Community-Focused Mixed-Use Development Wins Multifamily Project of the Year

In the heart of Woodinville, Washington, The Schoolhouse District embodies the history of the original 1938 public schoolhouse it once was while also creating a haven for residences, gathering spaces, entertainment, and more community-centric entities. Together, MainStreet Property Group and the city of Woodinville created the mixed-use public amenity that is now a destination for visitors throughout the Pacific Northwest.

With careful preservation, the repurposed schoolhouse is also home to the Northshore YMCA and Carol Edwards Center, where a children’s play center, a community kitchen, and a day care center, supporting 124 families with children younger than 5, are located. Festival Street, a former alley between The Schoolhouse District and adjacent Woodinville Sports Fields, is now a place for local farmers markets to be held.

Rooted in the local woodland charm, the now LEED Gold site once included an underutilized 1970s-era masonry school, a parking area, and the abandoned 1930s schoolhouse, which was boarded up. With intentionality, GGLO, MainStreet Property Group, and GenCap Construction Corp. explored opportunities to reuse existing structures, maintain the embedded carbon of those structures, and preserve the history.

“The buildings are elegant against their surroundings, respectful of place, and sure to stand the test of time,” notes the project application. With the new catalyst standing grandly, downtown Woodinville is expected to increase in urbanization as a walkable city. A variety of retail spaces
offer shopping, while Wine Walk Row gives visitors a unique experience. Rollup garage doors reveal places with patios for enjoying winery tasting rooms, distilleries, and craft breweries that are still connected to the District.

The Schoolhouse District’s apartments, District Flats, offer a mix of 278 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units with an array of amenities. A current resident shares, “The location is unbeatable. Woodinville Sports Fields is next door, Centennial Trail is within five minutes by foot, and every store you need is within five minutes by car. My apartment has plenty of light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. So far, it is better than I even thought it would be.”

The lobby and co-work lounge feature a custom mural that depicts Woodinville’s history and evolution. Working closely with the Woodinville Heritage Society, reclaimed items from the historic schoolhouse were integrated in artwork throughout the buildings as well. The society also was involved in determining how to preserve existing structures on the site.