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Thanks to a CHS reader for the picture
Kaiser Permanente has responded to calls from the neighborhood to do more to fill the empty retail spaces of its Capitol Hill campus along 15th Ave. There is a new property management effort in place, a new coffee shop lined up to join the campus, and a survey process underway to shape what kind of businesses are courted to help fill in other spaces along this stretch of Capitol Hill.
CHS reported earlier this year on calls for Kaiser to do meet its requirements for activating its streetfront spaces from the citizen Implementation Advisory Committee that oversees the city’s Major Institution Master Plan put in place in 2018 after the health care provider’s takeover of Group Health.
The retail spaces lost tenants coming out of the pandemic and have remained empty for years.
A Kaiser Permanente spokesperson says it has now finalized an agreement with a firm to manage its “available retail locations,” saying Health Hospitality Partners is a healthcare amenities company “that works exclusively with hospitals and health systems to bring modern retail onsite.”
Most often, that takes the form of gift shops, coffee shops, restaurants, and food halls, the spokesperson said.
In addition to opening a new coffee shop in the Kaiser Permanente South building, HHP is working “to explore future possibilities for the retail spaces near 15th Ave E and E Denny Way.”
Passersby have taken note of new posters informing the neighborhood about a survey process underway to let people weigh in on “what type of business they would like to see in these spaces.”
The survey will remain open through November 28th.
The improvements are hoped to be a good sign for the IAC process around Kaiser and bear watching as another committee is set to be shaped to help guide neighborhood issues around the planned King County Crisis Care Center at Broadway and Union.
The hopes for an improved Capitol Hill campus streetfront also come as Kaiser Permanente is facing strikes by nurses and hospital workers over wages and working conditions in a new contract with the healthcare giant.
Meanwhile, another issue for Kaiser in the neighborhood could also be finally moving toward progress. In 2021, CHS reported on the committee’s push for Kaiser Permanente to sell or redevelop some parking lots around the Capitol Hill campus — another condition of the original Group Health plan.
You can learn more about the Kaiser Permanente IAC at seattle.gov.
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If only there was a bookstore on the same block, losing its lease and trying to find a new home…oh, wait, they’re in the U District now.
Could they be interested in making a return to the neighborhood by way of a second location?
If only! It’s been a pretty tough move. We’re definitely not in a financial position to try for a second location. I sure wish Kaiser had been this motivated when I was chasing one of those storefronts a year ago!
Moving is not as fun as its sometimes made it out to be, thats for sure. I wish you nothing but success in your new location.
The new people of Capitol Hill just stay in there apartments and use door dash. No one goes out and this is what happens.
I go up to 15th every weekend and see plenty of people there, too, especially on chasm or punk rock flea market weekends. If there are good shops there it could help drive more foot traffic up there.
Yeah, the rest of 15th is very active. I walk it almost every day. The empty storefronts on Kaiser’s frontage are a black hole of activity though, especially after Kaiser’s offices close, and on weekends.
What Capitol Hill are YOU living in? Because mine has lines out the door at multiple new storefronts that hve opened on my block in the last year or so.
I’ve lived here for many years, and I think you’re both exaggerating.
shtstrm, how dare you insinuate that people here would exaggerate. If it’s true, it would definitely be the first time it has happened
Health food store.
Pharmacy.
Discount store.
Produce market.
Butcher shop.
What group or organization would it fall to to start a similar survey for all the other empty store fronts around Capitol Hill? Broadway, Pike and Pine are seeing increases in vacant storefronts, which are quickly becoming eye sores and not helping to activate the streets in positive ways.
Casino!
Healthcare is already a high stakes gamble here.
Better (7 YEARS) late than never!
If there is/was a viable business opportunity, it would have been filled. It’s incredibly difficult to make a go of it in Seattle for reasons most people understand. Grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants are closing more frequently than they are opening
My viable business spent three years on 15th and had to leave the neighborhood after losing our lease because Kaiser wouldn’t return my calls. Those spaces are not empty due to lack of interest, but lack of *any* reasonable effort on Kaiser’s part.
Sounds like Kaiser might only have itself to blame for these spaces being vacant for so long. Sorry to hear that you and your business were impacted by their lack of responsibility.
Sorry to hear that Kaiser ghosted you. I already had a low opinion of them before anything happened with this location. I don’t know what kind of business you have, but there are plenty of available storefronts in Capitol Hill at the moment. It’s a very tough business environment and it appears to be getting worse. I’m sure there will always be niche businesses that can make a go of it. It has to be high margin and reasonably high volume to cover lease costs, payroll, insurance, taxes, and in some instances security
I don’t disagree with your comment, but 15th Ave is a very successful street that is almost entirely filled (save for proposed development sites). Many businesses would like to be located on this street but there are very limited options available. It’s good to see Kaiser make an effort to lease these spaces out, there is demand.