Stewart House
Facility Site ID:
48336
Cleanup Site ID:
14787
Current Status - May 2025
Last Updated: May 14, 2025
Español | 中文信息
We held a comment period from 12:00am April 7 - 11:59pm May 6, 2025, on an Agreed Order and Public Participation Plan.
View the Response Summary here.
Documents available for review and comment during the most recent comment period:
Español | 中文信息
We held a comment period from 12:00am April 7 - 11:59pm May 6, 2025, on an Agreed Order and Public Participation Plan.
View the Response Summary here.
Documents available for review and comment during the most recent comment period:
- Agreed Order (AO): a legal agreement that directs the involved
parties to carry out cleanup at the site under Ecology’s supervision. - Public Participation Plan (PPP): a document that explains how people can participate in the cleanup process.
Site Information
The Stewart House cleanup site is in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood at 1727, 1733, and 1737 Belmont Ave, Seattle WA (collectively known as the Stewart House cleanup site). Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), with Ecology, aims to redevelop its properties at the site into a single building known as the DESC Belmont. DESC Belmont will be a type of multifamily rental housing known as Permanent Supportive Housing, which includes on-site support services for tenants and staff. DESC is cleaning up the site under a legal agreement, called an Agreed Order, with Ecology.
Why This Site Matters
This site cleanup is made possible in part by funding from Ecology’s Affordable Housing Cleanup Grants. Washington is in dire need of affordable housing across the state. Contamination, or even the suspicion of contamination, drives up the costs of housing development. The large cost leaves little incentive for developers to build affordable housing.
In addition to the usual risks of redevelopment, cleaning up contaminated sites can be a complex process with considerable risk. The cost and time associated with cleaning up a site is often poorly understood; as a result, many sites are left vacant or underused for years, even decades. Supporting cleanups for affordable housing helps make sure the cleanup gets done, protecting the community’s health and the environment. Ecology developed the Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program (AHCGP) to help advance environmental cleanups for affordable housing developments. These grants can cover remedial action costs, including planning, investigative, and technical work needed to clean up contaminated sites. The purpose of the AHCGP is to expedite the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites into affordable housing use and lessen the impact of cleanup costs.What Happens Next?
Ecology has considered all the comments received during our latest comment period, and no changes were made to the documents. The Agreed Order and Public Participation Plan will now be finalized, and the formal cleanup will begin. A Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study will then be completed. Results from the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study will lead to a Cleanup Action Plan. Drafts of the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study as well as the Cleanup Action Plan will be available for public review and comment.
General Cleanup Process
The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.
Initial Investigation
When Ecology receives information that a property may pose a threat to human health or the environment, an Initial Investigation is conducted. This information may come to Ecology from the owner of the property making a required notification, or may come in the form of a complaint, through the Environmental Report Tracking System. The goal of this investigation is to determine if there was a release that requires further action.
During the course of an Initial Investigation, Ecology oversees an environmental review of the conditions at the property and any available data. The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) mandates that Ecology track any site that is suspected or confirmed to be contaminated with hazardous materials.
During the course of an Initial Investigation, Ecology oversees an environmental review of the conditions at the property and any available data. The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) mandates that Ecology track any site that is suspected or confirmed to be contaminated with hazardous materials.
Documents 12
Legal 4
Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
Stewart House - Agreed Order | 5/30/2025 | Agreed Order |
Stewart House - Final PLP Determination - DESC | 3/25/2025 | Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter |
Stewart House - Early Notice Letter (2nd attempt) | 11/29/2018 | Early Notice Letter |
Stewart House - Early Notice Letter (Returned Undelivered) | 10/31/2018 | Early Notice Letter |
Outreach Information 6
Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
Stewart House - Response Summary | 5/14/2025 | Responsiveness Summary |
Stewart House - Open House Presentation | 4/8/2025 | Multimedia |
Stewart House - Public Participation Plan | 4/3/2025 | Public Participation Plan |
Stewart House - Fact Sheet - English - April 2025 | 4/3/2025 | Fact Sheet\Public Notices |
Stewart House - Fact Sheet - Chinese - April 2025 | 4/3/2025 | Fact Sheet\Public Notices |
Stewart House - Fact Sheet - Spanish - April 2025 | 4/3/2025 | Fact Sheet\Public Notices |
Technical Reports 2
Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
14787 Stewart House SHARP Report | 2/13/2025 | SHARP Report |
Stewart House - Initial Investigation Field Report | 9/24/2018 | State Initial Investigation Report |
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.
Places to see print documents
-
Northwest Regional Office15700 Dayton Ave NShoreline, 98133Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
Contaminants 1
Contaminant Type | Soil |
Groundwater |
Surface Water |
Air |
Sediment |
Bedrock |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel | C |
- S
- Suspected
- C
- Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
- B
- Below Cleanup Levels
- RA
- Remediated-Above
- RB
- Remediated-Below
- R
- Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.