Capitol Hill, your long wait for Carmelo’s Tacos on Broadway is nearly over

@FifthCrichton, your wait is over

Its signs have been up for months and the space looks ready for customers. The time has finally come for Carmelo’s Tacos on Broadway.

Early last year, CHS reported the family-owned destination for Mexico City-inspired street food planned to open a new spot in the former Starbucks space at the corner of Broadway and East Denny Way. Workers installed colorfully branded signage, and passersby could peek through the windows to monitor the build-out’s progress, imagining the beefy and cheesy griddled quesabirrias served with a side of consommé for dipping, chorizo-and-steak campechano tortas, and cinnamon-dusted churros served with vanilla ice cream and Nutella drizzle.

A year and a lot of passersby later, the new Carmelo’s Tacos on Broadway has yet to open.

“It has taken longer than expected, for sure,” Carmelo’s son, Raúl Delfin, told CHS last week. Continue reading

Tuesday is ‘Special Election Day’ with Seattle votes on Social Housing and school funding

King County Elections reports Seattle turnout has barely climbed over 15%

Tuesday’s Special Election is set to be decided by a relatively tiny subset of voters making key decisions on the future of social housing and school funding in the city.

King County Elections reports Seattle turnout has climbed just over 15% for the February ballot due Tuesday night by 8 PM.

The tally is typical for winter special election votes but a massive drop from November’s strong turnout above 85% for the presidential election.

Seattle voters are facing a couple big decisions on housing and schools.

Propositions 1A and 1B will decide if the city will add a new Seattle Social Housing payroll tax as a proposal from housing advocates and a competing proposal form the Seattle City Council appear on the ballot. Voters face two questions when filling in the bubbles — 1) Should either of these proposals be approved? and 2) Which one? Continue reading

The email that sparked mayor’s Pike/Pine public safety plan

An image showing Google Earth's view of the buildings at 11th and Pike

11th and Pike from above (Image: Google Earth)

In December, CHS reported on the city’s response to public safety concerns around the Pike/Pine nightlife district with plans for improved policing and new resources including CCTV cameras and a new CARE Department base for crisis responders on Broadway.

A newly unearthed email thread between a neighborhood business owner, their landlord, and the offices of District 3 City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth and Mayor Bruce Harrell reveals details of those concerns and how City Hall was finally driven to act after a 25-year-old was shot and killed on 11th Ave in October.

“These are not random party kids playing with guns, they are organized drug gangs who have used this street to run their business unfettered for years. My tenants and staff are terrified of them, to the point they won’t even go on the record with SPD’s detectives for fear of retribution. My private security team is too intimidated to write down license plate numbers,” neighborhood developer Liz Dunn wrote in an email to the mayor’s office, Hollingsworth, and safety officials two days after the deadly shooting. Continue reading

AMR is running — Rinck launches re-election campaign just months after winning the seat

(Image: Alexis for Seattle)

Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck just won an election and was sworn-in two months ago for her citywide seat. Her campaign is beginning again.

“As a policy leader and now as a member of the City Council, I’ve been a tireless champion for affordability, access, and opportunity for all,” Rinck said in the announcement of her campaign launch this week. ”Seattle neighbors deserve a future with housing affordability regardless of income, communities that are safe for all, fully-funded essential programs, and our rights protected against national attacks. I’m proud of what we have accomplished towards that future in a short time and look forward to building on it in the coming term.”

In November, Rinck handily defeated the council’s appointee Tanya Woo for the one year remaining for the citywide seat, campaigning as a queer, Central District Latina dedicated to fully funding city services. But her December swearing-in was bittersweet as fellow progressive Tammy Morales announced she was stepping down from the council. Continue reading

30+ Capitol Hill and Central District venues part of this weekend’s Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser

More than 150 restaurants, cafes, and bars are taking part in the Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser this weekend to support the NW Immigrant Rights Project.

Dozens of venues around Capitol Hill and the Central District are taking part. The list is growing.

Venues have pledged to donate a portion of their proceeds during the weekend to NWIRP or other nonprofits supporting immigrant rights. You can check in with your favorite spots for details. Continue reading

Suspect charged with murder in shooting over scooter at 12th and Spruce encampment

Screenshot

Prosecutors have filed murder charges against the man arrested in last weekend’s deadly shooting during a dispute over an electric scooter at a 12th Ave encampment.

William Bender, 30, is charged with second degree murder and unlawful possession of a handgun in the killing at the camp. The suspect has past arrests for burglary, malicious mischief, trespass, and violating a domestic violence protection order among other convictions. He is being held in King County Jail on $2 million bail.

CHS reported here on details of the early Saturday killing of 38-year-old Carl Hatfield who witnesses said beat up Bender who was reportedly trying to sell a scooter that morning at the camp. Police say one witness told them Hatfield was shot while riding the scooter after having taken it from Bender over a dispute over a stolen phone. Continue reading

12+ things CHS heard at the Seattle comprehensive plan update public hearing

With reporting by Domenic Strazzabosco

There have been petitions and letters, and Wednesday night, there were over five hours of public comments from more than 200 speakers. There is still more to say.

Wednesday’s marathon public hearing on Seattle’s update to its 20-year comprehensive growth plan was dominated by neighbors and neighborhoods pushing back on the proposal’s framework to bring more opportunities to develop townhomes and apartments in more parts of the city under new state law hoped to help end the ongoing housing and affordability crisis here.

Thursday, District 3 councilmember and chair of the city council’s special comprehensive plan committee Joy Hollingsworth acknowledged the disproportionate number of older homeowners who took to the microphone or called-in Wednesday night.

“People who did not get a chance to speak that were signed-up for Feb. 5th, will get the option of going FIRST at our next Public Hearing,” Hollingsworth promised Thursday. “We’re committed to hearing from you, especially our young people,” the representative for Capitol Hill and the Central District ”

Wednesday’s hearing was held in a split in-person and online fashion with people beginning to line up to speak in council chambers and register for the call-in portion hours before their time to testify.

More public forums on the plan update are, indeed, scheduled in the coming months. One hearing is scheduled in April and another in May. Those line up with Hollingsworth’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 approach to forging a compromise on the plan.

They also align with the push from Mayor Bruce Harrell and his Office of Planning & Community Development to have the first phase of comp plan update legislation addressing state law HB 1110 zoning on the table in March. A second phase of legislation centered on specifics of defining the city’s “Centers and Corridors zoning” for the plan would then be picked up in May.

So, what did Hollingsworth and city planners hear Wednesday night?

For many speakers, trees were the central topic of the evening, discussed more than even dense or affordable housing. Dozens of signs could be seen with slogans like “We Can Grow With Our Trees” and “Rewrite the Comp Plan for Climate Resilience.” Continue reading

A second Seattle ‘snow day’ on Capitol Hill

You know the drill. Capitol Hill’s second Seattle “snow day” will be a slightly snowier, slushier, sloppier affair. Many of the useful links for checking on the state of things from Day One apply.

Capitol Hill Station

Seattle Public Schools again led the way with campuses closed and kids on a remote schedule.

Capitol Hill woke Thursday to between two to three inches of snow. A bit more will fall through the day with showers subsiding into the weekend. Temperatures hovering around freezing and just above will keep things slippery and make street crossings especially messy. Continue reading

A sad goodbye *and* a happy hello, former KJ’s bar to open under new owner in 2025

A large platter of nachos on the bar at KJ's

(Image: KJ’s)

As CHS tabulates the annual count of happy hellos and sad goodbyes in Capitol Hill food and drink, there are always situations like KJ’s.

The E Olive Way watering hole that was pretty much a perfect, dark space to nurse a 1st quarter bloody mary and destroy a mountain of nachos around halftime closed to end 2024. KJ’s is gone. But the bar will live on.

“We’ve sold the bar to a loyal patron and great friend,” KJ’s ownership said about the closure.

CHS touched base with the newest entrepreneur to join E Olive Way’s nightlife scene but the industry veteran said he’s not quite ready to talk about his plans. Expect a re-opening by spring — and most of the KJ’s vibe to continue. Continue reading