Seward Commons Masterplan

Seward Commons is a transit-oriented, mixed-use, mixed-income, multi-phase, master-planned redevelopment! What does that mean?

Transit-Oriented – With environmental sustainability in mind, the whole project prioritizes people over cars. Seward Commons was designed to improve the community’s access to the Franklin Lightrail Transit Station, improve cycling connections and benefit the pedestrian environment.

Mixed-Use – The buildings in this project provide space for housing and space for small businesses and nonprofits to thrive.

Mixed-Income – All four Seward Commons housing projects were built to rent at all different price points, including 60 affordable units for seniors at 50% AMI The Cooperage, 40 deeply affordable units with onsite services for people with persistent mental illness Rising Cedars – Touchstone Mental Health, 128 units of market-rate housing The Bessemer, and 32 affordable units for people and families at 30%, 50%, and 60% AMI Wadaag (coming soon!).

Multi-Phase – this project took place over 12 years, one property at a time, from 2009 to the present.

Master Planned – Community engagement for the whole 3.5-acre site allowed Redesign to approach the project holistically, meeting different neighborhood goals with each building.

This project has been an astounding community-led transformation; including intentional and sustained economic development, environmental cleanup and remediation, and public art and placemaking strategies.