Tag Archives: pike/pine

12+ things CHS heard at the first 43rd District debate

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(Image: King County Young Democrats)

From the left, Shih, Pitchford, Macri, Sameer, Forbes, and Courtney (Image: King County Young Democrats)

The candidates running to represent the 43rd Legislative District agree. When it comes to specific policy positions, there are few notable differences between them. While the first debate of the race was hardly confrontational, it did offer a chance to see candidates respond to questions on the fly and under pressure.

Seven candidates are vying to represent the 43rd district in Olympia, which includes Capitol Hill north of Madison. The six Democrats in the race gathered Sunday evening for a Democrat-sponsored debate at Capitol Hill’s Northwest Film Forum (the seventh candidate, John Eddy, was not invited as he is running as an independent).

Prior to last week, the race was perhaps most notable outside the 43rd for the possibility of electing the first trans woman to public office in Washington state. Since Danni Askini dropped out Friday, the field of candidates remains refreshingly diverse. Still, there is only one woman in the race, which prompted co-moderator Michael Maddux to ask the men how they would add diversity in the Legislature.

The “two straight white dudes” in the race, Scott Forbes and Marcus Courtney, said the race should come down to values and both said they have long supported LGBTQ and women’s rights issues. As the former chair of the 43rd District Democrats, Forbes positioned himself as a well seasoned political insider and the candidate who would do the most to build Democratic party power. In a candidate field filled with progressives, Courtney, a longtime tech industry labor organizer, struck a more populist tone when calling for an end to corporate loopholes and decrying income inequality in the state.

Nicole Macri, the only female candidate in the race, was asked about the importance of electing women to public office, particularly when the 43rd District has not had a female representative in a decade. “It’s more than just the experience of being a woman,” said the long time advocate for the homeless and low income housing. “It’s the experience of being marginalized by the dominant society that is relevant.” Continue reading →

E Pike tree pits are getting filled over with ‘porous pavement’

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What the new permeable pits will look like. (Image: SDOT)

Poor sidewalk tree pits. The tiny patches of dirt that give rise to Pike/Pine’s tree-lined blocks are often ignored receptacles of urban waste until cursed at for tripping up hurried pedestrians.

Now some of those Pike/Pine dirt patches are getting an upgrade. The Seattle Department of Transportation has started installing “flexible porous pavement” over 19 tree pits along E Pike between Broadway and 12th Ave. The goal of the project is to improve pedestrian safety by smoothing over the sidewalk surface while offering greater protection to E Pike’s trees. SDOT promises no trees will be harmed in the installation.

An SDOT flyer about the project says, “this innovative solution is one of several efforts to expand our use of these new materials as an alternative to traditional mulches and tree grates.” The permeable pavement also requires significantly less maintenance work.Screen Shot 2016-04-15 at 10.40.38 AM

All sidewalks will remain open during the project. Contractors may take up a few parking spots during the installation, which is expected to wrap-up May 6th. The project is one of the many funded by the $930 million Move Seattle levy, approved by voters last year. CHS previously looked at some of the other levy-powered Council District 3 projects.

Even with healthier reinforced bases, many urban trees will be chopped down before their time. In 2014, Broadway’s big, old tree had to go after it began leaning too far over the sidewalk. A potentially “exceptional” red cedar is also on track to come down to make way for a new development at 19th and Mercer.

V2’s promising start as Value Village art space could be a blueprint for other empty buildings

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Resident Kate Wallich holds a rehearsal for Industrial Ballet inside V2. (Image: Kate Wallich via Instagram)

Resident Kate Wallich holds a rehearsal for Industrial Ballet inside V2. (Image: Kate Wallich via Instagram)

It’s only been a month since Velocity Dance Center officially opened the V2 “temporary arts space” in the old Value Village building on 11th Ave, and the new residents have already churned out an impressive display of creativity.

“It’s exciting what’s already happened,” said Tonya Lockyer, Velocity’s artistic director and former executive director. “And only more is in store.”

Since Value Village departed from the auto row-era Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Company building on 11th and E Pine last year, Legacy Commercial’s plans for a mixed-use development on the site have been significantly slowed due to a landmark protections decision. While the project gets sorted out, the 12th Ave dance studio signed a six-month, below market-rate lease with Legacy in February and opened V2 in early March.

V1 of the V2 space when it was still Macklemore's thrift shop. (Image: CHS)

V1 of the V2 space when it was still Macklemore’s thrift shop. (Image: CHS)

Initiated by the Capitol Hill Arts District, and propped up by a $20,000 grant from the city’s Office of Arts and Culture, the 30,000-square-foot space is being put to use for dance performance, offices, rental studios, and storage. It is also home to the event company One Reel, which will be staging its Bumbershoot operations out of V2 this year.

Lockyer says it’s been a “fast turn around” to get V2 up and running and there is still a lot of work to be done, including painting the walls and getting city permits for public events. Even so, Velocity has already hosted visual artists, dancers, and choreographers through their in-house residency program, which allows residents to work out of V2 for free or at highly subsidized rents.

Residents have included local dance choreographer Kate Wallich, who recently sold-out Seattle’s Moore Theatre with her one-time show Industrial Ballet — Velocity’s largest production to date. Dance choreographer Alice Gostia worked in the space as she gears up for of a large production at the Seattle waterfront this summer and Seattle-based drag queen and dancer Cherdonna Shinatra collaborated with local street artist 179 to do a mural in V2. Continue reading →

Authentic Belgian waffle shop Sweet Iron is coming to Pike/Pine

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Born downtown, Sweet Iron is expanding to Capitol Hill. (Images: Sweet Iron)

Deciding what to eat on the backside of Pike/Pine is about to get even tougher this summer. Downtown’s authentic Belgian waffle shop Sweet Iron is expanding to 10th and E Union.

Unlike the syrup-drenched American version, real-deal Liege waffles are quite the versatile food, appropriate for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, or dessert. And especially appropriate when paired with beer. “It just depends on what time of day it is and what kind of toppings you have,” said owner Adrienne Jeffrey.

The waffle shop is set to open in the massive Broadstone Infinity development on a block of E Union between 10th and 11th sometime this summer, Jeffrey said. The shop will be squeezed between Renee Erickson’s impressive triumvirate of Melusine, Bateau, and General Porpoise and Soi, which opened as the 19th and easily the most ambitious Thai restaurant in Central Seattle.

Sweet Iron’s freshly made plain waffles can be adorned with any number of toppings, like fresh berry compote with whipped cream, or brie, bacon, and basil. Sweet Iron Capitol Hill will have a waffle menu similar to its downtown location, with the addition of beer, wine, and even a mimosa bar.

Continue reading →

City report: Pike/Pine street closures can continue following community meetings

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Last summer’s pedestrian zone had mixed reactions in the neighborhood (Image: SDOT)

The City of Seattle has released its comprehensive report on last summer’s experiment with a Pike/Pine pedestrian zone. In a decision that’s unlikely to please supporters or opponents of the project, the city is reccomending more community discussions before any more street closures take place.

The report released Wednesday touts the promising impacts of the project and the predominantly positive neighborhood feedback it received, but also notes the vocal opposition lodged by some local businesses and property owners. Ultimately, the Seattle Department of Transportation recommended that a “diverse group of neighborhood stakeholders” be convened by the city this spring to discuss the report’s findings and determine the “best way to move forward” in the aftermath of the pilot.

“That’s exactly what we had been calling for,” said Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce director Sierra Hansen, who previously asked the city hold off on doing another street closure in 2016. “One of the things that we recommended is that we get all the diverse perspectives at the same table. We want to foster a conversation between critics and supporters.”

While the report indicates that the city—SDOT and the Office of Economic Development in this case—is not shelving the project for good, the agencies are definitely pumping the brakes. “Further conversation is needed with leadership in Capitol Hill about what a pedestrian street concept can become in Pike/ Pine,” the report says.

Updated-map-image-1024x6301-400x246-400x246The three-block pedestrian zone on E Pike between Broadway and 12th Ave originated as an attempt by the city and the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict to address issues of pedestrian congestion, aggressive crowd behavior, and LGBTQ visibility and inclusivity in the nightlife core of Capitol Hill. Funded by $30,000 of a $160,000 Only in Seattle grant awarded to the CHCC, the street closure was held over four separate saturday nights in August of last year. The first two nights were dedicated to a car-free street and the last two featured festive programming like a drag show, late night musical performances and queer-friendly partner dancing.

It appears the city landed on its talk-it-out recommendation primarily through analyzing its mixed feedback. Overall, 66% of 272 post-pilot survey respondents said they would like to see more weekend street closures, but favorability varied greatly when broken down among different groups.

Only 48% of business and property owners said they would like to see more weekend street closures (44% were opposed), compared to 70% of residents, underlining the mixed feelings in the Pike/Pine business community. When asked if they would prefer to see a street closure at other times of day, 44% of businesses and property owners said they would (37% were opposed), as did 60% of residents.Screen Shot 2016-04-13 at 11.54.28 PM

The most common response to the question “what did you dislike most about the project” was that it catered too heavily to “bars and partiers” and “encouraged bad behavior.” Conversely, the most common response to the question “what did you like most” was that the street closure “made the project safer for pedestrians,” followed by “less street congestion.” Continue reading →

Good Weather bike shop coming to second floor Pike/Pine space

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Screen Shot 2016-03-30 at 10.35.58 AMBad conditions stymied Brandon Waterman’s first concept for a Pike/Pine bike shop, but he didn’t have to look far for a new opportunity. Good Weather is on its way.

Capitol Hill’s newest bike shop and repair space is slated to open in May above Purr on 11th Ave between Pike and Pine. It’s the same building Waterman, a designer by trade, was eyeing last year before he had to put the brakes on the Alley Cafe project due to seismic retrofitting expenses for the alley space.

“Hopefully we’ll evolve into a second space that people can roll up to, but in the meantime, we’re excited to be getting our vendor relationships and thoughts aligned in a super unique and fun space,” Waterman said.

Waterman’s original project was envisioned for a unique space on the backside of the building, home to Purr and Vermillion, down the alley off E Pine between the East Precinct HQ and the Sunset Electric building. Without a street level space, Good Weather staff will help customers carry their bikes up to the second floor.

Waterman says Good Weather will be an approachable shop with mechanics who will fix-up an old Huffy or send out customers with a brand new ride. The shop will start with tune-ups and repairs with the retail side to follow. “We’re going to sell quality bikes that deeply considers the city we’re in and balance functionality with streamlined good looks and great colors,” Waterman said.

Velo’s exit from Pike/Pine left few nearby options for bike services, though that is changing. Good Weather is one of a trio of recent bicycle community and culture-focused projects in the area. In November, Metier opened its massive, 12,500 square-foot gym, cafe, cycling shop, and company HQ on E Union. A month later, a crew that gathered around Seattle’s bike polo scene opened Peloton bicycle cafe and repair shop on E Jefferson just off 12th Ave.

“We’re super excited to join 2020 as well as the newer Metier and Peloton in helping people ride more and believe there is plenty of room for us to make something special and long-lasting,” Waterman said.

For more information visit goodweatherinseattle.com.

Another parking rate increase coming for Capitol Hill as First Hill extends metered hours

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IMG_20150413_133712-614x1024-600x1001New parking rates rolling out this fall on Capitol Hill reflect what many in the neighborhood already know: paid parking is relatively easy to find in the morning while parking for dinner is still practically impossible.

Following its annual parking occupancy count, the Seattle Department of Transportation is planning to lower the morning parking rate in one Capitol Hill zone and increase evening and all-day rates across the neighborhood.

First Hill is also poised for a major change as metered parking rates will extend from 6 PM to 8PM. SDOT found 99% of parking spaces were occupied in the area at 7 PM. The new rates will start to go into effect this month.

The “Capitol Hill North” zone, which covers north Broadway, will be the first parking area in the neighborhood to hit $4 an hour from 5 PM-8 PM as occupancy rates reached 100% this year. Meanwhile, morning parking along the corridor remains below the target occupancy range of 70%-85%. The morning rate will drop to $3 an hour.north capitol hill

Continue reading →

Bill’s Off Broadway is reopening after a two year construction hiatus

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The long wait is finally over for Capitol Hill pizza lovers, Seahawks fans, and morning beer drinkers alike. Bill’s Off Broadway is ready to reopen at Harvard Ave and E Pine after taking a nearly two year timeout from its 35-year run.

Doors are expected to open at 4 PM on Monday, according to Bill’s owner Don Stevens (and the countdown clock that just went live on the new Bill’s website). There are no special celebrations planned for the reopening — Stevens said he’s just eager to getting back to doing what Bill’s does best.

“It’s nice to declare it’s time for people to come back in and have a good time,” Stevens told CHS. “I’m looking forward to sitting down and having a beer with some of my old Capitol Hill friends.”

UPDATE: Beers, baseball, and pizza. All was right again inside Bill’s Monday afternoon as customers streamed in for the bar’s grand reopening. CHS was there for a first look at the new space.

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Longtime owner Don Stevens surveys the first pizzas from Bill’s Off Broadway 2.0 (Image: Alex Garland for CHS)

The revamped Bill’s will include an expanded food menu and a beer list kicked up to 18 taps, as well as a couple dozen more chairs and a bigger kitchen. However, Stevens said much of the wood paneling and fixtures from the original restaurant were saved to preserve the old Bill’s charm.

“Anybody that has a history with Bill’s Off Broadway is going to walk in there and know they’re in Bill’s Off Broadway,” Stevens said.

Continue reading →

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to visit the Comet on Saturday

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(Image: Comet Tavern)

safe_image.phpIt’s been a politics packed week with the first ever City Council district primary and the first presidential debates of the 2016 election. The fun continues Saturday with the first presidential candidate appearance on Capitol Hill.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will hold a fundraiser meet-and-greet Saturday inside the Comet Tavern before a rally at the UW’s Hec Edmundson Pavilion. He’s also attending a rally at Westlake Park. You’ll have to pony up at least $200 for the Comet event — a steep cover for the revamped Pike/Pine dive bar, but a steal for a small presidential fundraiser.

Comet owner Dave Meinert recently took to Facebook to plug the event: “This event will be one of the few times in our lives we get to be up close and present with a presidential candidate. It’s a great time to give money, and to listen to and meet U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.”

The longtime independent senator with socialist leanings should find a warm reception in District 3, where socialist City Council member Kshama Sawant emerged as the clear frontrunner in Tuesday’s primary. Sawant, who will be attending the Sanders rallies, urged her supporters to back Sanders during her victory speech.

Meinert told CHS the arrangements for the Sanders fundraiser were hatched through intermediaries when Sanders’ campaign staff went looking for an event space. The Comet has become something of a political hangout recently, as City Council candidates, consultants, and even Mayor Ed Murray gathered for post-election drinks on primary night. Continue reading →

All day and all of the night, Lost Lake turns 2 as prolific Pike/Pine owners plan new ventures

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Jason Lajeunesse, Dave Meinert, and Joey Burgess (Image: Alex Garland for CHS)

If you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, cracking roughly half a million will apparently help a 24-hour diner hit its stride.

That’s what the partners behind 10th and E Pike’s Lost Lake Cafe have learned since the round-the-clock joint opened in May 2013, and theoy’re showing no signs of fatigue. Along with managing the Comet, Big Mario’s, and recent acquisitions Grim’s and The Woods, the Guild Seattle team are now opening a new Italian restaurant on 19th Ave E.

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(Images: CHS)

So, more egg orders aside, where do Dave Meinert, Jason Lajeunesse, and new partner Joey Burgess go from here? Let the Queen Anne takeover begin. While they wouldn’t divulge the exact location, the trio told CHS they will expand E Pine’s Big Mario’s pizza to Queen Anne sometime this year as their first local chain.

Lost Lake and the Comet are CHS advertisers.

CHS was there when Lost Lake opened its doors two years ago. Aside from one late-night closure every few months for deep cleaning, the diner’s doors have been open ever since. In that time, manager Burgess has been executing what amounts to five services a day: breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner, and late night. “I think we can really pull it off now,” he said.

A good time to experience it all in one 24-hour bender will be Friday, May 8th, as Lost Lake celebrates its two year anniversary with $2 benedicts, $2 burgers, and $2 wells. You’re lucky it’s not their 20th birthday. Continue reading →