May 2, 2019
Cedar Speedster, a new 3-story heavy timber, 30,000 SF mixed-use retail-office building in Fremont located at 401 N 36th Street, is nearing completion in July of this year. The cedar-clad building’s name is a nod both to the neighborhood’s role in the region’s timber industry and to George Pocock, a local boat builder whose handcrafted cedar rowing shells were nicknamed Cedar Speedsters among University of Washington crews.
The building, currently 98% leased, will include the restaurants Revel, Local Tide and Aslan Brewing as the retail tenants. Seattle based retailer evo and the development team at evolution Projects will make Cedar Speedster their new headquarters, occupying 21,000 SF of the office portion of the building. Only one unleased space remains, a 2,000 SF retail or office tenant space that overlooks Phinney Avenue N.
“From the beginning, we wanted to build something special that reflected Revel’s aesthetic, and at the same time created a vibrant new spot on Fremont’s map. With this tenant mix in place – Revel, Aslan, and Local Tide, it feels like we have accomplished exactly what we wanted,” says Bryce Phillips, Founder and CEO of evo and partner in evolution Projects.
The project’s ownership, Revelution LLC, is a partnership between evolution Projects, Hess Callahan Partners, and Mark Grey. Tracy Cornell of JSH and Laura Miller of Gibraltar represent the Landlord in retail leasing.
Revel will occupy 2,500 SF of the building’s interior as well as a 1,100 SF outdoor terrace – which was part of the project vision from day one. “We are excited for the community to see how this space offers the same warmth, materiality and authenticity of the previous Revel, but in a way that feels fresh and in some ways, surprising,” says Rachel Yang, Revel co-owner and Chef and multiple James Beard Award nominee. Yang and her partner Seif Chirchi also recently worked with evo and Hess Callahan on Revelry, located in Portland. Revel’s new Fremont home is expected to open in fall of 2019, but it will continue to operate in a pop-up location in SLU until that time.
Local architecture firm Weber Thompson played multiple roles in the design of Cedar Speedster, serving as architect and landscape architect for the building and interior designer for Revel’s new restaurant space. Cedar Speedster’s interior will feature exposed wood ceilings and heavy timber framing. The project uses traditional wood building typology in a contemporary way, leveraging the sustainability of the local, renewable resource. “Our hope is that once complete, the project will slip right into the pulse of Fremont. The combination of beloved tenants, active indoor and outdoor spaces, and the warmth of a timber building that is reflective of the industrial past of the neighborhood will make this a lively hub for the community – it’s an exciting step for Fremont and we’re proud to be a part of this evolution,” said Cody Lodi, the project’s designer and a Principal at Weber Thompson.
This will be Aslan Brewing’s first location outside its headquarters in Bellingham, WA. Aslan’s announcement of this 1,300 SF Seattle taproom has already generated significant buzz among the organic craft brewery’s followers. Jack Lamb, Aslan co-founder, said, “We are thrilled to have found a spot in Fremont, and Cedar Speedster felt like the perfect fit. We can’t wait to start serving our beer to the neighborhood.” After signing the lease at Cedar Speedster, Lamb knew he wanted another strong co-tenant next door and began conversations with his good friend Victor Steinbrueck, grandson of Seattle civic leader and architect Victor Steinbrueck. Steinbrueck had been operating Local Tide as a successful seafood pop-up at Pike Place market.
This will be Local Tide’s first brick-and-mortar location. At 1,300 SF, it will be a quick, casual restaurant serving sustainably-sourced and thoughtfully prepared seafood, including an infamous hand-cracked crab roll. Local Tide and Aslan will share a pass-through window allowing seafood and beer to pass between the uses. Steinbrueck’s brother, Aleph Geddis, is a renowned Northwest artist and wood carver who will assist with interior design.
Joanna Callahan of Hess Callahan Partners notes, “We are really happy to have snagged Local Tide and Aslan for Cedar Speedster. It all feels like a perfect fit – the combination of these two retailers with such strong local, northwest connections will be a great complement to Revel and I am excited to see the building come to life.” Revel, Aslan and Local Tide are expected to open in late fall of 2019.
The single remaining retail/office space is approximately 2,000 square feet on the first floor of the building with a 100 SF outdoor terrace overlooking Phinney Avenue N. It would be an ideal location for a small office, destination retail or other small business looking for a unique space to call home in this buzzing neighborhood.
Turner Construction is the general contractor for Cedar Speedster. DCI Engineers provided Structural engineering and KPFF provided civil engineering services. Rob Hutchison Architecture is the tenant improvement architect for the evo office build out and Heliotrope will design the Aslan and Local Tide spaces. Construction on Cedar Speedster began in July, 2018, and the core and shell construction will be complete in July, 2019. The tenant improvements will be complete in the fall of 2019.
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About evolution Projects: evolution Projects is a small development team with a focus on engaging the community and great businesses with unique projects. They take a holistic approach to development.
About Hess Callahan Partners: The Seattle-based company, co-founded by Mike Hess and Joanna Callahan, focuses on urban office development and redevelopment, with a recent focus on Fremont. Projects include DATA 1 (2017 NAIOP Office Development of the Year), Watershed and Cedar Speedster.
About Mark Grey: Mark Grey is a principal at Stephen C. Grey & Associates, LLC (SCGA) a Seattle based premier property management and real estate investment firm with over 50 years of involvement in the Puget Sound region. SCGA’s portfolio is diverse with a history and proficiency in office, marinas, multi-family and retail assets.
About Weber Thompson: Seattle-based Weber Thompson is a full service, West coast design firm specializing in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and community/urban design. This award-winning company has a staff of more than 70 designers, architects, interior designers, landscape architects and construction professionals. The firm is housed in the celebrated Terry Thomas, a LEED NC Gold certified office building in South Lake Union containing Weber Thompson’s LEED Platinum Offices. In 2018, the firm celebrated 30 years of collaborative design resulting in the creation of healthy communities, iconic high-rises, high-density urban infill, affordable housing, senior housing, commercial office and hospitality projects. For more information, please visit www.weberthompson.com, or contact Weber Thompson at (206) 344-5700 or info@weberthompson.com.
About Revel: Part of the Relay Restaurant Group, Revel – a lively, casual space filled with bright art and music – has been attracting crowds with its menu of street food-style comfort food including dumplings, savory pancakes, noodles, and rice bowls since 2010. Now temporarily located in South Lake Union, Revel features unique lunch, happy hour, and dinner specials that cater to the neighborhood.
About Aslan Brewing Company – Founded in 2012 by Frank Tosset and Jack Lamb, Aslan Brewing Company is a Bellingham-based sustainable microbrewery, exclusively brewing USDA Certified Organic beer for the Pacific Northwest. As a Certified B Corporation, Aslan is committed to pushing the boundaries of craft beer while preserving the triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit. Visit www.aslanbrewing.com to learn more.
About Local Tide – Local Tide is a Seattle-based fast casual seafood eatery founded by Victor Steinbrueck. Its mission is to showcase a passion for seafood by creating approachable dishes that highlight offerings of the northwest’s waterways.