McGuire Is Beyond Repair

Seattlest told you yesterday that the 25-story, 272-unit McGuire Apartments (and Carpenter's Hall) would be declared uninhabitable by the end of the year and would be torn down.

The nine-year-old builing was developed by the Carpenter's Union Local 131 in conjunction with Harbor Properties (which acted as leasing agent until this morning); the owner of the completed building is an entity called Carpenter’s Tower, LLC, a partnership of Local 131 and MEPT, the Multi-Employer Property Trust.

As recently as yesterday, Harbor Properties was touting the McGuire as a "success story." That link (posted on my blog, Cornichon.org) has been taken down. Harbor Properties has now issued a "statement of clarification," which we'll quote in full.

Harbor Properties had a Development Services Agreement with the building’s owner, Carpenters Tower, LLC, to serve as a development consultant, administer contracts and make recommendations to the owner’s manager, Kennedy Associates. Harbor Properties was not part of a joint venture partnership with the property’s owner. Nor was Harbor Properties involved in any ownership aspect of the property.

As a development consultant, Harbor Properties did not enter into construction and design contracts on the McGuire Apartments project, or make any ownership decisions. Harbor Properties is not party to the current suit or aware of details of that suit, and does not have a role in the ongoing work associated with the property. Harbor Properties is referring all questions to the owner’s manager, Kennedy Associates.

Seems to us, here in the (relatively) safe harbor of Seattlest, that Harbor Properties is trying to have it both ways, claiming as recently as yesterday to represent the property on its website, and yet saying it's "not involved."

Not involved in the technical details of construction dispute, perhaps, but their site talked about how closely they work with designers and architects on "their" projects. And they're the ones who were, until this weekend, (still) leasing units in the place.. What kind of representations were they making? What did they say to potential renters who asked about the scaffolding? ("Cosmetic fixes" is what we're told they said.)

The finger-pointing has begun. Harbor's statement, courtesy of Frause, a local PR firm, is not the last one they'll be making. The building's nominal owner, Carpenter's Tower, meanwhile, has hired Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel to help navigate the mess, and they, too have hire a local PR firm, Gogerty Marriott. At least the Kennedy website still has a picture of the (unscaffolded) McGuire. For now.