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Low Tide Sets Its Sights On Seattle

When Low Tide’s President, Andrew Chang, joined the team in 2014, he knew growing the company meant diversifying beyond Vancouver. Identifying and investing in a second market was a critical part of the company’s strategic plan.

The question was: where? It would need to be a great investment opportunity while being ideally a short flight or drive away to allow the Low Tide team to continue its hands-on approach of managing its buildings and developing relationships with its tenants.

The answer turned out to be closer to home then expected. Just a few hours south of Vancouver, Seattle is the third fastest growing city in America. The active, casual lifestyle and Pacific Northwest landscape have made it a popular place for people to live and work, creating strong demand for multi-family developments.

 

After extensive research into the Seattle market and many trips across the border to explore the city and its surrounding neighbourhoods, Andrew and team laid out a plan to invest in communities primarily outside of the downtown core. Places that, as Andrew says, “have that special sauce.”

As part of its strategy, Low Tide entered into a partnership with Continental Properties, a best-in-class multi-family development company with an established presence in Seattle. Low Tide also wanted someone on its team on the ground, someone with extensive market knowledge and who understood what it meant to live there. That’s where Ilan Kantor came in. A Seattle resident for the past 20 years with considerable experience in managing and owning a portfolio of rental apartments, Ilan was the perfect choice to head up operations for the team and become the company’s Vice President of Seattle.

Today, Low Tide owns a sizeable US portfolio of existing multi-family properties and 3 development sites in the Seattle neighbourhoods of Kirkland, Queen Anne and Capitol Hill.

Vela, Low Tide’s first ground up development in Kirkland, marks the beginning of a new chapter in the company’s history. Scheduled for completion in 2023, the 5‑storey rental apartment building is located on Kirkland’s vibrant lakefront, overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Washington and is only steps away from an array of boutiques, independent cafes, breweries, art galleries, and world-class restaurants.

As one of the tallest buildings in the area, the 142-unit Vela was designed to embrace its location.

The building will have extra large decks to maximize the lake view and a large public courtyard designed to create a gathering space where people can indulge in the offerings of Vela’s future ground-level retailers. There will be state-of-the-art amenities that compliment a work-from-home lifestyle with everything from meeting rooms and private working nooks to smart-home technology — and even a space for a future drone delivery pad.

The Low Tide team is looking forward to soon welcoming the building’s new residents and retail tenants to one of the most beautiful waterfront communities on the West Coast. As Andrew states, “What we learn from building and designing Vela will continue to educate how we build future multi-family developments. Vela is just the beginning.”