KING

The Lora Lake apartments.

BURIEN, Wash. – The Port of Seattle has narrowly voted to demolish a low income apartment complex that sits just a few hundred feet from a third runway under construction at Sea-Tac Airport.

In a three-to-two vote, the Port decided Thursday to tear down the Lora Lake Apartments, according to Rev. Sandy Brown of the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

Last month, the Port flatly rejected a proposal from King County to buy the apartments for $18 million.  That proposal was put back on the table for the full Port commission to consider.

The 162 units are starting to symbolize the struggle for affordable housing in King County. Advocates for fair housing say the apartments are crucial to keeping people from slipping into homelessness.
The church council says it is upset the Port is not on board with the plan that they say would help end the problem.

The city of Burien, which could benefit from a possible big box store on the property, says the land isn't fit for housing because it sits in the shadow of the new runway.

Several homeless advocates have been arrested in recent weeks protesting the demolition.