Spruce Street School files $7M permit for First Hill campus renovation

First Hill, Seattle, August 13, 2025

News Summary

A private K–5 school has applied for a $7 million construction permit to renovate the Madison at Summit property it purchased in 2019. Plans call for a 20,000-square-foot classroom building, a roughly 24,000-square-foot rooftop play area, and renovations across the garage, first floor and roof levels. The building currently houses a credit union, a physical therapy clinic and classrooms used by a private middle/high school, which will continue to occupy portions of the site. The school reports about 110 K–5 students and says it will remain at its current location while completing the build-out.

Spruce Street School moves forward with $7M renovation permit for First Hill “Madison at Summit” building

Spruce Street School filed a construction permit this summer for a $7 million renovation of the building it bought on First Hill in 2019. The private K–5 school, which reports an enrollment of roughly 110 students, plans to open an urban First Hill campus in fall 2028 and will remain at its current location at 914 Virginia Street until that move.

What the permit covers

Permit documents show work on all three levels of the property, with major changes to the garage level, the first floor and the roof. The garage level will be redeveloped for stair and elevator access, storage and bike parking. The first floor is slated for substantial renovation to create classrooms, administrative offices and support spaces. Roof work covers roughly 24,000 square feet and is planned to be developed as an outdoor play area with limited instructional use and new mechanical equipment.

The school plans a 20,000-square-foot classroom building within the project footprint and permit text also references a massive underground parking lot. Permit materials indicate the administration expects classroom, circulation and building systems upgrades across the site.

Timeline and occupancy

Spruce Street School purchased the Madison at Summit building in 2019 for $15.15 million as part of a long-term plan to establish a permanent home. The school does not intend to relocate from its current address until the First Hill campus is ready, with an opening target of fall 2028. School officials declined to provide further comment on the work.

Partnerships and shared use

The building currently houses a credit union and a physical therapy tenant and also includes classroom and office space used by a nearby private middle and high school. Spruce Street School has indicated it will partner with that school to support campus planning while continuing to allow the other school to use classrooms and offices in the building during development.

Why First Hill

School leaders selected the Madison property for logistical reasons including size, parking and access to transit, including proximity to a major RapidRide corridor. The planned location maintains an urban setting that the school sees as central to its educational model. The broader neighborhood has seen a string of private and alternative education growth, along with community service and housing projects that have reshaped the corridor in recent years.

Tuition, mission and program

Spruce Street School is described in public materials as a $35,000-a-year school; tuition is also listed at $35,818 in some documents. The school offers instruction for kindergarten through fifth grade with a focus on highly personalized instruction that supports social-emotional development alongside academics. Multi-age classrooms typically span three age groups, and the curriculum pulls from a mix of subjects and sources beyond traditional textbooks.

Long-term planning documents emphasize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and an aim to increase affordability. The school has set a strategic target for 2035 to be widely recognized for both quality and increased financial accessibility while remaining distinct for its program and teaching staff.

History and neighborhood context

Founded in 1982, Spruce Street School began as an outgrowth of summer education workshops and has moved several times, from its original Central District site to Yale Avenue North in the mid-1980s and later to its current Virginia Street campus in 2005. The First Hill site purchase followed years of planning and came as other private schools in the area expanded and added new buildings.

The stretch of Madison above Broadway has seen many changes, including transit upgrades and new public and private projects. Local planning for public crisis response facilities and other community services has added to changes in nearby blocks. Several private and nonprofit programs have also grown in the neighborhood, converting older buildings for new uses and adding new school and community spaces in recent years.

Community reaction and next steps

Public reaction has included both support and concern about neighborhood changes and nearby planning for crisis services. Some community members have questioned how claims of increasing financial accessibility square with current tuition levels. The school’s website provides additional background and contact information for families and interested parties.

FAQ

Key project features

Feature	Details
Purchase price	$15.15 million (2019)
Permit budget	$7 million
Target opening	Fall 2028
Enrollment	About 110 students (K–5)
Tuition	Listed as $35,000 per year in some materials and $35,818 in others
Classroom area	About 20,000 square feet
Roof/play area	Approximately 24,000 square feet planned for outdoor play and limited instruction
Levels impacted	Work on all three building levels, including garage, first floor and roof
Parking	Permit mentions a massive underground parking lot

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• Capitol Hill Seattle: Spruce Street School — First Hill project
• Wikipedia: Spruce Street School (search)
• Capitol Hill Seattle: Spruce Street School — follow-up (part 2)
• Google Search: Spruce Street School Madison Summit First Hill
• Capitol Hill Seattle: Spruce Street School — project details (part 5)
• Google Scholar: Spruce Street School Madison Summit
• Daily Journal of Commerce: Real estate/permit notice
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Madison at Summit (search)
• KING 5: Deadly shooting investigated — Central District
• Google News: Central District shooting Seattle