Seattle’s mayoral candidates take on cultural, economic development in the Central District

Posted on by
Reply

JuneteenthForum-copyThe next stop in the race to be Seattle’s mayor is in the Central District Wednesday night as the candidates will weigh in on the neighborhood’s future, social justice, education and youth issues amid Juneteenth celebrations in the area.

Our sister site Central District News has full details on tonight’s forum where six of the eight current candidates for mayor are expected to appear:

Of the eight candidates currently running for the post of Seattle Mayor, six have confirmed their intention to participate in the Forum including Mayor Mike McGinn, Bruce Harrell, Ed Murray, Kate Martin, Joey Gray, and Mary Martin. Charlie Staadecker’s campaign did not respond to the invitation while Peter Steinbrueck reported a schedule conflict.

Following the most recent polls and endorsements, the race toward August’s primary appears to be down to frontrunners McGinn and Murray with Harrell and Steinbrueck continuing to challenge for the “top two” opportunity to go through into November.

Follow CHS’s Election 2013 coverage here.

What Broadway’s planned ‘Hollywood Lofts’ will look like — Plus, ‘affordable’ apartments on Summit

Posted on by
10

Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.33.22 PMTwo projects envisioned for Capitol Hill residents on the opposite ends of the earnings spectrum will take the final steps in the design review process Wednesday night. At 127 Broadway E, developers are looking for the final blessing on their plans to create a six-story loft-style apartment project that will incorporate the brick store and office building that has stood at the site since 1929. Meanwhile, at 422 Summit Ave E, a “workforce” apartment project is ready to rise six stories next to its much older multifamily neighbors.

127 Broadway E
There is a lot of history wrapped up in the Hollywood Lofts project. The old Del Teet furniture store was designed by, of all architects, Frederick Anhalt, and over the years has been home to a succession of Broadway businesses including the long-shuttered Hollywood Video. Today, longtime Capitol Hill real estate investor Ron Amundson is developing the project as his second foray into unlocking his many neighborhood holdings. The first project is also Dick’s-adjacent at 120 Harvard Ave E.Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.33.36 PM

Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.31.53 PM Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.33.07 PMThe Hewitt-designed mixed-use project will include 24 lofts, a restored facade and 3,600 square feet of restored commercial space. The building will also add one underground level of parking for 11 vehicles. Across the street, the Capitol Hill Station light rail project is slated to begin operations in late 2016 — around the time the Hollywood Lofts could be ready for move-in.

Design Proposal (10.28 mb)
Review Meeting: June 19, 6:30 PM
Seattle University
901 12th Ave
Admissions & Alumni Community Room
Review Phase: Recommendation past reviews
Project Number: 3013985 permit status | notice
Planner: Garry Papers

Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.34.04 PMConsultant and Capitol Hill developer Maria Barrientos talked to CHS about the lofts project last year:

“We’re keeping the building as intact as possible,” Barrientos tells CHS about the Broadway project. An existing skylight structure will be extended to become a European-style central court. Heavy old timbers from the building will be re-incorporated. At street-level, retail will remain but the upper floors of the existing structure will be melded with new construction to create a three-story building with two floors of living units and lofts.

“Broadway will be totally different,” Barrientos said. “The industrial lofts — we haven’t finished the plan exactly yet — but they will be either 1 or 2 bedroom.”

“Everybody else is building for the totally tiny units. We wanted to go after a different demographic.”

The city’s records show that no members of the public showed up at the project’s first step in the design process last December. Don’t despair, Ron and Maria. That’s how we say we like you.

422 Summit Ave E
Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.39.13 PMFinally a place we poor people of Capitol Hill can hope to afford.

Designed to take advantage of the city’s affordable housing incentives that allow extra height for building’s in exchange for providing units available for a period at 60% of median income, the 422 Summit Ave E project also had a smooth go of it during its first visit to the East Design Review Board in December despite seven members of the public taking their turns to mostly lodge various complaints about the building blocking views and not being truly “affordable” for a long enough time — 50 years is the duration of the controlled rent in order to qualify for the height bonus, by the way.

Design Proposal (60.2 MB)
Review Meeting: June 19, 8:00 PM
Seattle University
901 12th Ave
Admissions & Alumni Community Room
Review Phase: Recommendation past reviews
Project Number: 3014079 permit status | notice
Planner: Lindsay King

The Runberg Architects-designed project will rise six stories, provide 48 apartment units and include one underground parking area for 13 vehicles. There will be — shocker, we know — no retail space included in the building’s plans.

Wednesday’s board discussion of the project is likely to center around the request to skirt zoning rules regarding setbacks from property lines on the back of the structure.Screen Shot 2013-06-18 at 2.37.05 PM

12th Ave microhousing and restaurant project from Melrose Market backer ready to dig in

Posted on by
1
Practice makes perfect as SFD tears into the old market prior to demolition (Image: @warmdarm)

Practice makes perfect as SFD tears into the old market prior to demolition (Image: @warmdarm)

If you noticed a prolonged Seattle Fire response atop the old Capitol Hill Market/Style Syndicate space last Saturday, it was, indeed, a sign of things to come. The practice session is prelude to demolition slated to happen over the next week or so. After that comes “32 micro apartments and a 1,700 retail/restaurant space on the first floor,” developer Scott Shapiro tells us. One of the backers of the Melrose Market, Shapiro talked with CHS about his foray into microhousing on 12th Ave here in this 2012 CHS post on his project. The ‘Microhousing Melrose Market’ — not its real name :) — should open by spring 2014, Shapiro said.

A little more Bill’s off Broadway

Posted on by
3
(Image: CHS)

(Image: CHS)

Breaking news from Harvard and Pine:

Update. We have been informed that the development of the property that has housed Bill’s off Broadway since 1980 is moving a little slower than originally thought. As a result we have decided to remain open until at least November 30th. (maybe longer) As part of our (wind down) we stopped brunch last weekend but will start it up again soon. Plus we will be open for at least the first three months of NFL Season. The Greenwood location is still scheduled to open on September 1st.
Don

We told you here about the plans for Don Stevens to open a second Bill’s in Greenwood and shutter the original at the end of July for two years of construction. Sounds like fans get — at least — a four-month reprieve.

Capitol Hill food+drink | Dulces to take another spin at 19th/Madison

Posted on by
2

9076796675_c04d85612f_b9076797511_fe198fe41fTip your neighborhood blogger. You can reach us via mail or call/txt (206) 399-5959.

Dulces Latin Bistro is ready to give Capitol Hill another try, it seems. After a two-year odyssey that began with a 2011 exit from the restaurant’s original Madrona home, Carlos Kainz and Julie Guerrero are making plans to revive their bistro inside the Lawrence Lofts project at 19th and Madison.

The husband and wife team haven’t yet confirmed the project but permit filings indicate the project underway in the new retail space on the backside of the Hill is a Kainz-Guerrero production. “We are moving to the Madison Valley and will reopen in mid-September,” the Dulces site promises.

Geographic labels aside, the project marks the couple’s third bout of interest in becoming part of the Hill area’s food and drink scene after leaving Madrona. CHS reported at one point that Dulces was later lined up for Broadway’s Joule building. Next came word that the new Dulces was destined for the Oola Distillery project where Zoe roosts now. Ultimately, after 19 years in business in Madrona, Dulces landed downtown on Western Ave. By summer of 2012, Dulces was shuttered again.

With the Dulces project lined up to connect the street to E Madison, 19th Ave will have a somewhat disconnected but bolstered food and drink scene. This fall, Tallulah’s from Linda Derschang and a Molly Moon’s ice cream and cookie shop Hello Robin will open in the soon-to-be-completed 19th and Mercer building just south of the Kingfish Cafe, Fuel Coffee and Monsoon.

What shape the new project will take is left to be seen. Contractor Atelier Drome is at work in the space below the Lawrence’s “131 High-end/Loft Apartments.” Rent runs $25 per square foot per year for the two 2,600 and 3,500-square-foot spaces that were available. Lawrence Lofts is also home to the Breathe Hot Yoga studio.

Meanwhile, another new restaurant project in new construction on the edges of Capitol Hill is ready to open its doors at 15th and Pine. Le Zinc, from the folks behind Maximillien, is preparing for its soon-to-be-announced debut.

You can learn more at dulcesbistroandwine.com.

Capitol Hill food+drink notes

Patio-400x300

(Image: Garage Billiards)

  • The timely project to better connect Garage to the new bustling south Broadway of streetcars and Pike/Pine party crowds has been completed as the billiards and bowling joint unveiled its new streetside patio and bar. “The 2,000 square foot space features a covered, heated and open-air bar.” Noted!
  • It’s time to say goodbye to Chutney’s “Grille on the Hill” – the Indian restaurant about to be booted by the project to build this four-story apartment building on 15th Ave E is telling customers this is its final week of business. CHS walked away with a commemorative can of mango pulp and a Taj Mahal lager promo mirror as management-approved souvenirs.
  • Also on 15th Ave E, Monday afternoon report of swarm of bees wandering the avenue. Don’t panic. It’s for a good, sticky sweet cause.
  • One more 15th Ave E note. Frequent visitor to the street Parfait Ice Cream is taking its truck and going brick and mortar for the first time… in Ballard.
  • Cantinetta opening down the Hill in Madison Valley.
  • A food+drink angle on The Egyptian’s demise:
  • If you have any Seattle Times paywall clicks left, here’s what they say about Chico Madrid: “It’s part of the new wave of casual eateries with a European sensibility, where the food is understated and unfussy, focusing on charcuterie, cheese and other imported gourmet products so the kitchen staff doesn’t do the heavy lifting.” Suppose you don’t necessarily need to click now, no?
  • Entrepreneurs considering the food and drink economy on Capitol Hill might want to consider the food and drink and cannabis economy.
  • The Canterbury will have new kings — kings who “would like to explore keeping the Canterbury name and having an expanded family seating area.”
  • Capitol Cider finally opened to the public last week. CHS showed you inside. What do you think of it?

 

This week’s CHS food+drink advertiser directory

Wanted: Tenant for one Capitol Hill movie theater, moviegoers for another

Posted on by
4

Anticipation, originally uploaded by liquidnight.

We’ve held the funeral. Now it’s time for the plot twist in which the hero springs back to life.

While all of the machinations haven’t fully been revealed, it’s official: The Egyptian Theatre will go dark June 27.

Lauren Kleiman, spokesperson for Landmark Theaters, confirmed Monday that the Mark Cuban-backed art-house chain is ending its lease with Egyptian building owner Seattle Community College at the end of June.

“We couldn’t come to terms on a new lease with the property owners,” Kleiman said.

Kleiman said Landmark had only known about the closure for a few days. She could not offer any specific details on why Landmark had so abruptly ended the lease at 801 E Pine, only that “the economics of running a single screen theater are very difficult.”

SCC Spokeswoman Janet Grimely confirmed in an email that Landmark had declined to renew its lease. Grimely said the theater space would remain empty until a new tenant is found. The school already operates a theater space in the Broadway Performance Hall across the street.

The 600-seat Egyptian will be up for lease sometime after July 1, once Landmark fully moves out its theater equipment. In the meantime Grimely said the building’s classrooms and offices, known as SCCC’s Fine Arts Building, will stay open. SCCC will also continue to host its own events in the theater space.

Despite Landmark’s departure, Seattle International Film Festival hopes to be back in the theater space for next year’s festival.

“Seattle Central Community College has been a great steward of the building and the Festival since they purchased the property,” SIFF artistic director Carl Spence said in a statement Monday. “We are hopeful that SIFF will be able to continue to host the Seattle International Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in the future.”

WA-loc-EGYPTIANSIFF and the Egyptian share an extended back-story. Built in 1916, the former Masonic temple was bought by SIFF founders Darryl MacDonald and Dan Ireland in 1980. The duo were the first to transform it into the Egyptian-themed theater. After running it for nearly a decade, SIFF sold the theater to Landmark in 1989. SCCC bought the building two years later, keeping Landmark as its tenant.

SIFF has no stated plans to swoop in and keep the Egyptian running as a full time theater, like their 2011 move to re-open the Uptown.

Another interesting element that could affect the future of the theater is the building appears to be eligible for preservation under the National Register of Historic Places and the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance.

CHS broke word of the Egyptian’s closure on Sunday. According to several witnesses and people close to the situation, management at the Egyptian told midnight moviegoers that the theater would be closing soon.

For those planning to be there for the final show on the 27th, it looks like you will be saying goodbye to the current iteration of The Egyptian with the continued run of Before Midnight slated for the last listed showtimes next Thursday, according to the Landmark site. This weekend’s final midnight movie will be Brazil.

Landmark had been struggling in recent years, going on the block in 2011 in an effort to recoup massive investment in the theater chain. The company is not currently up for sale.

Kleiman said Landmark’s other Capitol Hill theater, the two-screen Harvard Exit, is not closing. CHS could not reach The Exit’s landlord for comment.

UPDATE: You can listen to jseattle talk with KUOW about The Egyptian here (MP3).

UPDATE: Seattle Central tells the Puget Sound Business Journal it will issue a “request for proposals” for the theater space within a month. KING TV reports that rent for the facility has been about $8,400 a month.

New trolley buses coming by 2015, City boosts county’s service on nine key Seattle lines

Posted on by
6
lfr_septa

(Image: New Flyer)

New trolley buses coming by 2015
CHS has reported on the long, winding road to replacing Metro’s fleet of aging trolley buses. This week, King County has announced it is done shopping:

King County Metro Transit announced today it will replace its aging trolley fleet with new all-electric New Flyer coaches that will take about one-third less energy to power. Metro is second only to San Francisco in having the largest electric trolley fleet in the nation.

Metro plans to initially purchase up to 141 trolley buses – about 10 percent of its entire fleet – under a contract with New Flyer totaling up to $164 million. Future bus purchases will be dependent on fleet needs and whether Metro is able to avoid service reductions in the coming years.

“Electric trolleys have a lot of fans, and I’m one of them,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “They’re quiet, they run clean, they’re part of our transit heritage, and studies confirm they’re the best for moving riders in our very hilly and dense urban environment.”

Federal and Metro capital funds will be used to purchase the buses, with the first prototype expected to arrive in 2014. Riders can expect to see new coaches hit the streets in 2015.

The announcement includes some data on Capitol Hill’s new rides:

The New Flyer electric trolley buses will use an estimated 25-30 percent less energy than the current electric trolley buses, and use regenerative braking that puts power back into the energy system.

The trolleys also will be able to operate off-wire on battery power for short distances – a feature that will allow the bus to reliably reroute around collisions without calling for a Metro push truck. It also will reduce the need to substitute diesel buses when construction affects routes along electric bus corridors.

The new buses will have low floors for easier and faster boarding and exiting. They include an updated system to secure wheelchairs, and the 60 foot buses will have three doors, air conditioning and the ability to kneel the full length of the bus.

City boosts county’s service on nine key Seattle bus lines
CHS has covered more talk of cuts to Metro’s service, but now nine routes will see service increases as the City of Seattle puts $750,000 towards expanding night and weekend bus rides.

“The City of Seattle is buying more than 5,000 hours of added service per year through early 2016 on nine high ridership bus routes in Seattle,” city officials announced June 16. The route increases are being funded through the Bridging the Gap levy that has purchased “45,000 hours of transit service each year” since 2008 according to a City of Seattle release.

Funds from the voter-approved levy will go towards increasing night and weekend service on routes: 5, 10, 21, 40, 41, 48, 49, and 120. In February 2014, funds will also go toward the Aurora RapidRide.

UPDATE: Here is Seattle Transit Blog’s take on the announcement.

The monetary booster shot comes during trying times for King County Metro, and will ideally reduce the wait time – and frustration – for some bus commuters.

“It’s great to be able to add this service at a time of ridership growth,” King County Metro general manager Kevin Desmond said in a statement. The City of Seattle release claims the added funds will “increase evening and weekend frequency on high-ridership routes from 30 to 15 minutes or from 60 to 30 minutes.” Serving as a relatively small fix, officials say there is still more work to be done to create long term solutions.

From the City:

Since 2008 the City of Seattle has used Bridging the Gap funds to purchase up to 45,000 hours of transit service each year. Using $750,000 in savings from Levy-funded projects, the City of Seattle is buying 5,000 additional hours of service on priority bus routes identified in the Transit Master Plan that serve SR 99, Interstate 5, and major arterial streets, including:

Route 5 (Greenwood to Downtown)

Route 10 (North Capitol Hill to Downtown)

Route 21 (West Seattle to Downtown)

Route 40 (Northgate-Crown Hill-Ballard-Fremont-South Lake Union-Downtown)

Route 41 (Lake City-Northgate-Downtown via Interstate 5)

Route 48 (University District to Mt. Baker Light Rail Station)

Route 49 (University District to Pike/Pine and Downtown)

Route 120 (West Seattle to Downtown)

 

Additionally, the pre-existing Metro Transit Now commitment providing 5,000 hours of 100 percent Metro-funded service would go into effect in February 2014 and fund more trips on the Aurora RapidRide E Line.

Nails Across America makes well-manicured Capitol Hill stop

Posted on by
1
A small taste of the nail designs stopping by Capitol Hill on June 18 - Creature w/ permission to FAS

A small taste of the nail designs stopping by Capitol Hill on June 18 – Creature w/ permission to CHS

Getting your nails done can land you in the manicure archives on Tuesday when New York artist Breanne Trammell stops through Capitol Hill’s Creature ad agency on a tour called Nails Across America. Trammell, a Printmaking grad from the Rhode Island School of Design is collecting oral history’s from manicure clients during a road trip across the country, and now it’s Seattle’s turn.

On the road since May 28, Trammell will arrive on Capitol Hill Tuesday June 18, and begin profiling locals for her project. The trip will conclude with a published archive based on 500 sets of nails, as well as the people behind them. Trammell who actually became a licensed nail tech in New York for the project says she will “document these exchanges with audio recordings, photography, and video to create a web-based project archive.” A few of those archive entries could be Capitol Hill residents. Continue reading →

Fratelli Cows Park? Name the new park at 19th and Madison

Posted on by
4

The community project to develop a park at 19th and Madison has their preliminary landscape design completed. Now the park isBeforeAndAfter19thandMadison waiting on two things: funding, and a name.

The city is currently soliciting suggestions for the park’s name — community members with ideas can email paula.hoff@seattle.gov or fill out the survey here.

The final design sketches include a plan to replace the concrete wall on Madison Street with a terraced amphitheater and a slide. The design features a large concrete path which will run through the middle of the park.

“A lot of people use it as a cut through, which we were cognizant of for our design,” said park steering committee member Tomilyn Rupert.

Because grass has high maintenance costs, there will be no grass field at the new park. Instead, the steering committee has formed a partnership with nonprofit Seattle Works to maintain the park’s plantings.

The city has final say on the park’s name, but they will likely listen to community input. The committee hopes to assemble a list of several names to present to the city group in charge of the decisions. Suggestions so far include:

  • Diverse City Park
  • Cascade View Park
  • Chestnut Park/Mystique Park (in reference to the historical street names of the corner where the park stands)
  • Nexus Park (“We’re at the convergence of Capitol Hill and the Central District,” Rupert said).

Once a name is selected, the next step for the 19th and Madison Park will be making the design a reality by bringing in volunteers and securing grant funding. Getting the community involved in the park’s development will be crucial, Rupert said.

“There’s a wide range of opportunities and time commitments available,” said committee member Stephanie Henning.

The park stands in the shadows of the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center building and across the street from the Lawrence Lofts building that replaced the old Fratelli Brothers site.

Henning said the park will host a community party at this year’s Capitol Hill Night Out, including lawn games and possibly a barbeque.

Community members looking to get involved with the park’s development can attend the monthly general meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6:30 on the 2nd floor of the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center or email the organizers at parkat19thandmadison (at) gmail.com.

plan

The planned design for the park at 19th and Madison will include a terraced stone or concrete amphitheater and will retain the maple tree on the 19th Avenue sidewalk.