Behold! “The Sanctuary” is Returning to Market

The Sanctuary — a century-old Capitol Hill church which began a 2008 conversion into a 12-unit multifamily community but fell on hard times before completion — will be back on the market in the late summer/early fall 2011, with Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty tapped as its Exclusive Listing Broker!

Originally built in 1908 as The First Church of Christ the Scientist, it was redeveloped a century later into The Sanctuary— a dozen fee simple concrete and steel townhomes within its historic structure. The original borrower defaulted on the development loan in August 2010. Construction and marketing has been halted for more than a year. Now with the senior loan sold to a new lender, the next steps are to complete construction and commence with sales.

Ranging from 1,278 to 2,438 square feet, the townhomes will be marketed at significantly less than the original asking price – which averaged over $1 million apiece — when completed this fall. Prices are anticipated to start at below $600,000, PLUS, new homeowners will enjoy a 10-year property tax abatement, with a special assessment designation for historic structures.

Celebrating the architectural significance of the historic structure, The Sanctuary project has already won numerous design awards, including “Building Restoration of the Year (2009)” from Seattle magazine. The development features an expansive stained-glass dome, now the building’s atrium, which provides abundant natural light.

Residences feature high-end finishes and amenities, including soaring 35-foot-high ceilings, metalwork and cabinets by Seattle area artisans, solid wood stair risers, re-purposed marble from the original church and top-of-the-line kitchen and plumbing fixtures. Each unit has a street level entrance, as well as a shared elevator to secured underground parking. Some units have rooftop terraces with expansive views of downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay. 

The Sanctuary was sold to Pathfinder Pollin Sanctuary Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of San Diego-based Pathfinder Partners, LLC, a leading acquirer of loans and properties from financial institutions.  Resource Transition Consultants, LLC (RTC), which has served as the court-appointed receiver for the original lender syndicate since September 2010, will oversee construction completion.  

Unlike a short sale where a bank has to approve a lower sales price, RTC, as the court-appointed receiver, has the opportunity to work with the court to set asking prices based upon what the market will bear.  This provides greater confidence to the buyer that they are working with the decision maker so their efforts aren’t likely to be wasted, which can oftentimes be the case chasing a short sale. 

It’s also very positive that RTC will now have the resources to complete the construction of the project including some new design features to optimize the marketability of the homes.  More information on the finishes, construction scope and pricing will be made available in the coming weeks, with the project officially returning to the market by late summer / early fall.

Residence.  Architectural Landmark.  Object d’Art .  With only 12 homes available, The Sanctuary is expected to be a hot property with high demand. 

We’ll post more information on The Sanctuary as development progresses, but–

As part of Realogics Sotheby’s marketing and sales team, sign up with the Stroupe Group for firsthand property information and pricing immediately after it’s made available.  Stay a step ahead… just fill out this Contact Us form and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours.  Or, if you’d rather call us first, just dial  206.910.5000.