An appeal has been filed challenging the city’s recent decision to approve a six-story mixed-use project at 1650 E Olive Way, the current home of B&O Espresso. Though the design is unpopular and will block views, the Department of Planning and Development ruled the project could go forward after years of review and plan revision.

The appeal hearing will be November 2.

In regards to the blocked views, DPD determined that though the blocked views were significant, the same views could be blocked by other projects in the area without environmental review and, therefore, it would be unreasonable to reduce the project in protection of those views:

As part of the consideration, it is understood that future development west of the project site could potentially be permitted without SEPA review (e.g. adding new mechanical equipment and screening on the roof of the brick apartment building to the west) and could cause similar view blockage. It would be unreasonable to reduce this proposal to the extent necessary to maintain fully all of the existing view only to have the view blocked later by projects not subject to view mitigation.

While the impact of the revised proposal is adverse, it is not expected to be significant. No further mitigation based on SEPA public view protection policy is warranted.

The planned project is a 78-unit building with 3,600 square feet of retail and two live-work units at ground floor and underground parking for 52 vehicles. The property developer is John Stoner and the building is designed by Nicholson Kovalchick.

B&O Espresso’s plans are still unknown, but there is likely some time before they have to get out of their current location at E Olive Way and Belmont. No demolition permits have been filed yet.

A trio quartet of new food and drink players on will debut on Capitol Hill in the coming week with seasonal Italian and classic Chinese on Broadway and one of the Hill’s wave of craft distilleries showing off its new space at 14th and Union. Welcome Altura, Oola and Bako.

• Bako — classic Chinese — preview this week, opening Wednesday, October 5 — 606 Broadway E
   We introduced you to Keeman Wong this spring. This week, he’ll be introducing friends, family and a few select(!) members of the media to Bako, his take on Cantonese cuisine set to take over in the former home of the long-gone Jade Pagoda. “This will be more more modern Cantonese cooking but fortunately the tradition is very much in line with modern values,” Wong told us. “Local sourcing. Doing the minimum to the food you have to do to bring out the flavors. A better balance of meat and vegetables.” Learn more on Facebook.

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• Altura — seasonal Italian — planned opening Wednesday, October 5 — 617 Broadway E
  Talk about bold. Chef Nathan Lockwood has called his shot and picked his date. Altura opens next week in the old home of Edgar the Store. We told you about the project from the husband and wife team of Nathan and Rebecca Lockwood earlier this summer. Here’s their ambitious announcement:

Chef Nathan Lockwood and Business Manager Rebecca Lockwood are excited to announce the opening of Altura, a seasonal Italian restaurant that celebrates the bounty of the Northwest through the traditions of classic Italian cuisine. The Lockwoods are thrilled to be joined by certified sommelier Guy Kugel, who spent most of the last decade as manager and wine director at Flying Fish. A welcome addition to the burgeoning dining scene at the north end of Broadway, Altura—meaning ‘hill’ in Italian—offers a refined dining experience in a rustic-elegant setting on Capitol Hill. 

 

Chef Lockwood most recently led evening dining operations at The Ruins, the private supper club on Lower Queen Anne. In previous years he worked closely with celebrated Chef Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys and held the position of Chef de Cuisine under Suzette Gresham at San Francisco’s Acquerello when the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. 

Lockwood also earned glowing reviews for his work at Fork in San Anselmo, California and Jory in the Willamette Valley. His parents and two sisters also make Seattle their home.

“Nathan and I fell in love over food,” said Rebecca Lockwood. “We met at the Broadway Dicks in 2004 when I was a law student at UW, and to open Altura just a few blocks away is a wonderful homecoming. We are so excited to be a part of the vibrant Capitol Hill restaurant scene.”  

Driven by seasonality and local availability, the weekly changing menu showcases artistically presented Italian fare and draws inspiration from the Northwest. Most produce, meat, seafood and foraged items will be sourced from Pike Place Market vendors, specialty Italian purveyors, and the sizable vegetable and herb garden the Lockwoods tend at their North Seattle home.  

 Scheduled to open October 5^th, Altura (www.alturarestaurant.com; 617 Broadway E.) has been carved out of a former retail space in a nearly century-old building. Old World refinement and Northwest craft and materials ground Altura’s décor and mirror the culinary philosophy. Reclaimed wood, 18^th– and 19th-century European antique furnishings, original fir structural beams and an exposed brick chimney are watched over from the mezzanine by an angel rescued from a French chapel bombed during World War II.

 

 The host stand and wine cabinetry were designed and crafted by Chef Lockwood himself out of wood salvaged from the former Jade Pagoda restaurant building across the street—now home to neighbor Bako. The ‘Chef’s Table’ is a massive carved oak piece that accommodates 6 to 10 guests and oak church pews are repurposed as banquette seating. 

 

The restaurant’s menu will typically include bold dishes like handmade Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi with Abruzzese lamb-and-beef ragu and Lockwood’s signature ‘Steak for Two,’ accompanied by crispy herb-fried potatoes, balanced by lighter fare, such as Yellow Tail Tuna Crudo and Grilled Escarole Salad with lemon, anchovy and duck egg. Altura encourages its guests to celebrate dining in the Italian style by providing a ‘3–4–5’ coursed dinner format, whereby the guest chooses three, four, or five courses from the five menu sections. Guests are also welcome to dine à la carte. Vegan and vegetarian options are available based on daily market selections.

See a complete sample menu here. 

 

3 COURSES $49    ̴          2 PAIRED WINES $27

4 COURSES $59    ̴          3 PAIRED WINES $37 

 

5 COURSES $69    ̴          4 PAIRED WINES $47  

Altura’s wine offerings are presented as a soulful counterpart to the handcrafted fare. “We believe that wine should be enjoyable, enhancing and easy,” said Guy Kugel.  “Value is at the heart of the list and guests are encouraged to relax and explore.” Altura’s list highlights Old World selections and the best offerings from local producers, placing focus on food-worthy wines from small producers in a range of styles.                                                                      

 

Seating 39 guests in total, including 10 each at the open-kitchen dining counter and chef’s table, Altura will offer dinner service Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. When not reserved, the chef’s table is available for communal dining.

• Oola (and friends Restaurant Zoe and Lucky 8) — craft distillery — open house Thursday, October 6th — 1314 E Union
   Kirby Kallas Lewis is ready to unveil his fantastic creation. We talked to him here about his work to transform the former La Panzanella bakery into a distillery and space for two new restaurants at 14th and Union. Next Thursday, he’ll be ready to share Oola’s first batches of vodka and gin and show off his new space. We’ve heard Zoe’s opening should follow shortly with Lucky 8 following after that:

We would like to invite you all to join us at Oola Distillery on Thursday, October 6th from 5pm to 8pm for our official open house. You will be able to sample our newly released Vodka and Gin as well as take a peak around the tasting room and distillery. In addition, you will be some of the first to be able to purchase a bottle to take home. So please join us at Oola Distillery on Thursday, October 6th from 5pm to 8pm. 

• UPDATE: Momiji — Kyoto — October 5 — 1522 12th Ave
  Seattle Met reports that 12th Ave Kyoto-comes-to-Capitol Hill restaurant Momiji is also ready to debut next week: 
  

  Momiji meaning maple tree, three variants of the wood dominate. A bar accommodating 24 anchors the front of the house; amble back a sleek hallway and find a sushi counter, DJ stand, and brawny booths and tables, all of them handcrafted by renowned woodworker Craig Yamamoto. Descend another hallway (“I like splitting up spaces,” explains Han) and you’re in a more intimate dining room, back-lit paper murals festooning its walls. Streaks of amber pepper the leafy artwork “like the changing colors of maple trees,” cooed Han during our tour. At the center of it all is Momiji’s piece de resistance: a Kyoto-style garden courtyard, where in warmer months you can dine alfresco. 

Work inside the Odd Fellows? (Image: Cannon)

• Odd Fellows building tenant Nuun is looking for more storage for its “electrolyte enhanced drink tabs” business so it is on the hunt for a new office space with a warehouse component — and for somebody to replace it inside the building at 10th and Pine. Matt Herron of Cannon Commercial says Nuun has a lease though July 2012 but that they’re hoping to find “a great company that would be an asset to the community in the building” to take over the space. There’s 4,119 square feet to be played with but Heron said it could be divided into two. He was squirrelly about the rates — “dependent on what sort of improvements a new tenant would want done to the space” — but you can give him a call if your company is ready to come to the Hill.
• We’ve also learned of an interesting opportunity that will be relatively short-lived but could be a cool space to play in. The BMW garage business on E Pine has left the building
  

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  — the rest of the old showroom space has already been reactivated by Golazo for its HQ/indoor sports arena — and its landlord is looking for a business to take over the space for what will likely be a temporary but unique opportunity. We say temporary because the BMW properties stretching between Pike and Pine are owned by developer Pryde Johnson and Peter Argeres of Yates, Wood & MacDonald tells CHS the newly opened E Pine space will likely only be available for about 18 months until an as of yet unannounced construction project gets under way. Argeres says he thinks the giant 12,000 square-foot space could be used for an indoors sports or workout business, art studios or some kind of crazy activities we haven’t even thought of yet. Those crazy activities just need to make $10k/month rent pencil out.
• Finally, Capitol Hill’s Hunters Capital recently announced news on the tenants that have taken roost in its overhauled 12th Ave Ballou Wright project: Creature, Goose Networks, and Uncle Bob.

  (Image: Hunters Capital)

Seattle-based development and restoration firm, Hunters Capital, announced four more companies that have taken up residence in its most recent Capitol Hill restoration located at 1517 Twelfth Avenue. Creature, LLC; Goose Networks; Johan Liedgren and Branson Veal’s “Uncle Bob” occupy 18,527 square feet of the Ballou Wright Building’s 28,000 rentable square feet, bringing the historic property to 93 percent leased with one vacancy remaining and establishing the landmark as the community’s first all-media-exclusive office building.

“We are pleased to provide cost-effective office solutions for the community’s creative agencies and tech start-ups, while preserving the character of Seattle’s historic commercial and residential neighborhoods,” says Michael Malone, founder and principal of Hunters Capital LLC. “It’s the emotion and romance of the old buildings that is catching on with younger 30- and 40-somethings.”

Hunters’ leasing success in a challenging commercial real estate market is attributed in large to the company’s deep commitment to the communities it serves and is confirmed by its tenants and their employees, most who live, work and socialize in these same neighborhoods and appreciate the eclectic collision of creativity and commerce.

“We like the mix of old and modern in these buildings,” says Matt Peterson, founder and principal of Creature, LLC, a small advertising firm founded by former Wieden + Kennedy employees whose clients include HBO, Jansport, Kraft, and Sierra Mist. “We modernized it with light, color, and palette. Since these spaces are so raw, we can put our own touch to it and get a richer feel from the environment.”

To date, Hunters Capital has restored four Capitol Hill and Pike/Pine buildings as part of its commitment to preserve Seattle’s historic neighborhoods and has repurposed them to meet the growing needs of today’s technology-driven startups and creatives. Built in 1917, the Ballou Wright Auto Parts Distribution Company building is Hunters’ latest effort to preserve what was once Seattle’s “auto row” and to build a broader base of commercial business for a neighborhood known more for its nightlife.

We recently wrote about design firm Urban Influence replacing Creature in their former space in yet another Hunters Capital building at 10th and E Pike.

With Seattle’s Decibel Fest now in full swing, electronic music lovers all over the city are gearing up for a weekend of drum and bass, house, and techno DJ shows. It’s Seattle’s multi-venue celebration of dance music, one that shines a light on an evolving genre traditionally known for its “underground sound.” Capitol Hill has an underground music scene of its own — the enormous subterranean practice space known as CryBaby Studios. It’s a throwback for people who need honest to goodness practice space now that one person in their bedroom can produce a hit.

CryBaby’s world of sound is hidden beneath the stretch of asphalt sandwiched between Pike and Pine on 11th. It’s a labyrinth of dimly lit halls and tiny rooms decorated with string lights and sound proofing foam, usually exploding with noise: crashing cymbals, wailing guitars, drunk people.

For Leigh Stone, who owns and operates the 14,000 square foot basement space, it’s a place for “noisy bands that cannot rehearse in their Capitol Hill apartments.” A practical observation, but one with an important function here on the Hill. What better way to preserve a ‘hood’s abiding love for music of all genres than to funnel rowdy wannabe rock stars underground, far from shared walls and the frayed nerves of neighbors?

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The space is open 24 hours, making it convenient and desirable for bands who work odd jobs or have opposing schedules to put in time whenever they can.

With the door nearly always open, spaces are still hard to come by. 50 rooms large, “Some bands have rented from me for over eight years. Maybe one comes open per month,” says Stone.

Most bands who’ve nabbed a space do everything they can to stay. “We’ve been at CryBaby for years now, and we love it,” says Astra, of psycho-surf rock band Atomic Bride.

“It’s a bit cramped with two bands, but you can play as loud as you want down there 24/7 so it’s totally worth it,” says Joel Katzenberger, who practices in Atomic Bride’s space with his own band.

More CryBaby images on Facebook

“It only costs us $55 a month per person,” Katzenberger said, who splits the rent between nine other musicians who share the unit. Despite tough economic times, struggling bands are coughing up rent for the chance to practice on their own terms, have a place to store their gear, and even record — if they can afford it.

Stone recently added a new 1,500 square foot recording studio in the space, “isolated away from the practice spaces. The recording studio is dialed in and available for musicians and vocalists of any kind to track at $25 an hour,” says Stone, adding, “We have the board that Terminator 2 was mixed on.”

Capitol Hill resident and musician Alicia Amiri is recording a new solo record in the studio.

“I’ve lived and worked on Capitol Hill for years now.” Amiri says. “I also play in a few bands and many of my friends practice or have had spaces in CryBaby. It’s definitely a Capitol Hill staple: the loud rooms, pinball machines, smoking lounge, and recording studio. It’s a clubhouse. I like it.”

It’s hard to beat a good clubhouse vibe. “Some bands have become my friends, and [I meet] new bands in the halls that I’ve seen play at festivals,” Stone says.

There’s no doubt the evolution of music involves a lot the digital, synth-oriented dance sounds heard throughout the Decibel Fest – renowned DJs Moby, Green Velvet, and Amon Tobin, to mention a few, are flying in for the occasion. Seattle needs the Decibel Fest to push these sounds from the underground to the surface, and venues like the Baltic Room and Neumos do excellent work hosting DJs and artists blazing trails in electronica’s evolving world.

But whether you’re a chart-topping DJ or a brand new band, you need two things – a love of music and a place to practice.

On Capitol Hill, that’s CryBaby. “It makes available a creative space for people to get drunk, and be creative.” Stone says. “It’s an ever-changing community but we all like the same thing – music.”

You can learn more at crybabystudios.com.

The second phase of the HIV30 project on the light rail big red construction wall is in place. Here’s a look at that new work and a two more larger-than-life artworks from the Hill — one old, gone, the other new.

First, TheSeattleLesbian has coverage of the installation of the next phase of the Broadway HIV30 project:

The HIV30: Take Action Seattle group posted the new Phase 2 banner in Capitol Hill on Broadway this past Friday, September 23, 2011.

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(Image: TheSeattleLesbian)

Another new feature on a Capitol Hill wall is this haunting work outside Cafe Arabica on Denny just off E Olive Way.

Untitled, originally uploaded by pnwbot.

And, finally, here’s a fun look at a mural past from 19th Ave. The old ice cream plant made way for this new development under construction on 19th Ave at Madison.

the cow mural, originally uploaded by yelahneb.

From yelahneb:

Photos of the old Fratelli’s Ice Cream building that used to stand at 1818 East Madison Street (corner of 19th Madison). I took these shots years ago, but only just this weekend managed to put them together in the way I’d originally envisioned.

The mural, painted in 1987, is the work of Gerald “Chip” Morse, one of three brothers – the other two owned and ran Fratelli’s. He also made postcards of places in Seattle, and signed his work “M. Gerald” (apparently because he liked the way it sounded with “Emerald City”).

He borrowed from many styles for the mural: Pointillism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Impressionism, Cubism, de Stilj – there’s even a nod to the artists of prehistory, specifically to the cave paintings of Lascaux, France.

The building had been abandoned for some time when we moved here in 2005, surrounded by a chain-link fence and only accessible when Christmas trees were being sold in the parking lot. Many of the cows were hiding behind the overgrown hedges, obscured from view unless you maneuvered your way between the foliage and wall. A few others were gone completely by the time of my documentation – painted over by the city after getting tagged by graffiti artists.

The building was finally demolished in 2008; the site sat empty until 2011, when work began on some apartment buildings.