When visitors drive across the bridge and enter West Seattle, one of the first things they see is a collection of vacant lots.

But around the triangular block of Southwest Alaska Street, Fauntleroy Way Southwest and 38th Avenue Southwest developers BlueStar and Harbor Properties will be making some major changes.

"It poses a great opportunity for creating a much more dynamic neighborhood," said Easton Craft, senior project manager of BlueStar.

BlueStar's Fauntleroy Place project, which includes a Whole Foods and Hancock fabrics, broke ground in this summer and is expected to be completed by end of first quarter of 2010. The site will offer 61,000 square feet of retail space, 185 apartment homes and three levels of underground parking with 500 spaces.

"Current market conditions are allowing us to move forward without too many delays," said Craft, "A good number of trades out there are hungry for work."

While that project continues on schedule, BlueStar has another project, Gateway Center, at the former Huling Brother's Buick site, on Southwest Alaska Street and Fauntleroy Way Southwest. The preliminary design depicts a six story building that includes retail and residential space as well as three floors of underground parking. It is expected to provide more than 100 residential units and 51,000 square feet of commercial space.

Craft says that construction for the project will likely begin in a year with the building opening approximately 18 months after that.

BlueStar is also currently working to acquire a third piece of property on Fauntleroy and Alaska, just east of the existing 76 gas station and the Huling Brother's former Chrysler lot.

The deal has not been closed yet, but Craft says neighbors can expect another mixed use building, not to exceed the property's current 65 foot height commercial zoning restrictions. Because the area sees less traffic than Fauntleroy Place or Gateway Center, Craft expects more subtle retail to move in at the street level.

Harbor Properties has a new project going up on 38th Avenue and Alaska Street. Link will be a six story building with approximately 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of commercial space.

Harbor Properties is also working to acquire the hotel property just east of the Link site. Community members have frequently requested that the developer include some hotel units in building, but Harbor Properties has seen no interest from different hotel companies.

At a recent Fairmount Community Association meeting Denny Onslow, chief development officer for Harbor Properties described this development as an opportunity to denser housing with creative architecture. He expects the development will activate the ground level and make the neighborhood more walkable.

Community members responded with concerns about parking, saying that cars belonging to bus commuters are already clogging up their streets.

"The demand for residential in the lower junction and tri is real and it is growing," said Craft. "Solutions need to be created on a cooperative basis between the city, the developers and the community in regards to density and parking."

Rose Egge may be reached at 932.0300 or rosee@robinsonnews.com