King County Councilmember Dow Constantine lauded today’s decision by the Port of Seattle Commission to halt the impending demolition of the Lora Lake Apartments.

The 162-unit Burien apartment project, formerly operated as low-income housing by the King County Housing Authority, had been slated to be torn down in early August. The Commission’s decision to delay demolition came just one week after the Port rejected an $18 million offer from King County to purchase the apartments. The site of the apartment complex has been identified for future retail development by the city of Burien.

“With replacement costs for this complex alone estimated at more than $32 million, it is imperative that we explore all possible ways to preserve existing affordable housing stock,” said Constantine, whose district includes the city of Burien. “By calling ‘time out’ and focusing on solutions, I think we can come up with a plan that preserves or even expands affordable housing options in King County, while respecting the genuine need of the city of Burien to generate greater revenues within its borders.”

Constantine credited County Executive Ron Sims for his tireless efforts to preserve the Lora Lake Apartments. “Executive Sims has worked hard to ensure that this longstanding dispute is settled through thoughtful negotiations, rather than with a swing of the wrecking ball.”