Up, Up, And Beyond In Seattle

"The Seattle City Council cleared the way for sweeping changes to the downtown skyline Monday, and several developers stand ready to take advantage of new rules allowing taller condo and office towers.

Projects that have been waiting for the go-ahead to go taller include two condo towers near Pike Place Market and another condo tower close to another neon-lit Seattle icon: Elephant Car Wash.

Called a 'milestone' and 'turning point' by Councilman Peter Steinbrueck, the new zoning is expected to usher in a wave of residential towers in the next several years. It repeals height limits voters set on downtown buildings in the 1989 CAP Initiative, when residents feared runaway growth.

Now, in the hopes of bringing more residents downtown and curbing sprawl, buildings will be able to soar hundreds of feet beyond those limits if developers meet certain requirements, such as contributing to a fund for low- and moderate-income housing downtown."