Monthly Archives: June 2025

SIFF financial struggles add to uncertainty around reopening of Capitol Hill’s Egyptian Theater

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The 570 seats of Capitol Hill’s historic Egyptian Theater have been empty since last fall. News of layoffs and financial issues at SIFF are making its path to reopening even more uncertain.

The Seattle International Film Festival says the E Pine theater will remain shuttered for the indefinite future as it has announced it is laying off nine full-time employees — around a fifth of its administrative staff — and more cutbacks.

“SIFF is downsizing and restructuring in order to remain open and continue to deliver on its mission,” the announcement reads. “SIFF has continued to struggle financially post-pandemic and revenue has not kept up with our expenses, specifically fixed costs, including staffing, rent and mortgage payments, insurance, and ongoing maintenance.”

The Egyptian’s struggles stem from another category — terrible luck. Last November, a devastating water leak in the building’s fourth floor mainline damaged several floors of the five-story, 110-year-old structure which houses the former Masonic Temple where SIFF Cinema Egyptian operates. Continue reading →

Police investigate after woman assaulted, ‘thousands’ stolen in home invasion targeting Capitol Hill mansion — UPDATE

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A woman was pepper sprayed and held down while thieves ransacked a $6 million Capitol Hill mansion in a home invasion robbery early Saturday morning, according to police and East Precinct radio updates.

Police say two suspects described only as black males entered the residence and confronted the victim just after midnight. The suspects pepper sprayed the woman and held her down while they ripped off “thousands of dollars of items” from the home.

UPDATE: The property is owned by a corporation registered to the management company that represents Macklemore though it does not appear that the celebrity was home at the time of the robbery attempt. The Seattle rapper has just returned to the States after performing in Ireland, according to social media updates.

SPD says the victim, who works at the home as the children’s nanny, was able to free herself, escape the house, and call police to the northwest Capitol Hill area home where three children were still asleep inside. Police say the suspects fled with the loot shortly after the woman’s escape. Continue reading →

Stumps appear along Capitol Hill’s 15th Ave as Seattle needs help to quickly grow its tree canopy to 30%

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The nearly 50-year-old Norway Maples were dead and dying (Image: CHS)

As Seattle hopes to help cool its streets and sidewalks against global warming by achieving 30% tree-canopy coverage across every area of the city in the next twelve years, the new stumps along Capitol Hill’s 15th Ave are an example of the challenge — and the opportunity — in the numbers.

The old Norway Maples just removed from the sidewalk along the Capitol Hill Kaiser Permanente campus were dead — and had been for years. Planted in 1977, the maples were maintained by the Seattle Department of Transportation. Coming up on 50 years later, most of the 15th Ave trees were completely dead with branches and bark falling off. A few hangers-on were in serious decline.

SDOT says it hired a contractor to remove the old maples “due to safety concerns, particularly because they were adjacent to Metro bus lines.”

SDOT says there is no evidence “porous paving contributed to the trees’ decline” as the city’s tree wells have been filled in recent years to prevent injuries to pedestrians and people using tree-lined sidewalks.

Despite the city’s ambitious goals of quickly establishing a 30% tree canopy cover, there is no plan for re-planting. But there will be a first step. Continue reading →

This week in CHS history | Seasmith arrives, ‘CHAZ’ takes shape, Herb and Bitter is born on Broadway

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Here are the top stories from this week in CHS history:

2024

 

Act big, keep loud, and do a good job sharing Volunteer Park with your ribald pal, coyote


Continue reading →

Seattle Fire handles solar panel blaze atop E John apartment building

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Thanks to reader Max H. for the pictures

The Seattle Fire Department took care of a rooftop blaze atop a Capitol Hill apartment building after solar panels caught fire Friday afternoon.

SFD was called to the Holiday Apartments at 10th and John next to Capitol Hill Station just after 2 PM to the reported blaze involving solar panels atop the four-story building. Continue reading →

Bateau, one of the biggest 2015 ideas in Capitol Hill food and drink, is closing for a 2025 restart — UPDATE

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(Image: CHS)

The massive Infinity building

One of Capitol Hill’s biggest 2015-era food and drink ideas is coming to a close. A decade after opening on the backside of Pike/Pine, the Renee Erickson-helmed complex of new era steakhouse Bateau, Boat Bar, and General Porpoise filled doughnuts will be shuttered, ownership announced Thursday. Plans call for the spaces to reopen later this year with a new, refreshed approach more in line with 2025-era Capitol Hill food and drink economics.

“After these many years, we will be taking this time to reflect and refresh our concepts,” the announcement reads. “We look forward to welcoming guests and staff back to a reimagined Bateau and Boat Bar later this year.”

The final day of business for the current incarnation of the corner is June 19th.

The closures comes as parent restaurant family Sea Creatures has been tightening its belt and streamlining its businesses. The planned temporary closure on E Union will bring the end of the Capitol Hill General Porpoise, Erickson’s first in what had grown into a small chain. By this summer, only two will remain. The Capitol Hill shop neighboring Bateau and the bar will become a private dining room.

(Image: CHS)

Continue reading →

On the List | Capitol Hill Pride begins with Volunteer Park celebration, Cal Anderson clean-up, and the return of On The Block Second Saturdays in Pike/Pine

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Pride and Seattle summer fun on Capitol Hill will begin with a burst of activity Saturday across the neighborhood. CHS reported earlier this week on the traditional Pride kick-off celebration in Volunteer Park as Pride in the Park returns Saturday for another year of music and good times. Continue reading →

Haunted Burrow Books will make temporary home on Capitol Hill block destined for demolition and development

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(Image: Haunted Burrow Books)

(Image: Haunted Burrow Books)

The shapeshifting mix of short-term pop-ups, flea markets, and retail experiments that are keeping the old QFC block of 15th Ave E active in anticipation of coming mixed-use redevelopment will include a spooky temporary guest.

Haunted Burrow Books and its offerings of “horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and other moody genres” is getting ready to haunt the street for an ephemeral stay in the mix.

Owner and editor Roxanne Guiney has announced a June 20th grand opening for the temporary Capitol Hill horror and dark fantasy book shop: Continue reading →

‘New Proposed Center Boundaries’ — Seattle re-starts process of pounding out new 20-year growth plan with compromises in Montlake, Madison Park, and Madrona

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The Seattle City Council’s comprehensive code update committee led by District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth can get back to the core of Seattle’s growth debate starting Thursday morning as it digs in on setting the boundaries for Neighborhood Centers, new zoning areas of the city meant to more consistently and equitably distribute growth into more areas of the city.

Thursday morning’s meeting of the committee will mark the first session since the council passed an interim bill designed to meet the state’s minimum requirements under its new “Middle Housing” laws setting the framework for expanded zoning to allow a greater range of housing types in more parts of the city as Seattle finalizes its next 20-year growth plan.

On the table will be compromises shaped after massive pushback from some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city. According to a presentation for Thursday’s session, city planners have revised and shrunken the borders of 9 out of 30 proposed Neighborhood Centers. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill is dead — The Rhino Room is selling couches

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(Image: CHS)

Six months after going dark and quietly ending its 11-year run of Capitol Hill nightlife, the former Rhino Room space at 11th and Pine is suddenly filled with furniture as custom retailer Couch has moved to Capitol Hill from Ballard.

“Pick one of our thoughtfully designed styles or work with us to come up with a new variation. We are custom builders in the truest sense of the word,” the store’s pitch goes. “Custom elsewhere can mean you get to choose blue instead of gray. At Couch it means you design a sofa in your exact size, style and comfort specifications.” Continue reading →