Ballard is one of Seattle’s most desired neighborhoods for new transplants. While much of it is new and shiny, there is a unique historical context the shapes the neighborhood we experience today. Located in the Northwest section of Seattle, West of Salmon Bay and North of Shilshole Bay and the Lake Washington Ship Canal, it has maintained itself as a leading maritime center.
The first inhabitants of Ballard were the Duwamish and Shilshole people, who settled after the last ice age. The area attracted new settlers in the early 1800s, who logged large areas and created homesteads. The town of Ballard incorporated itself in 1890 and voted to annex itself to the City of Seattle in 1906.
Meanwhile, famine and unrest in Scandanavia attracted mass migration of Norwegians and Swedes to Ballard to apply their existing skills in fisheries and logging. This gave the neighborhood a distinctly Scandinavian identity, giving it the nickname ‘Snoose Junction.’ Bergen Park was dedicated in 1975 by King Olav of Norway, and the Ballard Avenue Historical District was proclaimed by King Karl Gustav of Sweden in 1976.
Although much of Ballard is undergoing redevelopment, many historical sites and districts are protected. The Ballard Avenue Landmark District retains its original architecture of low-rise masonry (brick) and wood-frame buildings with small storefronts. A unique feature is that many conform to the diagonal street by being built in a triangular or trapezoidal form.
Modern Times
With a population increase of 9.2% between 2000 and 2010, there are currently 9,881 housing units within the central business district of Ballard, also known as the ‘urban hub.’ The City estimates a capacity for an additional 4,978 units within this area.
Supply vs. Demand vs. Neighborhood Opposition
While there is a need for new housing, many of the new buildings are large and imposing, with apparent disregard for neighborhood context. This has sparked robust neighborhood opposition to many development projects. Neighborhood opposition to buildings based on their appearance can lead to conflating opposition to density, which can result in less supply of residential units than demand calls for.
A limited supply of residential units in an in-demand neighborhood has created skyrocketing rent and real estate prices, with rent rising 110% since 1998 to $2,138, and a median home price of $841,000. The complex goal is a compromise of absorbing growth while maintaining neighborhood character.
