Looks like there is finally movement on getting the promised supercharger at Northgate mall. Attached is a link to the permit submittal for one of the parking garages on 105th. Permit # 6722428-CN. Fingers crossed UVillage comes next. Accela Citizen Access
Doesn't really help downtown folk or those visiting downtown, but more superchargers is better! I wonder if any other permits have gone out....
Just a copy and paste of the relevant details: Record Details Applicant: Individual ALEXIA DORSCH 18215 72ND AVENUE S KENT, WA, 98032 United States Project Description: EV Charging Station Construct alterations to create a supercharging station to existing commercial parking garage at Northgate Mall, per plan. Related Contacts Owner information Organization SIMON 401 NE NORTHGATE WY SEATTLE, WA, 98125 United States Financially Responsible Party information Organization Tesla, Inc. 3500 Deer Creek Road Palo Alto, CA, 94304 United States Application Information Permit application common Where on your property are you working?: Existing parking garage. Is work in the right-of-way (street or alley) required?: Yes Choose the Primary Property Use: Commercial Project Value: 200000 Permit tracking common Review Level: Full + Application Completed Date: 10/25/2019 Construction valuation info Intake Value: New: 0 Intake Value: Alteration: 200000 Total Intake Value: 200000 Issue Value: New: 0 Issue Value: Alteration: 200000 Total Issued Value: 200000 Total Revision Value: 0 Address is 401 NE Northgate Way which could be anywhere on the Northgate Mall property. It mentions "parking garage, levels 1 and 2" so my first guess would be the new ish garage located west of the mall and my 2nd guess would be the large garage located south of the mall. The final possibility would be an entirely new garage that is yet to be built as there is a ton of construction in the works at this mall. Perhaps someone who is more familiar with the future plans for the property would care to comment. In any case, I suspect it will be a long time before this one actually gets built, but still nice to see an actual permit. I'm thinking this should be enough for a blue dot. @Chuq @MarcoRP
Awesome. We knew this would happen sooner or later. I haven’t been to Northgate in years so now I’ve got a reason.
Similar to Vancouver, BC, the dense downtown chargers are in paid lots - but this Northgate charger will be nice for people on the way through town. I feel bad when people don't understand that and stop too early instead of continuing north (i.e. the Fred Meyer at Lynwood)
Don’t expect Northgate SC to come on line in 2020 or even first half of 2021. I just saw a KING-5 TV news article about the start of another major construction project on the mall site. The Macy’s store has been razed, but many projects in the area are being timed to coincide with the opening of the light rail station in 2021. We can expect any Tesla supercharger to be just one of the final tasks. Technically this will be my closest supercharger, but there’s the small matter of a lake in the way. The downtown SC shows on the Tesla app as my closest SC, about 8 miles as the crow flies, (and we have lots of crows) but it’s actually 20 miles away by road. I have the same problem with on-line searches. I get recommendations for restaurants or movie theaters just 5 miles away, IF I had a boat-car. C’mon Elon, how about inflatable pontoons in the running boards and convert the hidden trunk space for a deployable propeller/rudder mechanism? I’m surprised no one has tried that and posted a video yet!
It is possible that work has begun. I will need to check back in a few days for something more definitive than can be seen in the photo. However, the permit was approved on July 31 and it is a good time as the lower part of the West garage is shutdown as few people are using the mall at this time. The permit calls for 16 stalls, but since it is a shopping center, it seems logical that they would be urban chargers or maybe even 8 urban charges and 8 wall chargers which are becoming more common.
Where exactly was this photo taken? I can go take a look later on today as I'll be passing right by there. I've spied quite a few supercharger construction sites, so it's possible I will be able to see something definitive.
It is the lower level of the 2 level parking garage on the west side. Off of 1st ave NE, south of NE 107th St
It looks like they've got half that entire floor blocked. This makes me doubt it's supercharger work, but rather possibly dry storage for construction equipment? Total guess there on my part, I hope it is the supercharger.
I think the gated off section is near the electrical panels which supports the supercharger theory. The rest of the lower garage is closed to the public because it is for parking for the construction going on on the East side of the Mall
Definitely no signs of supercharger construction at this location. I did find a sign that labels the lower level of the garage as “NHL parking.”
I also drove around the entire property and looked at other likely supercharger locations (the two existing EV charging areas and every floor of the large parking garage in the SW corner of the property) and didn't see any signs of construction.
The permit specifically refers to levels 1 ad 2 of an existing parking structure. Also the construction parking for NHL contractors is at the north end of the lower level. The separate fenced off area for possible construction is south of that
I'd be surprised if supercharger construction starts this year. The entire mall is being gutted and rebuilt. It will be a while (at least a few years?) before there is enough of an audience at that property to justify maintaining an urban supercharger.