Two residential towers in the University District are approved for more than 20 stories, taller than anything with an issued construction permit in Ballard or Capitol Hill. 4522 Roosevelt Way NE has a land use permit issued for 22 stories and 586 homes, and 1200 NE 45th St has a land use permit issued for 23 stories and 154 homes. Both still show their construction permit as applied rather than issued, so neither has a confirmed construction start yet.
The University District's pipeline carries about $923 million in estimated value across 46 tracked projects, more than double Ballard's $425 million and Capitol Hill's $429 million. Its 3,038 residential units are the most of the three neighborhoods but not double either one. Two of the 46 tracked projects were withdrawn and are excluded from the status count, leaving 44 staged, of which BuildVue labels 32 as under construction, 73 percent, 2 as in land use or design review, 5 percent, and 10 as completed, 23 percent. The University District's average building height is 7.1 stories, taller on average than Ballard's 5.5 or Capitol Hill's 5.9, and 34 of its 46 tracked projects are currently active.
Six projects that explain the numbers
| Address | Homes or office space | Stories | Est. value | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3919 University Way NE | 185,250 sq ft office | 13 | $158.0M | Under construction, permit issued |
| 4522 Roosevelt Way NE | 586 homes | 22 | $128.3M | Land use issued, construction applied |
| 4200 E Mary Gates Memorial Dr NE | 341 homes | 6 | $63.2M | Under construction, permit issued |
| 4530 12th Ave NE | 216,317 sq ft office | 12 | $68.5M | Complete |
| 1303 NE 45th St | 241,267 sq ft office | 13 | $60.2M | Complete |
| 1200 NE 45th St | 154 homes | 23 | $44.5M | Land use issued, construction applied |
Two office towers already open, a third under construction
4530 12th Ave NE, a 12 story office building with 216,317 square feet of office space and 14,000 square feet of retail, received its final certificate of occupancy in November 2024. 1303 NE 45th St, a 13 story office building with 241,267 square feet of office space, got its certificate of occupancy in April 2025. Those two buildings added more than 450,000 square feet of office space to the University District. A third office tower, 3919 University Way NE, has an issued construction permit, issued November 2023, on the site of a former public school. At $158.0 million it is the most expensive project named in this post.
Two towers approved for more than 20 stories
4522 Roosevelt Way NE has a land use permit issued in May 2024 for a 22 story, 586 home building. Its construction permit was applied for in November 2024 and is not yet issued. The site's parcel record lists a single 0.09 acre lot, though that figure may not capture the full assembled site behind a project of this size. 1200 NE 45th St has a longer record. It was first filed in October 2018, its land use permit was issued in October 2020 for a 23 story, 154 home building, and its construction permit has been listed as applied since October 2019, not yet issued.
A larger, lower project
4200 E Mary Gates Memorial Dr NE spans a 7 acre site that the county assessor lists as previously an apartment property. It has an issued construction permit, issued December 2025, for a 6 story, 341 home building built across 20 separate permits.