"Amended" Port of Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Fact Sheet on the Lora Lake Apartments

Background: Recently the Port of Seattle released a fact sheet on its rationale for demolishing 162 units of affordable housing at the Lora Lake Apartments.  We note that not all information was included, however, so we have added (in bold/italic) additional information that fleshes out the facts.

Questions and Answers

Who currently lives at the Lora Lake Apartments?

Ninety-five percent of Lora Lakes residents live below 80% of median family income. Sixty-five percent have less that 50% of median income, while twelve percent have no income at all.  Minority residents comprise 64% of the population of the apartment facility.  Children make up 34% of the residents.  Seventy-five percent of adult residents work full-time.

Why was it necessary for the Port of Seattle to purchase the Lora Lake Apartments?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) determined that 72 apartment units of Lora Lake’s 234 were located within the Runway Protection Zone (RPZ) of the planned third runway. The FAA requires an RPZ to be free of all structures. The apartment complex owner insisted on selling the Port the entire property, not a segment.  The other 162 units, though outside the RPZ, would be very close to the third runway’s eventual flight path. Redevelopment of the area to commercial uses would provide a needed noise buffer between the airport and the surrounding community.

Most of the Lora Lake complex is between the 60-65 day night average sound level (DNL) contours, which is considered by the FAA and the Port of Seattle to be an acceptable or “compatible” land use. The portion the Lora Lake property nearest to the Third Runway is located within the 65-70 DNL noise contour which is considered a compatible land use when insulated from sound as is the case with these buildings and many other properties in the area to the extent that:

• Nearly 4,000 residential units in and around SeaTac airport have a noise exposure greater or equal to Lora Lake Apts.  The number of similarly effected residences is expected to grow to 5,250 by 2024

• A population of nearly 10,000 people reside in homes around the Airport that have the very same noise exposure as does Lora Lake Apts. This number is expected to grow to 14,540 by 2024.

 What happened to the original Lora Lake Apartment tenants?

The Port provided a relocation package to the original tenants, helping them move from the apartments into other suitable housing. By 1999, the apartments were completely vacant.

Why were people moved back into the apartments, once they were vacated?

Because of third runway project delays and the housing demand in the area, the King County Housing Authority (KCHA), the City of Burien and the Port collaborated on an agreement for the apartments to be utilized as temporary affordable housing. The apartment complex was sold to KCHA for a set period of time with the apartments reverting back to the Port on a set date.

Since the Lora Lake Apartments are within the City of Burien, what City policies affect the apartments?

The City of Burien, concerned about having residents live right next to the third runway, passed land use policies in 2003 that identified the Lora Lake site as suitable for commercial and industrial uses instead of residential. In anticipation of the demolition of the apartments, the City and Port have engaged in cooperative redevelopment planning in order to ensure that the property would be put back into productive uses that support the City’s as well as the Airport’s economic goals. 

Have the Port and KCHA had any understanding that the apartments would be able to remain occupied after construction of the third runway?

For seven years, the Port and KCHA have had an agreement that allowed the apartments to remain in place until the near completion of the third runway.  There was never any agreement to allow for the apartments to continue to be occupied after the third runway became operational. The City, the Port and the KCHA all signed the agreement and all subsequent redevelopment planning was based on the agreement ending to allow for more compatible redevelopment at the site. The question of the ultimate disposition of the site after the initial lease period (subsequently extended) actually was not addressed in the Agreement . Demolition of the property is not mentioned. Instead the agreement notes that continued residential use of the property “does not preclude reuse of the property for Airport purposes”.

Has the Port responded to the Church Council's request for one-for-one replacement of the units?

There has been no response by the Port.

Lora Lake Apartment Timeline

1998/99

The Port purchases the Lora Lake Apartments to provide a noise and safety buffer for the third runway project. By October 1999, the Port had successfully relocated all tenants providing each with a federally-mandated relocation package. 

2000

In May, the City, the Port, KCHA, and the FAA entered into an agreement transferring ownership of the apartment complex to KCHA and allowing the apartments to be reoccupied on a temporary basis. The agreement called for the complex to be returned to the Port by mid-2005. The Authority provided $3.5 million in cashflow to the Port on what otherwise would have been an empty lot.

2004

In July, the agreement with KCHA was extended for another two years, with the apartments now returning to the Port on July 20, 2007. As with the previous agreement, the new agreement called for KCHA to notify all tenants about the vacation date and that they would not qualify for relocation benefits. 

Since 2005

The City of Burien and the Port of Seattle begin discussions on redeveloping the site in order to attract businesses and jobs that support airport activities and the City’s economic goals. The City has asked the Port to consider retail possibilities on the property.

The City of Burien spent 2005 and 2006 asking the Port to move forward on potential reuse of the property. Issuance of an RFP by the Port was repeatedly delayed. The question of retail use of the site was not raised by Burien until 2007.

2006

In August of 2006 the Housing Authority met with both the Airport and the City of Burien to request an extension in the lease, as no development activity was moving forward at that time.

In December, concerned that the vacation process would need to begin shortly, the Housing Authority met with the City to again push the issue of a lease extension. The City Manager indicated that the City Council was interested in continuing the revenue stream from the housing for at least the interim and was leaning towards long term use as housing if the alternative was a warehouse operation.

2007

Early in the year, the City Manager informed the Authority that they had determined that big box retail was possible on the site and they were going to pursue that option.

In late February, KCHA sent 90-day notices to all Lora Lake tenants, requiring them to vacate the apartments by the end of May. Special extensions were granted for families with children attending local schools. The agreement between the Port and KCHA required all tenants to be moved out by June 20, 2007, with the property reverting back to the Port on July 20, 2007. Many residents have already moved out of the apartments.

In March KCHA notified the Port and Burien that it had begun to vacate the site and again requested that the lease be extended until development was ready to proceed. In response the City of Burien called the Authority into a public session to affirm that they wanted the housing torn down. This session was covered by the Highline Times, which published the first article on the issue.

The Current Situation

Even though the Port will be the eventual sole owner of the property, the Port has cooperated closely with the City in determining the future of the site. At this time, the City has discussed the issue publicly and, in line with their already established land use guidelines for the Lora Lake site, expressed support for the Port’s existing agreement and timeframe for redeveloping the property.

Assuming the City continues to support redevelopment, the Port is ready to move forward with the demolition of the apartments. As the site is cleared, the Port will issue a Request for Qualifications / Proposals to the development community and will work with the City to attract the best development options for both the Airport and the City.