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

Spruce Street School Advances to First Hill Campus with a $7 Million Renovation Plan for Madison at Summit

The private K–5 school, currently serving about 110 students, announced a major step in its growth strategy by applying for a $7 million renovation permit for the Madison at Summit building. The project is part of a long-term plan to establish a newer, urban campus while the school remains at its current address on 914 Virginia Street until 2028. The move to a dedicated First Hill campus is slated to unfold in Fall 2028, with the school emphasizing a commitment to both high educational quality and financial accessibility.

The school is described in the plan as a $35,000-a-year private option for families, with its listed tuition at $35,818 per year. These figures reflect the institution’s stated goal of combining strong academics and social-emotional development with ongoing efforts to broaden affordability for families seeking a private K–5 experience in Seattle.

Project scope and design elements

In a package described as comprehensive, the project envisions a 20,000-square-foot classroom building as the core addition on the First Hill site. The roof level, estimated at about 24,000 square feet, is planned to be developed into an outdoor play area with limited instructional use and housing for mechanical equipment. The renovation also includes a massive underground parking lot and work across all three levels of the property. Specific permit details indicate the garage level will be redeveloped to provide stair and elevator access, storage, and bike parking; the first floor will undergo a substantial transformation to accommodate classrooms, administrative spaces, and essential support uses; and the roof level will be repurposed for outdoor play, with space for select instructional activities and equipment housing.

Administration officials say the project is designed to support a multi-campus approach, with Seattle Academy continuing to use classrooms and offices within the building as Spruce Street develops space. The arrangement is described as a collaboration that will help both institutions maintain daytime functions while enabling Spruce Street to construct its new home.

Current occupants of the Madison at Summit site and neighborhood context

The Madison property currently hosts a mix of tenants, including a credit union and a physical therapy practice, and it has also accommodated a private middle/high school. The site’s location on First Hill is noted for logistical strengths such as ample parking, strong mass transit connections, and proximity to the RapidRide G line, which local officials say helps create a well-connected urban campus. The relocation plan is set to keep Spruce Street on the Virginia Street site until 2028, after which the First Hill campus is expected to inaugurate.

Neighborhood and school-system context described alongside Spruce Street’s move highlights ongoing growth in private and alternative education options in the Capitol Hill and First Hill areas, fueled by a central location and transit access. The broader development landscape includes other education initiatives and new or expanded facilities nearby, contributing to a dynamic urban education scene.

Partnerships, goals, and strategic timeline

Spruce Street School administration has indicated a partnership approach to campus planning with Seattle Academy, which will continue to use the building’s classrooms and offices during the transition period. Beyond the immediate project, Spruce Street has outlined a long-term goal for 2035 to become “the highest quality, most financially accessible K–5 independent school of its kind in the Seattle area,” while remaining distinguished for its unique program and excellent teachers. The school emphasizes a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in both staff and classroom settings and an ongoing effort to broaden affordability for families.

The campus expansion aligns with a broader regional narrative in which private and alternative education options are growing in the urban core, alongside public-school systems that have faced enrollment and funding fluctuations. In this environment, Spruce Street’s First Hill project is portrayed as a strategic investment in an urban campus that preserves the school’s multi-age approach and individualized instruction model.