Author Archives: jseattle

About jseattle

Justin is publisher of CHS. You can reach him at [email protected] or call/txt (206) 399-5959. Follow @jseattle on Twitter or be best pals on Facebook.

Wilson chooses Waterfront leader for change at Seattle Department of Transportation

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Brady (Image: City of Seattle)

Mayor-elect Katie Wilson first made her name as a leader in Seattle as an advocate for public transit and safer streets. Her first major change in city leadership will come in the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Wilson this week announced that she is naming a new SDOT interim director, selecting the city’s leader on the project that created its new Waterfront Park and its relationship with Sound Transit for the role.

Angela Brady will step up from leading Waterfront Civic Projects and the Sound Transit representative role to lead SDOT. Continue reading →

Broadway’s new Thai Lucine sets out to prove that you can wrap darn near anything delicious

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The Chicken Tom Yum Wrap (Image: Thai Lucine)

A new Broadway food and drink project shows that you can make a wrap out of anything delicious.

Thai Lucine has opened in the Barclay Broadway building just south of James. The sibling to Roosevelt Way Thai joint Ban Hua Sai specializes in on the go versions of Thai classics like the “Keow Waan” Thai Green Curry Wrap or “Massaman” Thai Peanut Curry Wrap.

A selection of Thai salad bowls, soups, and sides like pot stickers, spring rolls, and larb stix round out the offerings along with a menu of Thai coffees, teas, and milks. Continue reading →

Seattle’s only East Design Board review of 2025… continues

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(Image: PUBLIC47 Architects)

Changes to the design under the review process include an effort to make the Boylston Ave E facing lobby more “pedestrian friendly” (Image: PUBLIC47 Architects)

In July, CHS reported on a rarity across the city’s core neighborhoods including areas stretching across Capitol Hill, First Hill — the only meeting of the year so far for the East Design Review Board as it convened over approval of plans for an eight-story project above Eastlake.

Now in the final days of 2025 and with the housing affordability crisis in the city as sharp as ever, this 2727 Boylston Ave E project appears to have hung on to its dubious distinction.

Wednesday, the review board is set to convene to sign off on what CHS has found is the only project to come in front of the volunteer group this year.

“The reality is that very few ground-up projects currently pencil,” Mike Yukevich of developer Eastlake Real Estate Partners says. Continue reading →

Seattle City Council prepares to wrap up 2025 ‘Phase 1’ growth plan that will push debate over many changes — including the Squire Park ‘donut hole’ — to 2026

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The Seattle City Council is preparing to put a bow on their 2025 process to overhaul the city’s new foundation for its 20-year growth plan — but not without some possible final tweaks to proposed border changes in comp plan committee chair Joy Hollingsworth’s home district.

Tuesday afternoon, the council will vote on multiple bills putting the comprehensive plan changes forged by Mayor Bruce Harrell and the council into action that include new “Neighborhood Centers” and state-mandated “Middle Housing” laws expanding zoning hoped to allow a greater range of housing types in more parts of the city.

Hollingsworth and council planners say the second phase of changing the growth plan with debate over the block by block particulars of neighborhood centers and transit corridors will take place “in early 2026” as Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s administration takes the helm.

Included in Tuesday’s raft of “Phase 1” legislation is a last-minute plan Hollingsworth says will push the debate over the future zoning for the area between 14th Ave and 18th Ave on the borders of First Hill, Capitol Hill, and the Central District into 2026. Continue reading →

SUV smashes into E Pike self-serve kombucha taproom in chase reportedly involving human trafficking and gunfire — UPDATE

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(Image: SOMA Kombucha with permission to CHS)

Reports of a car chase and gunfire culminated in a crash caught on security video as a SUV smashed through the front of a self-serve kombucha taproom on E Pike early Monday.

Capitol Hill’s SOMA Kombucha will remain closed after extensive damage to its storefront. The neighboring HoneyHole sandwich joint sustained some damage to its shared wall but is expected to open as usual.

A Seattle Police Department spokesperson said a report on the incident was not yet complete but CHS has learned the crash involved at least one vehicle in pursuit of the SUV before the crash and reports of gunfire.

UPDATE: SPD says the driver of the crashed car was “with his girlfriend, fleeing from her pimp.”

“The pimp threatened them at the scene of the crash and forced the woman into his vehicle,” SPD’s brief on the incident says. “Officers quickly found this vehicle and the woman a few blocks away. The suspect exited the car before officers arrived and fled on foot.”

SPD says there was reported gunfire but officers did not find evidence of a shooting.

No arrests have been made at this time.

Continue reading →

Hollingsworth bids political farewell to Mayor Harrell, looks ahead to 2026

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Hollingsworth flanked by outgoing council president Nelson and D4 representative Rivera (Image: City of Seattle)

Harrell was at Hollingsworth’s side as she won the D3 seat in 2023

District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth will face a new landscape at Seattle City Hall in 2026 as she bids a political farewell to mentor and ally Mayor Bruce Harrell.

“His mother, Rose, and my grandmother worked together at Model Cities, a federal initiative dedicated to affordable housing, health and family services, youth programs, job training, and community-led planning,” Hollingsworth said in a recent message to constituents in the wake of Harrell’s election loss to Katie Wilson.

“From this work grew organizations like CAMP (now Byrd Barr), El Centro De La Raza, Head Start, Minority Health Clinics, and education reforms that helped shape generations of civic leaders, organizers, and public servants of color,” Hollingsworth wrote. Continue reading →

Report still underway but review of SPD crackdown on May 24th demonstrators in Cal Anderson ends early over leaks

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The review of the Seattle Police Department’s crackdown on demonstrators against an anti-trans Christian group’s rally in Cal Anderson Park in May will be incomplete.

The Seattle Office of Inspector General announced last month it suspended the “Sentinel Event Review” process around the May 24th arrests over leaked information from the confidential meetings. Continue reading →

In ‘vision’ for public safety, Wilson sticks with Chief Barnes

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Barnes flanked by new recruits (Image: SPD)

Mayor-elect Katie Wilson has opted for continuity and announced she will retain the Harrell administration’s cadre of first responder and emergency department leaders including Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes.

“They are each committing to lead their departments in accordance with my vision of community safety,” Wilson said in her statement. “With active partnership and direction from the Mayor’s office, I believe these leaders can work together and form a unified team committed to strengthening coordination, reform, accountability, and results.”

In the announcement, Wilson said she will retain Barnes, Seattle Fire Department Chief Harold Scoggins, Office of Emergency Management director Curry Mayer, and CARE Chief Amy Barden.

Criticized during her campaign for her support for police defunding principles, Wilson has said she will grow efforts to civilianize more of the work currently saddling the Seattle Police Department, expand alternative responses like the Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department crisis responders, and fix the city’s “broken” police accountability system. Continue reading →

‘Rescue extrication’ — Overnight crash near Capitol Hill Trader Joe’s leaves woman trapped in car

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17th and Madison from the CHS Facebook Group

A massive emergency response formed near the E Madison Trader Joe’s overnight for a “rescue extrication” after a collision around the corner at 17th and E Olive St. left a woman unconscious trapped inside her wrecked vehicle.

Seattle Police and Seattle Fire responded to the crash at 12:30 AM on the rain soaked night to find the car on its side and the victim unconscious and trapped inside. Continue reading →

Kha-Bar will dance onto Capitol Hill in 2026

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Chitralekha Majhi

12th Ave will be a busy area for new food and drink in 2026 as Kha-Bar prepares to bring the flavors of East India and Bangladesh to Capitol Hill.

Kathak dancer and choreographer Chitralekha Majhi and husband Manash Majhi are making a leap into the restaurant business with hopes of creating a mellow new neighborhood hangout right next to the NOD Theater and eXit Space School of Dance.

“I want it to be a neat and clean space, not too upscale but at same time nice,” Majhi said. “Not loud with off white, black, and pastel green that is calming and relaxing.” Continue reading →