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Solis – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist
Learn more about 2022 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist, Solis (Seattle, WA).
Liberty Bank Building – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist
May 11, 2022
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.
Photo By Community Roots Housing
Patrons enjoying food and drinks at the award-winning Communion Restaurant & Bar. Kristi Brown affectionately refers to her restaurant as “Communion on Union” as homage to the significance of its location in the historic Central District.
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Developers: Community Roots Housing; Africatown Community Land Trust; Byrd Barr Place
Designer: Mithun
Site Size: 0.5 Acres
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).
The Liberty Bank Building is a mixed-use affordable housing development in Seattle’s Central District with 115 affordable homes. The project is located on the site of the former Liberty Bank, the first Black-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 OutsideThinc
Kristi Brown’s Communion has received national acclaim and has reinvigorated the Central District neighborhood. While patrons wait in line to taste Kristi’s incredible food, they can enjoy some of the curated art by Al Doggett and Esther Ervin.
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. Over 30% of the construction budget was awarded to Women- and Minority-owned Business Enterprises (WMBEs), 16% of which went to Black-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 honors the legacy of Liberty Bank.
Photo By Kevin Scott
The repurposed original bank vault door is highlighted in the residential lobby as a conceptual art piece. The co-curators of the art program are shown here: Esther Ervin and Al Doggett of Al Doggett Studios.
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 three small Black-owned enterprises to occupy the ground floor space.