Urban Self Storage of Seattle to Convert Belltown Facility to Hotel/Apartments

Seattle-based Urban Self Storage Inc. has partnered with real estate developer Ariel Development to convert its Belltown Self Storage facility at 1915 Third Ave. into a mixed-use space offering hotel rooms and apartments. The project would convert the current six floors to hotel space and add eight floors offering a mix of hotel and residential uses. The self-storage company owns the property. The structure originally opened in 1928 as a parking garage with car elevators, according to a source.

If approved, the project would feature 50 apartments and a 112-room hotel operated by Cambria Hotels & Suites, an upscale brand of Choice Hotels International. The ground floor would include the hotel lobby, a bar, coffee shop and restaurant space along the street frontage, according to the design plan. The existing floor below street level would be reconfigured to house some internal hotel functions and meeting space for building residents and the community. The project is scheduled to be reviewed by the city’s design review board on Feb. 18, according to a source.

Shimon Mizrahi, who co-owns Ariel Development with Herzel Hazan, told a source the cost of the project is not yet known. A general contractor hasn’t been selected, but architect Poppi S. Handy from Third Place Design Co-operative is designing the project. Construction could begin before year end.

Urban Self Storage founder Lorin Christean was among the first people to convert existing buildings into self-storage, a source reported. The company owns about 60 facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. Its portfolio comprises more than 3.2 million net rentable square feet in more than 33,500 units.