The Urbanist has covered this trend as it unfolded, from the initial U District rezone in 2017 to the first tower winning design approval in 2018 to an early development roundup in late 2019 and a comprehensive update in June.
It feels like a burgeoning city in its own right. The U District, however, feels like one big construction zone with highrises and other large projects going up in all directions. Roosevelt feels the most completed, having undergone a transition to midrise development over the past five years. Northgate Station still does feel like it’s plopped into a mall parking lot, though that will change in time. Northgate Link, which just opened as of today, has already transformed the neighborhoods surrounding the three stations on the extension. Stepping out of the north entrance, towers are rising behind the existing Graduate Hotel, where the rooftop Mountaineers Club bar provides the best views in the neighborhood - at least for now.