With last week’s 12th Avenue Arts groundbreaking and recent designation of Pike/Pine as a “Top 12 ArtPlaces”, council member Nick Licata says Capitol Hill has all the potential to be a cultural generator neighborhood, and he intends to establish it as an arts district.
“In addition to protecting and promoting space for art, culture, and nightlife activities, one of the defining characteristics I want to see included is affordable artist work-force housing,” Licata says on his Urban Politics blog.
Licata says he intends to work with the Council and Randy Engstrom, director of the City’s arts office, to act on Cultural Overlay District’s recommendation of establishing arts districts, the first being Capitol Hill.
Duties include identifying culturally significant land uses; preserving the cultural amenities that make neighborhoods desirable; educating citizens, property owners, and developers on the importance of the arts and cultural community to property values and neighborhood character; and promoting tools and incentives for retaining arts and cultural spaces as well as developing new ones.
Soon to be a major anchor for preserving and promoting the arts on Capitol Hill while providing 88 units of much needed affordable housing!
Will the housing actually be affordable? This seems like the classic closing the barn door after the cow has already escaped. Most artists, along with many other workers of modest means, have long ago left CH because it is already too expensive. The same is also true of other past city center creative bohemian districts such as Belltown, Public Market area and Pioneer Square. Now that that many have moved out to SODO and Georgetown it won’t be long until the yuppie lofts and chic restaurants follow. I have heard that White Center is next for artists and other noncomformists seeking an affordable place to live. But, good luck to Capitol Hill. I will always have a place in my heart for you even though I moved to Bellingham long ago to live in an affordable progressive place.
right on, mel taylor
I started to type up these same thoughts Mel, but lost my will. Cap Hill is no longer the enclave of creativity and affordabilty for those who push boundaries and new paths. Cap Hill is the Belltown of 5 years ago. Full of bridge and tunnel folks, muggings and clubs.
It’s about time someone from the City did something with the suggestions that came from all the work neighborhood folks did as part of CODAC (Cultural Overlay District Advisory Committee). That was a multi-year process, and when it was done – pat em on the back and shelve it.
And, what of rent control and improved tenant rights?! Hell, we don’t even have limits to what a rent increase can be from year-to-year, a common law in most progressive cities. Hey Nic, what are you and your council clue’d-outs going to do to remedy THAT? Puh-lease. I’ll be amazed if these apartments will rent for less than $1,000/mo.