. Further, survey data measuring income levels could be taken into account. With a certain portion of new residential units subsidized to be affordable, it would be best to witness a mixture of income groups, rather than the domination of one or another.

Northgate’s location gives it plenty of potential to reinvent itself. Despite its location along a major interstate, new transit opportunities could give it the push it needs to become the sustainable and walkable community it could be. The recommendations proposed in this paper can be a starting point off which new development can occur throughout the area, whether it be the establishment of green space or new residential units. Regardless of what goes up in Northgate, though, it will always remain a vital community for Seattle and its northern suburbs.

References

Balk, Gene. 2014. “Census: Seattle is the fastest-growing big city in the US.” Seattle Times, May 22.

City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. 2015. “Comprehensive Zoning Map of Seattle.” Web.

Guzman, Monica. 2010. “What was Seattle’s most disruptive construction project?” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 4.

McNerthey, Casey. 2013. “Northgate - nation’s first suburban ‘mall’ - announced 65 years ago this week.” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 17.

United States Census Bureau. 2011. American Community Survey: 2011. Washington, DC.: US Government Printing Office.