Ross Town Flats development coming to the Nickerson St. Saloon site

Geeky Swedes Ballard

One of the most visible lots in Fremont will soon be home to a 5-story apartment, restaurant and coffee shop called Ross Town Flats.

As we reported back in February, big changes are ahead for the Nickerson St. Saloon site at 318 Nickerson St. — the southern gateway to the Fremont Bridge.

Now we’re getting our first look at the preliminary designs for the development. The saloon is not going anywhere; it will have a home in the new building, complete with outdoor seating. There will also be a coffee place on the corner.

“This 5-story mixed-use project adjacent to the Fremont Bridge is undergoing a contract re-zone to incorporate Seattle’s pending HALA zoning a year early,” explains Shoesmith Cox Architects about the development. “Occupying part of a triangular island site, the project is further complicated by a maritime zoning overlay in which residential uses are not permitted.”

The project has yet to go through the design review process.

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The founders of My Ballard

21 thoughts to “Ross Town Flats development coming to the Nickerson St. Saloon site”

  1. Big fan of keeping the bar! Sure… ” it won’t be the same” but with so many other bars just disappearing it is great to see some history being preserved.

    Development is inevitable but working out a lease with the Nickerson is great to see. Would love to see more of this happen in our area.

    1. I don’t disagree, but relative to the rest of the shit they’re building in this city this is one doesn’t give me so much heartburn. Keeping the coffee shop space is really nice. They’re not filling the whole plot wall to wall, but actually making some livable/walkable space.

    2. That’s hilarious! Dude, cockroaches are in EVERY rrstaurant at one time or another. And, btw, that was over ten years ago BRO! Followed up with a BOMB to kill every living thing in that entire structure.

          2. I live near Ross Playground, and as far as I known the town of Ross used to exist in the area we now refer to as Frelard.

    3. I don’t get the funny part either. Read up on some Seattle History and you might figure out why it’s named for Mary Ross ✌️

      1. It’s funny because all the recent arrivals act like characters from either A) Friends or B) Big Bang Theory. Never mind, Monica.

  5. Maritime zoning overlay should be a heads up that this could be the start of many more permits being allowed for more residential units along the ship canal. This, in my opinion, will mean the beginning of a lot of jobs being lost due to developers buying up chunks of land for their vision of a more progressive Seattle. I say keep the ship canal industrial as it brings in millions of dollars and employees thousands of blue collar workers which we once the majority of area jobs. The middle class is being run outta town faster than you can say, what, another property tax increase?

    1. Huh. Sounds awfully familiar to the story of the old Azteca on Shilshole that was purchased and redeveloped into a private residence. I guess since it was a local Ballard boy developer who gives lots of money to the Boys and Girls Club that we should turn-away and ignore this travesty.

    2. Where can we find the data on how much money is generated along the ship canal and how many employees work there? Anecdotes are nice but meaningless without data.

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