Apartments slated to be built in SeaTac near Angle Lake Station

Two apartment projects, including affordable housing units, are expected to be built in the next few years next to the Angle Lake Station light rail facility in SeaTac.

The Sound Transit Board of Directors on Thursday, Feb. 24 approved key transaction terms with developers to build two transit-oriented development (TOD) sites adjacent to Angle Lake Station and garage in SeaTac.

Mercy Housing Northwest was selected last year to develop the three-quarter acre site known as Angle Lake TOD North. South 200th Street Station, LLC was selected to develop a two-thirds of an acre property known as Angle Lake TOD South.

The projects could be similar to what might be built someday next to the Kent Des Moines Station after Sound Transit completes the 7.8-mile light rail extension from Angle Lake to Federal Way in 2024. TOD could include different types of housing, retail, restaurants, offices and community spaces to create a vibrant neighborhood that’s seamlessly connected to regional transit. Sound Transit has two large sites in Kent it will market to developers.

Mercy Housing Northwest will build a minimum of 85 affordable housing units and ground-floor commercial or office space, according to a Sound Transit news release. The units will be a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. More than half of the units will be family-sized housing with two or three bedrooms.

Mercy Housing Northwest would also set aside approximately 20 housing units for residents living with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Mercy Housing is partnering with The Arc of King County to relocate their headquarters to the ground-floor space.

Mercy Housing Northwest will pay a discounted land purchase price of $300,000 to $400,000 to Sound Transit. The property was appraised in 2019 for $2.4 million, according to Sound Transit.

South 200th Street Station, LLC intends to incorporate the south property into its adjacent master planned development. As a condition of Sound Transit’s property transfer, a minimum of 230 housing units will be created as part of the master plan development with 20% of the units provided as affordable housing.

The developer will pay Sound Transit $1.95 million for the property.

“It is clear we have an affordable housing crisis in the Puget Sound region, and I’m proud that Sound Transit is playing a role in helping to address it,” said Dave Upthegrove, Sound Transit Board member and a King County Councilmember whose District 5 includes SeaTac and Kent. “Of the 2,500 housing units in development or already built, 1,600 of those will be affordable housing. These SeaTac projects are a positive step in addressing a critical community need.”

Mercy Housing Northwest also has other projects with Sound Transit.

“We are grateful to Sound Transit for their partnership and excited that Angle Lake will be our sixth transit-oriented development on light rail,” said Joe Thompson, Mercy Housing Northwest president. “For most families, transportation is second only to housing as the largest household cost. By locating affordable, family-sized housing and life-changing resident services programming next to high-quality transit, Mercy Housing Northwest is creating transformational impacts for families and communities.”

Mercy Housing Northwest is targeting late 2022 to start construction on its project, according to Sound Transit. South 200th Street Station, LLC hopes to break ground on its project in 2024.

Mercy Housing Northwest has provided affordable homes since 1992 to people with low incomes, including families and seniors. With 47 properties in Washington and Idaho, it serves 5,100 people every day. Mercy Housing Northwest is a regional branch of Mercy Housing, Inc., a leading national affordable housing nonprofit headquartered in Denver.