Olive 8 Hard Hat Tour

I went on an Olive 8 hard hat tour yesterday.  As the construction elevator started rising, the views just get better.

We started the tour on the 26th floor.  It was still in a raw stage with only some structural columns and walls but at least you can try to visualize the unit space with the help of a floor plan.  The northwest units view are good but they are partially block by several high rise buildings including the Westin Hotel towers.  My favorites are the north facing units which look over South Lake Union. You definitely get more water views that way. The 08 floor plan is facing the Qwest building looks right into their offices -- not ideal unless you're a Qwest exec I guess.  On the bright side, the 08's are priced very attractively which may explain why they're almost sold out of that plan. 

According to the project engineer, they are paying great attention to the noise transmission level in the condos.  An audio-acoustic company will be sent in to conduct testing in the units after the insulation is installed.  The condo will be tested three times side by side, top and bottom before drywalls are put up.

Some readers commented about the exterior a while ago.  They are using ceramic fritted glass (ceramic based paint permanently bonded into glass) which also helps hide the columns from the exterior.  Here are some more pics.

View of Elliott Bay (27th floor)        South Lake Union (27th Floor)

The next stop was at the common spaces which include a pet area, clubroom with gas fireplace, and sundeck on the south side of the building.

   Lap Pool in the 2nd Floor Spa        Sun deck on the 17th floor

The main highlight is the Spa and fitness center on the 2nd level. Which will showcase a lap pool, Jacuzzi, yoga studio, message and treatment rooms.

The hotel portion managed by Hyatt will be having a soft launch in December 2008. Olive 8 is still on schedule for the first move in January 2009. There will be another buyer's event in August.

Overall, it feels like a big production with hotel and residential and all the amenities.  Seems like it will be a nice place to live with a good location.  Pricing seems pretty fair as well.  The main downside is if you're putting a premium on million dollar views, this may not be the ideal project for you.

-Wendy

Comments

[Rob]

Thanks for the update. What floor are the penthouses on and will they be higher than the Qwest building? Any ideas on sizes and prices? Their website doesn't say.

[Carrie]

The Penthouses range from $2.4M to $4.4M and will be roughly the same height as the Qwest building. The SW Penthouse will have views to the west, and will be the only plan that looks partially to the Qwest building. The NW and SE corners have amazing views. Call the presentation center at 206-382-4820, Emily and I will be happy to give you additional details. We have had an overwhelming number of owners who were shocked and excited about how great their views are!