For Rent!
For Rent!
  • For Rent!

For the first time in a century, civilians are being offered the chance to live in the historic yellow mansions located on the bluffs of Discovery Park. The 1900’s era navy officer’s housing is slowly being made available for rent on craigslist by Forest City Enterprises, which owns the properties. Soon, this cluster of 13 homes will be sold off as private residences.

“As early as next spring, we’ll put them on the market,” confirms Michael Nanney, VP of Forest City Enterprises. “In the meantime, as the navy families are moving up to homes in Lake Stevens, we’re primarily renting to coast guard families and civilians.”

The sales are part of a larger restructuring of the Fort Lawton houses surrounded by Discovery Park (the homes aren’t on park property, per se, but surrounded by it, much like private islands unto themselves). In total, 26 houses located in two clusters will be put on the market next year. The clusters are informally known as the Montana Circle Housing area and Officer’s Row. The city has designated the houses as part of a historic district, which means that new property owners will have to abide by strict preservation covenants if they choose to alter them.

Montana Circle
  • Montana Circle

“The houses are all well maintained but they’re not in the condition that a newly developed property would be in,” says Nanney. “We haven’t renovated then and have no plans of renovating prior to selling them.”

Nanney says Forest City Enterprises is currently working on establishing price points for the homes. Here’s my wild guess: they won’t be cheap.

Another cluster of housing known as Capehart Housing, 1960’s era military housing located on 22 acres of land, is in the process of being demolished. For the past several months, the housing has been used as training facilities for Seattle firefighters and police. Once the demolition is complete, the acreage will be incorporated into Discovery Park.

“We haven’t taken possession of the property yet,” says Dewey Potter, spokeswoman for Seattle Parks and Recreation. “But we’re planning on putting in another meadow. Discovery Park could use another meadow, don’t you think?”

God yes, Dewey Potter. God. Yes.

Former Stranger news writer Cienna Madrid has been a writer in residence for Richard Hugo House, a local literary nonprofit. There, she taught fiction classes and wrote 4/5 of a book about a death-row...

17 replies on “Discovery Park Gains New Residents, Meadow”

  1. “For the first time in century” …

    I’m confused. Do you mean for the first time in this century, or the first time in a century. If the latter, weren’t there people there between WW I and WW II?

  2. I’m not sure how pricey they’ll be…cool location sure, but also pretty impractical. And houses that old and that exposed to the elements willbe expensive to update and maintain. Still, they’re pretty big, and there’s historical cache involved…I would guess price comes in around the low 900s.

  3. @1

    I was told that this marks the first time civilians have been invited to rent/own the houses since they were built. I’m sorry I didn’t think to ask about housing options in any and all world wars.

    apologies,
    Cienna

  7. Cienna, I don’t think Will was trying to be a Jerk — it just sorta reads as if over 100 years ago, civilians could live there. Like the movies out of the “Disney Vault.”

    But the point of it being civilians, rather than military use is pretty obvious.

    Fascinating story! I was just up there last weekend.

  8. @3 oh. that’s possible.

    no, wasn’t trying to be a jerk, just pointing out the phrase didn’t scan and could imply things that weren’t.

    that said, there are some great views up there!

  15. I would seriously live there if I could afford it; they will have the best front yard in the entire region.

    If these sell for less than seven figures I’ll be astonished. They really are gorgeous homes in a gorgeous spot.

    I wonder if the radar dome will come down or remain as a neighbor?

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