Seattle Civic Square

The Seattle Civic Square is a proposed 520-foot (160 m) tall, 43-story skyscraper in Seattle, Washington, that was approved by the city in 2009. The original building plan included space for retail, offices, and residences, as well as a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) public plaza.

Map of Seattle Civic Square, Seattle, WA 98104, USA

The site has been vacant since the previous structure, the Public Safety Building, was demolished in 2005. The Civic Square project was put on hold during the Great Recession of 2007–2008 as the developers search for financing or a tenant.

In late 2015 Mayor Ed Murray announced he would not renew the contract with Triad Development after an employee of Triad's was accused of coercing Seattle City Council candidate Jonathan Grant into settling a lawsuit with the Tenants Union of Washington over the renewal of the project's construction permit. A different group of displaced tenants filed a suit against the city and Triad, alleging special treatment from the city for the project; the suit was settled in October 2015, with Triad paying $5.5 million into a housing affordability fund if the project is built. Touchstone Development was granted Triad's interest in the project in March 2016, and began searching for possible tenants and financing.

In May 2016, it was announced by Mayor Ed Murray announced that Touchstone would not continue developing the project, having failed to secure financing and tenants within the 60-day deadline.

On October 28, Mayor Murray announced that Bosa Development would take over the contract and develop the building, paying into a equitable development fund and affordable housing. The project would be subject to design approval and could begin construction as early as 2018. Under the new deal, Bosa would pay $16 million to build a new condominium tower (with a new design) on the property, and contribute $5.7 million to an affordable housing fund.