Author Archives: jseattle

About jseattle

Justin is publisher of CHS. You can reach him at chs@capitolhillseattle.com or call/txt (206) 399-5959. Follow @jseattle on Twitter or be best pals on Facebook.

Developer behind 23rd Ave church land buy and mixed-use project says ‘contending gentrification in Seattle’s Central District’

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Jaebadiah Gardner

Gardner Global and its Onpoint real estate firm have announced more details of the 23rd Ave church property purchase and development plans CHS reported on earlier this month.

“We have an unbelievable opportunity to be creative in a way that gives back,” Jaebadiah Gardner, CEO of Gardner Global said in the company’s announcement of the project. “Our company slogan is #letsbuildwealth and this project is an example of how we are doing exactly that. Through this project. we’re providing non- traditional real estate investors an opportunity to be directly involved in the ownership.” Continue reading →

Driver busted for DUI after crashing outside Capitol Hill ice cream shop

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(Image: @sdottraffic)

The driver was arrested for suspicion of DUI after a trip to the hospital and damage was fortunately minimal after a car crashed into the front of a Capitol Hill ice cream shop Wednesday morning.

Fortunately no pedestrians were injured in the just after 9:30 AM crash along busy E Pike at Boylston where the Toyota Corolla came to a rest against the building home to the Capitol Hill location of Salt and Straw.

Police closed E Pike in both directions during the response as Seattle Fire worked to get the driver out of the crashed car.

The driver was taken to Harborview for evaluation and then taken into custody by police for investigation of driving under the influence.

A Broadway Tamaleria Cider House will rule — Get ready for A & A Cafe coming to Capitol Hill

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A & A’s tamales are about balance — filling and masa, moistness, texture (Image: A & A Cafe)

Its name may be a mouthful but Ana Espinoza hopes her new venture on Broadway will follow in the footsteps of another restaurateur across the street she hopes to emulate.

“I always wanted to be near Tacos Chukis,” Espinoza told CHS Tuesday afternoon about the any day now opening of her A & A Cafe Organic Tamaleria Cider House in the 200 block of Broadway E next to the post office.

“Simple, very humble, affordable.”

Let’s add delicious. Espinoza’s new, about to open restaurant will bring recipes of the original A & A from Everett to Capitol Hill’s main drag on Broadway taking over the lease she bought from the partners behind Aloha Cup Bap. Both of the Hill area outlets of that poke venture are now shuttered.

A & A’s tamale recipe is about family and generations of learning — and balance. “We got to the point where we perfected it,” she says. “It has to be the right combination of meat and masa.” Continue reading →

Design review: First Hill’s The Victor set to rise — in deference — next to First Baptist Church

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There is a chance Wednesday night’s session of the East Design Review Board will be postponed due to wintry weather. If so, you’ll be prepared early for a January 29th session reviewing on The Victor, a planned eight-story, 227-unit apartment building on First Hill.

If not, read up quick and settle in for what could be the project’s final step in the public design process.

CHS reported last May on the early plans for the project from developer Carmel Partners and Encore Architects and their “church-friendly” midrise design in a zone that could have featured an apartment tower. Instead, the new development planned for 1100 Boylston will replace a surface parking lot with lots of new First Hill housing but even more deference for the neighboring First Baptist Church. Continue reading →

Overnight snow misses Seattle — UPDATE: Wednesday afternoon flurries

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You can stop refreshing the CHS Traffic Cam page now

Sometime big changes pass you by. Tuesday night’s uncertainty about where heavier bands of snow would fall played out with Seattle and Capitol Hill getting nothing at all.

The result is a thawing city with most — but not all — things kicking back into full motion.

Seattle Public Schools, faced with still icy streets and sidewalks and short-days on Wednesdays, decided to play it safe and cancel altogether. King County Metro’s buses, on the other hand, are providing regular service.

What happened? The National Weather Service lays it out: Continue reading →

E Madison Safeway hit in back to back armed pharmacy hold-ups

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Police are searching for three suspects after two armed pharmacy robberies Monday night that included a heist at the 22nd and Madison Safeway.

According to an SPD brief on the robberies, the hold-up team entered the E Madison Safeway around 6:30 PM armed and with surgical masks covering their faces. “Two of the suspects jumped the counter of the pharmacy and forced the employees to open a safe,” SPD reports. “The suspects took prescription medication and fled out the door prior to police being called.” Continue reading →

Sold out: 10,000 free tickets for Seattle Asian Art Museum’s reopening weekend already snapped up

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(Image: Tim Griffith/Seattle Asian Art Museum)

Turns out Seattle art lovers are jazzed about the reopening of the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Officials from the museum located in Volunteer Park that has been closed for a two-year, $56 million renovation and expansion say the SAAM’s “Housewarming: Free Reopening Weekend” is already “sold out” with every free ticket already snapped up for the February 8th and 9th event.

SAAM announced Tuesday morning that 10,000 “free timed tickets” for the two-day housewarming event have been claimed and “there will not be a wait-list for the event.”

If you missed out, join the Seattle Art Museum. The Members Open House planned for Wednesday, February 5 and Thursday, February 6 still had spots available as of this morning.

After that, you can enjoy the newly overhauled museum on its new regular schedule starting Wednesday, February 12th or you can aim for the first Free Thursday at the venue on February 13th. The museum will also now be free to visitors on Satursdays: Continue reading →

More Seattle snow? National Weather Service says ‘major changes’ coming

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UPDATE: DAY 3 — Overnight snow misses Seattle — UPDATE: Wednesday afternoon flurries

(Image: Alex Garland for CHS)

DAY 2 REPORT: It could be fitting that we haven’t given this Seattle ice storm a name yet — the most interesting days may be yet to come.

With area schools again on two-hour delays and an icy start to the morning underway, the National Weather Service said early Tuesday that the latest forecast information shows “major changes” coming and a possible burst of heavy snow around Seattle Tuesday night.

The level of uncertainty is high. What is known is that, after smaller snow showers through the day, a “a band of heavy snowfall is likely to develop over the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound this evening and move north into Canada overnight/Wednesday morning.” What is possible? Anywhere from 1″ to 6″ of snow here in Seattle if things shift even slightly in the hours following the Tuesday night commute: Continue reading →

With goal of hiring at least half of workers from the neighborhood, incoming Central District PCC to hold community meetings, job fairs

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To help respond to community hopes, requests, and suggestions, the incoming PCC grocery store at 23rd and Union is planning to hold two public meetings later this month. Meanwhile, after company officials pledged to try to hire about half of the new store’s staff from the surrounding area, PCC has also announced an upcoming job fair.

CHS broke the news last week that the Seattle cooperative grocery chain was set to replace financially troubled New Seasons in a supermarket space waiting for its new tenant on the northwest corner of 23rd and Union. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill begins chilly week with light snow and ice — UPDATE: Pictures and what’s next

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A tiny snowperson on Capitol Hill

A tiny snowperson on Capitol Hill (Image: Alex Garland)

Snow did, indeed, begin falling on Capitol Hill Sunday night as a highly anticipated bout of freezing temperatures poured into the region.

For Monday morning’s commute, Capitol Hill and the city’s streets were mostly clear of snow — though ice was a different story with overnight temperatures in the 20s. Meanwhile, some areas on the Eastside reported from 5″ to 9″ overnight. Continue reading →