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Alexandra Park Revitalization – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Winner
Learn more about 2021 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist, Alexandra Park Revitalization (Toronto, ON).
Liberty Bank Building- 2021 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist
May 4, 2021
Photo By Kevin Scott
Designed as a “community front porch,” the entry courtyard welcomes residents home every day. The “history” portal marks point of entry, built with bricks and safety- deposit box number plates that were salvaged from the original bank building.
Location: Seattle, Washington, United States
Owners: Community Roots Housing; Africatown Community Land Trust; Byrd Barr Place
Designer: Mithun
Site Size: 0.5 Acres
Photo By Kevin Scott
Inspired by Afrocentric design principles, the building design highlights dynamic patterns and bold colors to express individual stories and form a unified collective expression. Facade articulation features recessed bays in playful pattern, window placement variation, accent color panels and horizontal siding referencing residential scale and texture. Visible through the glass: a large mural mapping of the history of the Central District (artist: Al Doggett with photos from Lisa D. Brown).
The Liberty Bank Building is a mixed-use affordable housing development in Seattle’s Central District with 115 affordable units. The project is located on the site of the former Liberty Bank, the first African American-owned bank in the Pacific Northwest, and was developed through a groundbreaking partnership between Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT), the Black Community Impact Alliance (BCIA), Community Roots Housing (formerly Capitol Hill Housing), and Byrd Barr Place.
Photo By Community Roots Housing
Interior of Communion: That Brown Girl Cooks!, a 20-year-old soul food catering business and commercial food producer opened its first restaurant on the ground floor December 2020.
This project honors a rich cultural history while maximizing community empowerment to address gentrification and displacement. Project design was informed by recommendations from the project advisory board, which included descendants of Liberty Bank founders and a cross-section of neighborhood leadership, as well as public input from the community.
Photo By Kevin Scott
The resident lounge (with actual residents) features a kitchenette, a large glass wall opening up into the courtyard, and “Shadowbox Art,” representing each of the nine Liberty Bank founders and two architects (artist: Lisa Myers-Bulmash).
Over 30% of the construction budget was awarded to Women- and Minority-owned Business Enterprises (WMBEs), 16% of which went to African American-owned subcontractors. Project partners also commissioned eight local African American artists to create and install permanent artwork that reflects the cultural history of the Central District and honor the legacy of Liberty Bank.
Photo By Kevin Scott
Residential entrance: the courtyard space greets residents with a beautiful five-story tall mural, a landscaped gathering area with drum- shaped art benches, and a wooden bridge over a stormwater planter. Visible on the left: the historic sign from the original Liberty Bank.
Using culturally responsive affirmative marketing, the Liberty Bank Building ultimately achieved residential and commercial occupancy goals; partners furthermore ensured that the building’s commercial space prioritized affordability for small minority businesses, particularly longtime businesses in immediate danger of displacement or closure. By working closely with prospective Liberty Bank tenants on business planning and by charging below-market commercial rent, Community Roots has signed leases with two small African American-owned enterprises to occupy the ground floor space.