Inspire Fremont Reaches 97% Leased Within Six Months of Opening

In November 2020, Seattle Business Magazine reported that Inspire, a six-story, 42-unit apartment building at 3825 Bridge Way N. in Fremont, was 97% leased within six months of opening. The building opened in March 2020, the same week Gov. Jay Inslee issued Washington’s stay-at-home order.

The magazine described Inspire as designed to be carbon-positive and energy-positive. It runs on electric systems only, which the magazine said means it produces no carbon. Its features include 244 solar panels, triple-pane windows, insulation, high-efficiency plumbing to cut water waste and a community garden. The location scored 94 for walking, 85 for biking and 64 for transit.

Inspire was a joint venture of Seattle-based Shilshole Development and Russell’s Fifth Avenue Inc. It was the first residential building to pursue Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program, which asks developers to build projects that generate more energy than they use and that capture and treat water on site. The project was also seeking the Living Building Challenge Energy Petal Certification from the International Living Future Institute. Earning it would make Inspire the first residential building in the region to produce more than 100% of its power on site, which would also eliminate residents’ electricity bills.

Brett Phillips, a board member at Russell’s Fifth Avenue, told the magazine the leasing results showed strong market demand for carbon-positive buildings, and that such buildings can make financial sense for developers who need to earn a profit.

Inspire is one of the Eastlake Real Estate Partners projects. It sold in 2022, and its details are on the Inspire Fremont property page.

This is our summary. The full article by Nat Rubio-Licht appeared in Seattle Business Magazine on November 11, 2020.