On a weekend to ponder covering I-5, a call to support Seattle’s original ‘lid,’ Freeway Park

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The roar of I-5 was a little more subdued this weekend with northbound lanes through the city shut for Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance.

The community group advocating for permanently quieting the freeway — and adding a cap covered with parkland, housing, and development — gathered nearby to illustrate the opportunity.

The Lid I-5 group is also asking the public to support needed work in the original I-5 lid between First Hill, Capitol Hill, and downtown — Freeway Park.

Saturday, the group gathered off Boren in Pillars Park above I-5 to mark the weekend’s northbound closure and spread the word about progress being made in plans likely to stretch out for decades to cover the freeway through Seattle. Continue reading →

The North Capitol Hill Emergency Hub will be activated Sunday for a preparedness drill — Here’s how you can help

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Volunteers will be holding an emergency preparedness drill Sunday to help make sure their Capitol Hill neighbors will be safe during the next big earthquake or disaster.

The North Capitol Hill Emergency Hub will activate Sunday for the drill planned to take place in the Volunteer Park Church parking lot at 13 Ave E and E Aloha: Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Pedestrian hit by car at 13th & Cherry — Calling for witness information

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From a friend of the victim

On Thursday, August 7 around 4 p.m., a resident of Seattle’s Central District was struck by a vehicle in the crosswalk at the intersection of 13th Avenue and Cherry Street. The victim, an Asian man in his 40s, sustained serious injuries including a broken ankle that required surgery, a broken shoulder, and a head laceration. The driver stopped, exited the vehicle, and is believed to have called the ambulance that arrived on the scene, but at present the driver remains at-large with no information currently available from authorities. The victim is calling for any information from the community.

 

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The vehicle is described by the victim as a golden-ish, light brown car that approached Westbound on Cherry Street and did not stop as it drove through the crosswalk at 13th Avenue. The driver is described as a slender White male, approximately 5’10” and approximately 50-60 years old. Continue reading →

Sign of the (medieval) times — Capitol Hill’s old Canterbury Tavern to be split in twain

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Preliminary renderings of the planned overhaul — the developers warn the ideas are “placeholders” and the design could change

The Fredonia building (Image: Meriwether Partners)

By Matt Dowell

Do you long for the Capitol Hill of old? When Amazon was for books and knights and dragons ruled?

Sorry, but the old Canterbury is about to be split — in twain.

Meriwether Partners, owners of the 118-year-old, three-story, 12-unit Fredonia building on 15th and Mercer, plan a renovation of the ground floor’s old Canterbury space. They’ll divide its 5,000 square feet in two distinct commercial units.

“The old Canterbury/Meliora space is quite large for an in-city restaurant these days,” said Joel Aslanian from Meriwether.

Meliora, which replaced The Canterbury in 2023, was unable to fill seats and closed within a year. Searching for a replacement, Meriwether found a couple potential tenants but nothing panned out.

Meriwether hopes the overhaul of the legendary pub will match both the current economic realities of the neighborhood and the latest in commercial tenants’ desires. Continue reading →

911 | Woman injured in random attack in Volunteer Park

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See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt/Signal (206) 399-5959. You can view recent CHS 911 coverage here. Hear sirens and wondering what’s going on? Check out reports from @jseattle or join and check in with neighbors in the CHS Facebook Group.

  • Volunteer Park random attack: A woman was left bloodied and battered after a man struck her with a large stick and cut open her head in a random attack Friday evening in Volunteer Park. Police were unable to immediately track down the assailant described as a white male in his 50s with a large gray beard, white hair, and possibly wearing a red beanie at the time of the just after 5:30 PM attack near 11th and Prospect. The suspect was also describing as having only one single upper tooth. Police were searching for the suspect who fled from the park on foot after the attack with “a large tree branch” but were unable to track him down. “Officers found that the victim was walking in the park when the suspect, who is a stranger, walked behind her with a large stick and without saying a word, began striking her multiple times,” the SPD report on the incident reads. “The victim fell to the ground and the suspect continued to strike her multiple times before fleeing the area.” Seattle Fire was called to treat the victim for her injuries including a large laceration to her head.
  • Arrest after Lime bike tossed off overpass: Police arrested a man after a Lime bike was thrown from the Denny Way overpass onto I-5 Thursday night. SPD says it was called to the overpass around 7 PM and began searching for the suspect who was located about four blocks away. “Luckily, only a WA DOT truck struck the bike with no one injured,” SPD reports. The Washington State Patrol assisted in the response.
  • Yesler gunfire: Gunshots brought police to the area around 20th and Yesler early Sunday:
    At 0241 hours, Officers responded to the location reference shots fired. Upon arrival multiple shell casings were found in the roadway. There was no identified victims and no property damage. Incident may have stemmed from an argument/disagreement at house party adjacent to the location.
    There were no arrests.
  • Burglary suspect search: Police were searching for a burglary suspect who surprised a babysitting teen inside an apartment building near 21st and Fir Thursday morning:
    At 0942 hours, RP Juvenile female called 911 reporting that an unknown adult male subject forced entry through her ground level apartment window. RP was watching her infant sibling at the time and quickly barricaded themselves in a bedroom. She heard the suspect attempt to open the bedroom door, so she screamed, and the suspect ran out. Officers arrived quickly, cleared the apartment, and set up containment. K913 deployed as well and eventually located the suspect appx 3 blocks away. Suspect was apprehended without altercation. DOC warrant was located for FTR and requested custody of the suspect. Officers also discovered this suspect had been suspected of attempted car prowl earlier this morning. Incident screened by 241.
  • ‘Road rage’ shooting victim: A driver who says they were shot in the head in a South Seattle road rage incident arrived at First Hill’s Harborview early Wednesday:
    At 0224 hours, officers responded to HMC for a walk-in GSW. HMC security stated the driver that dropped off the victim was out in front of the ER. Victim stated that this was a road rage incident that started in the south precinct near a McDonalds on Rainier near Aki Kurose Middle school. As of writing this, no scene has been located. Victim is in stable condition with a GSW to the top of his head.
    SPD says it is investigating the shooting.
 

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This week in CHS history | Vice Seattle arrives, smoke seasons past, why the buildings above Capitol Hill station aren’t taller

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(Image: Vice Seattle)

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

2024

 

Wrongful death trial blaming state for Black Lives Matter protester struck and killed on I-5 set to begin


Continue reading →

Mayor’s conditions for $56M Broadway Crisis Care Center plan include Seattle Police safety sign-off, citizen advisory committee

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The building from above from a recent real estate listing (Image: CBRE)

Screenshot

As the King County Council prepares to vote on a $56 million plan to create a new Crisis Care Center at Broadway and Union, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has conditionally endorsed the proposal and says the city is ready to “partner” on the new facility.

“Seattle, along with other cities in the County, is facing an unprecedented behavioral health crisis. Too many residents are struggling with behavioral issues without adequate support,” the mayor’s letter in support the plan for the facility reads. “When the Seattle clinic opens it will provide same-day access to care for a person in crisis, which will help reduce the crisis we see on our streets every day.”

In the letter, Harrell says the county and a yet to be announced operator of the center must partner with the Seattle Police Department to assess the former Polyclinic building and its surroundings for safety, execute a “safe operations plan for the building and the surrounding exterior spaces, including public sidewalks and other publicly accessible spaces,” and enter into a Good Neighbor Agreement with the city that “obligates the provider to meet certain safety and disorder standards to be negotiated with the provider.”

The Seattle City Hall letter of support is a key milestone in the so far limited public process around the proposal. Continue reading →

Denny Blaine Park’s new ‘nude zone’ is in effect (Though somebody tried to tear the nude zone fence down)

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Seattle Parks quietly moved ahead this week with a plan to create a “nude zone” In Denny Blaine Park with new signs and fencing. Thursday night, somebody tried to rip that nude zone fence down.

Seattle Police were called to the park on the shores of Lake Washington just before 10 PM to a report from a nearby resident that someone was trying to rip down the just-installed fencing. Cops were looking for the suspect described as a male wearing a green shirt, black shorts, and a backpack last seen leaving the area on foot but it is not clear if they ever tracked the suspect down.

The surprisingly fast turnaround on the project to install the new signs and fencing happened quickly this week as the city responds to a court order to address sex and drug crime around the park reported by neighboring property and area residents while, city officials say, also attempting to respect the beach’s place in Seattle’s queer and nudist communities. Continue reading →

‘Revive in 25’ — Christian groups reportedly set for return to Cal Anderson for August 30th rally

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Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office is relying on technicalities as it explains the status of city permits for an August 30th anti-LGBTQ fundamentalist Christian rally in Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park.

“Park Use Permits aren’t issued for about two weeks (~15-30 days) prior to an event. See full permit process here. So at this time, a permit has not been issued for this event,” the mayor’s press secretary Callie Craighead told CHS Wednesday.

CHS asked Craighead what the Harrell administration is doing to protect the neighborhood and prevent the issues that occurred in May as Seattle Police moved on crowds of counter-demonstrators gathered in the park.

The mayor’s office has not responded.

Now, another concert and rally from the church groups is planned to return to the Capitol Hill park despite previous vows from city officials. Continue reading →

Church demolition clears way for new mixed-use development at 23rd and Union

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Thanks to photographer Alex Crick for the images from 23rd Ave

Mount Calvary before this week’s demolition

There is space for new homes to rise along 23rd Ave. The Mount Calvary Christian Center has been demolished, clearing the way for The Sarah Queen, a new Black-owned development set to rise at 23rd and Union.

CHS reported here last year on the project from Jaebadiah Gardner and Gardner Global. The development will create 112 new apartment homes above street level commercial or live-work space and underground parking for about 20 vehicles. The building could rise seven or eight stories depending on the review process, zoning decisions, and the final design.

“Our goal is to seamlessly blend luxury, innovation, and cutting-edge design to redefine urban sophistication,” Gardner says.

The project must still undergo a public design review process. Continue reading →