Monthly Archives: August 2024

Tougo Coffee owner closes shop after 17 years to reunite with son abroad

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(Image: Tougo Coffee)

Tougo Coffee, a second home for many and a hotspot for community gatherings on Yesler Terrace, closed shop this summer after 17 years serving Seattle. Owner Berhanu “Brian” Wells plans to move to Japan next year to reunite with his son, Tougo.

“Tougo Coffee has been a fabric that has been woven together by the locals to Seattle, and global community,” Wells told CHS. “We are grateful to have served Seattle families and friends for 17 years. It’s been our absolute pleasure and honor that you allowed us to be your bodega.”

Wells recently launched a GoFundMe, and donations will help pay for legal, governmental and intermediaries hired to assist with the visa process, like the translation of documents and any challenges related to obtaining a visa.

“The ultimate goal here is for me to reunite with my son, Tougo, and I really need your help,” Wells said in the GoFundMe. Continue reading →

New benches, a better southwest entrance and a nicer fence around its reservoir? Take the Volunteer Park Improvements Survey

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Trans Pride in Volunteer Park earlier this summer

As efforts to improve Cal Anderson Park continue, the group dedicated to shepherding changes and protections at Volunteer Park is seeking community feedback about ways to make the northern Capitol Hill public green space even better.

The Volunteer Park Trust is running a survey on potential park projects through August 29th.

“Volunteer Park Trust wants your input on potential park projects,” the invitation to participate reads. “Please answer the below questions to help us prioritize park improvements moving forward. We will take all feedback into consideration.” Continue reading →

Seattle starts process of renewing valuable Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program

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The Central District’s Midtown Square (Image: Weinstein A+U)

As it faces an ongoing affordability crisis, Seattle must extend a valuable tax break designed to encourage development of multifamily housing.

Wednesday, the Seattle City Council’s Housing and Human Services Committee is scheduled to discuss legislation that would extend the Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program, “a tax exemption on the residential improvement portion of a development in return for the property owner agreeing to income and rent restrictions on a percentage of units.”

The program is scheduled to end on December 31st. Continue reading →

CHS Pics | Cal Anderson Park is also having a Rat Summer

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While the city and community organizations work to put on events like this past weekend’s Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day to help activate the park, Cal Anderson seems to stay pretty activated on its own, thanks very much.

Recently, artistic rodent creations popped up in the park in a kind of rat art scavenger hunt.

Rat summer, indeed. Continue reading →

CENTRL Office kicks Capitol Hill office space-focused Kelly Springfield development back into motion

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(Image: CENTRL Office)

The future of office real estate remains clouded but there is a bright spot this summer for a smaller, more nimble player on Capitol Hill.

CENTRL Office opened its Capitol Hill location on 11th Ave on August 1st, bringing bright, flexible offices, coworking spaces, and meeting rooms to the Kelly Springfield Building.

Portland-based and West Coast-wide, CENTRL is eager to make roots in Capitol Hill. To that end, the building’s location couldn’t be better. Across the street from Cal Anderson Park and nestled between Pike and Pine, CENTRL is in fact, central in the neighborhood.

CENTRL Office was founded in 2014 and has four locations in Portland, two in Los Angeles, and one in Sacramento. Now it has one in Seattle.

The new Capitol Hill office is beautiful, with floor to ceiling windows, light wood floors, and sweeping views of the downtown skyline and vibrant streets below.

But will CENTRL will be able to hold on where an office space giant so recently fell? Continue reading →

Amid school gun violence concerns, Seattle City Council could cut promised $20 million student mental health spend in half

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The full Seattle City Council will vote Tuesday afternoon whether to stick with a plan to cut a planned $20 million of funding for student mental health in half due to budget concerns.

Councilmember Tammy Morales is bringing forward legislation rejected at the committee level that would protect an agreement reached with students in 2023 to allocate $20 million per year to fund mental health services in Seattle’s schools.

The mid-year supplemental budget recently proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office released only $10 million of that funding. Last week, a council committee rejected a Morales amendment to release the full $20 million for student mental health.

Morales said she will bring the amendment to the full council for a vote despite the rejection.

“We must keep our promises to Seattle’s kids. To my fellow councilmembers who called for change after the shootings at Ingraham High, Garfield High, and schools across our nation – now is the time for action,” Morales said in a statement. “It’s time for us to put our money where our mouth is, live up to our values, and reject this effort to shortchange Seattle students. Our kids, our entire community is watching.” Continue reading →

Thieves ram stolen minivan into Capitol Hill’s The Reef in another smash and grab pot shop break-in

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Thanks to Lauri for her picture and report in the CHS Facebook Group

A pack of thieves swarmed inside Capitol Hill pot shop The Reef early Tuesday morning after ramming a stolen minivan into the E Olive Way building in another smash and grab burglary targeting the store.

Seattle Police were called to the shop at the intersection of E Olive Way and Denny just before 2:30 AM to a report that a KIA minivan had smashed into the store and multiple males seen entering the business through the broken windows.

According to East Precinct radio updates, three vehicles — a van and two dark colored sedans — were reported fleeing the scene. Police arrived to find only the KIA smashed in reverse into the front of the building. A check of vehicle records show that the KIA was recently reported stolen. Continue reading →

The Retrofit Home big orange chair is missing — UPDATE

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(Image: Retrofit Home)

The Harry’s Bar Pizza Man is still missing, and the Vito’s cougar never showed up. Now someone has stolen the big orange chair.

Retrofit Home says somebody walked off with the giant plastic chair from outside the E Pike store sometime Monday night.

The chair has sat outside the store for years and frequently serves as a spot to take a goofy photo or two in the midst of Pike/Pine’s hustle and bustle.

The shop is offering a reward for anyone with information leading to the chair’s return.

UPDATE 8/15/2024: The store didn’t share details but reports the Big Orange Chair is back home.

 

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CHS Pics | The treasures of Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day 2024

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What treasures did you find on Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day?

Sunday brought the 17th or so year of the event to the neighborhood — depending on how you count it. The annual day for neighborhood yard, sidewalk, parking strip, and garage sales has been part of Capitol Hill since CHS first organized the event in 2007. These days, the folks at the Cal Anderson Park Alliance keep the flame alive. Continue reading →

As RapidRide G moves toward September 14th opening, riders are reminded that new bus stops are ‘not yet operational’

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RapidRide stops are “not yet operational,” the city reminds

The Seattle Department of Transportation says construction on the $139 million RapidRide G bus line on Madison remains on schedule for a planned September opening that will also bring major changes in service to mahy nearby bus routes and stops.

Meanwhile, King County Metro is hoping to clear up confusion for neighborhood riders stuck in the transition.

“Construction progress in July has been vital to the project as it moves toward completion in the fall, when service begins on Saturday, September 14. While heavy construction wrapped up earlier in the summer, July saw our crews complete countless details, repairs, upgrades, and finishing touches that tie the revamped Madison St. corridor together with some final details to wrap up this fall,” SDOT said in its latest construction update. “Our crews have been filling in gaps in new roadway painting and markings, adding features to bus shelters, repairing damaged sidewalks and removing debris and equipment that is old and leftover from prior eras.” Continue reading →