Seattle skyscraper shrinking under FAA regulations

The developer of what could be the West Coast’s tallest building isn’t completely backing off from its project though it does seem willing to make some compromise.

Plans for a 1,111-foot-tall building in downtown Seattle at Fourth Avenue and Columbia Street were altered after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice that the skyscraper exceeded height restrictions. The Seattle Times reports the developer, Crescent Heights, reduced the proposed height to 1,029 feet above the ground. An alternate height of 959 feet is also in the plans.

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Though the alternative height should please the FAA, it’s proposed height might not. In 2015, the FAA said if the developer reduces the height to 965 feet above ground level it could allow the project to proceed. The main concern is related to aircraft activity in the area. Such a tall building could disrupt operations. A crane to construct such a tall building or a shorter one for that matter could also disrupt helicopters going to and from Harborview Medical Center, according to the notice.

Original plans called for 83-floors worth of residences, with additional floors for hotels, office and retail space. The Times reports the new plan calls for 75 residential floors and up to 10 floors of commercial space.

Under its proposed height, the skyscraper would be the tallest on the West Coast. The U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles is 1,018 feet.

The alternative height of 959 feet would just beat the Columbia Center in Seattle, which stands at 933 feet.

Crescent Height Principal Bruce Menin told the Times that the developer has no “particular target height.”

The plans were released prior to a March 1 public hearing.

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