Some heavy machinery in action on a finally-sunny Friday on the Hill. The chainsaws are flying on E Roy as the city works to trim the 80-foot elm tree that keeps Joe Bar and the Loveless building company. Patrons enjoyed the free show and were cautioned by several signs warning “WORKERS ABOVE.”
We’ll have more pictures from the big trim soon. Update: More pictures from the trim by Suzi:
Out on Broadway, the real-life Tonka toys were hard at work tearing down the buildings in the lots that will soon make room for the start of construction on the 230 Broadway project. And, yes, while the project is truly located at 230 Broadway *E*, who are we to mess with marketing, right?
The first building to go was the most charming of the bunch — this rubble pile used to be the converted 1901 house that, most recently, was home to the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. The house’s exterior will be missed — its inside, trust me, after years of office use, was no great loss.
Earlier this week, we brought everybody up to speed on the project and shared word of a community meeting later this month to discuss construction issues.
It was kind of amazing to me yesterday morning, looking at the corner of Broadway and Thomas from the bus stop across the street, how within 48 hours of the construction fence going up fully functional buildings were transformed into tagged urban blight. Though I can’t say I’m looking forward to the scale of the building going in, I’m really glad that the demolition is beginning promptly after those buildings vacated.
Personally, I’m thrilled with the density. It should help ensure more urban amenities by having increased density so close to our multiple-billion dollar transit investment. I am much more pleased by these urban apartments than I am seeing the desecration to our forests and wildlife that a suburban housing tract usually entails.
Prost, I agree completely. I am hoping the new development will be as well-done as Brix, and also that it will include a nice mix of local businesses on the retail side.
No matter what, 230 Broadway will be a vast improvement over what was there…a large parking lot, two marginal buildings (along Broadway), a really ugly bank, and an unattractive house. The only thing I’ll miss is the charming home where the Chamber of Commerce office was, at the SW corner of E Thomas and 10th Ave E.