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What 12th Ave Arts project replacing SPD parking lot will look like (+ how you can help)

(Image: Capitol Hill Housing)

Dignitaries and Hill-ebrities co-mingled at the Capitol Hill home of real estate developer Michael Malone last week as part of a multi-faceted fundraising campaign that is drawing on everything from corporate support to boxing ticket sales to help build the 12th Ave Arts project and replace the East Precinct’s parking lot with a new 29,000 square-foot building providing housing, theater space and, yes, SPD parking.


According to organizers, the project’s capital campaign has now raised half of its $3 million goal thanks to smaller donations and big cash from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Joshua Green Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation.


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Mayor Mike McGinn, who along with Seattle Police Chief John Diaz and other city officials was also invited to last week’s soiree at Malone’s home, announced last fall the Capitol Hill Housing project will receive up to $7.7 million in city funding to help create 80+ units of housing in the planned mixed-use arts, office and East Precinct parking development. We examined the design of the new project here.

CHH is targeting a 2014 opening of the new facility and apartments.

Capitol Hill Housing has said it will use a mix of tax credits, levy dollars, state programs and commercial bank loans to complete the $38 million project as well as the $3 million raised in the capital campaign process. Don’t scoff at that 8% of the budget raised the hard way — for every dollar drummed up via events and donations, that’s another dollar that doesn’t have to come from a commercial loan.

Crosscut recently profiled the project as part of its look at “How the recession spurred creative solutions to Seattle’s art space crunch and spoke with “arts activist” Randy Engstrom who consulted on its creation:

“One of the biggest things that contributed to moving the project forward was we worked hard to do outreach to everyone — neighborhood groups, city departments, funders, developers — and made sure there was sufficient support,” says Engstrom. An advisory group was convened and upwards of 40 people were interviewed before recommendations were made to Capitol Hill Housing.

Speaking of that drumming, you can pitch in the *easy* way in the next couple of weeks. Through March 24th, you can eat at Via Tribunali to “round up” for the project:

Via Tribunali restaurant on Pike invites diners to “round up” to benefit 12th Avenue Arts. Through March 24, patrons will have the opportunity to round up their bill, with proceeds to support the campaign. On the final night of the promotion, Via Tribunali will match all donations dollar for dollar. Enjoy classic Neapolitan pizza and help support a great cause.

You can also enjoy a “Capitol Hill Fight Night” boxing event on the 24th at Broadway’s Seattle Boxing Studio (profiled by CHS here):

Seattle Boxing Studio presents an underground event in support of 12th Avenue Arts on Saturday, March 24, including exhibition and amateur boxing matches and handcrafted cocktails courtesy of Mistral Kitchen and Batch 206 Distillery.

Tickets are $50 with proceeds going to the project, a card including three exhibition fights and some “to be announced” amateur bouts. CHS officially challenges Stranger publisher Tim Keck to a round. Right here. Right now.

Organizers are also pulling together “a special evening of conversation about 12th Avenue Arts” for the 29th including King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Council President Sally J. Clark, Seattle Council member Nick Licata, Seattle Council member Tim Burgess, Michael Shiosaki, Roger Nyhus and Rod Hearne.

As for rumors of theaters already lined up to be tenants in “arts” part of 12th Ave Arts, a Capitol Hill Housing spokesperson declined to comment.

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budget diner
12 years ago

That rounding up BS is just silly – 50 cents? a couple bucks? How about Via Trib actually matches diner’s total bill dollar for dollar in contribution to 12th Ave Arts for the next week. That would be a real donation…

territorious
12 years ago

Really? You are complaining a local business is donating money, no matter the amount? It’s a donation….

Corruption or incompetence?

A $38 million budget for only 80 units? Even if you assume that $6 million goes towards the theater and SPD parking, that’s still $400,000 for each unit. Sounds like pretty nice “affordable housing”! Why exactly is the City giving these people nearly $8 million of our tax dollars? And did these guys pay for the land, or is that an additional “gift” that they were given by the City. This is either a scam or complete incompetence.

maybe
12 years ago

Maybe the egregious cost has to do with them building a police parking garage for personal officer SUVs? pretty sure all city buildings have to be built to a really expensive standard, and i think there are more than 100 spaces being built here.

calhoun
12 years ago

Maybe:

Are you implying that the SPD officers/staff should not have convenient parking available? If so, where do you want them to park? If they were forced to park on neighborhood streets, that would add significantly to the already-tight parking availability.