Hollingsworth holds first community public safety meeting: a letter to the liquor board over ‘lewd conduct’ inspections, a check on East Precinct response times, and addressing gun violence with jobs and counseling

A community public safety meeting organized by the office of newly elected District 3 Seattle City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth after a shooting earlier this month at 23rd and Union took on issues far beyond the Central District neighborhood Tuesday night.

Hollingsworth said Tuesday inside an unfinished restaurant space in the Midtown Square development where the meeting was held that she is starting her term at the council asking questions and digging into D3 concerns like the liquor control board’s “lewd conduct” inspections at a handful of Capitol Hill gay bars and clubs.

A question at Tuesday’s meeting is why this kind of enforcement is a priority — especially given other public safety needs and the history of violent police raids targeting queer venues.

“There were ten bars, and four happened to be LGBTQ,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth said Tuesday she has written a letter to the liquor and cannabis board and is asking for an explanation.

“I’m trying to get public safety to be a nonpartisan issue,” Hollingsworth said Tuesday.

The meeting touched on safety issues across D3 but focused especially on ongoing gun violence and recent shootings, including an instance when blew out Midtown Square apartment windows earlier this month. Some community members emphasized the need for a stronger police officer presence, while others wanted to address violence in a proactive way rather than reactive.

“We have seen a significant amount of gun violence,” Hollingsworth said. “This is a reaction to the stuff that’s been going on in our district.”

CHS reported on this Cherry Hill shooting Sunday night, and the January 23rd shooting that left one person hospitalized. Hollingsworth ran her campaign with a focus on public safety, and is making it a priority in office after a record number of homicides in 2023.

“Most of the emails we get in from our email box is [about] public safety,” Hollingsworth said. Continue reading

Hollingsworth holding 23rd & Union Public Safety Meeting over area gun violence

An image from Hollingsworth’s first newsletter of the councilmember with Victoria Beach who recently retired as chair of SPD’s African American Advisory Council

Newly elected District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth will host “a candid conversation about community safety in the Central District” Tuesday night.

Hollingsworth announced the “23rd & Union Public Safety Meeting” during a Monday briefing of the Seattle City Council.

23rd & Union Public Safety Meeting With Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth

Come join Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and E. Union Street for a candid conversation about community safety in the Central District.

Tuesday, January 30th 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Midtown Square
2301 East Union Street

The session was organized following this nighttime Wednesday, January 23rd shooting incident that sent one person to the hospital and bullets flying into at least two nearby apartment windows at the Midtown Square mixed-use development on the southeast corner of 23rd and Union. Continue reading

Capitol Hill’s MariPili and Central District’s Communion make James Beard 2024 best PNW chefs list

Two Capitol Hill and Central District chefs have made the list as semifinalists for the James Beard award for Best Chefs: Northwest and Pacific. The nominations alone are an honor and a good reminder you should stop by soon.

In the Central District, Kristi Brown of Communion has been honored as a best chef semifinalist. Continue reading

‘Affordable housing in the heart of the Central District,’ leasing under way at Africatown Plaza

A design rendering of the building’s unique design

The building as seen under construction last summer. A facade of Corten Metal Panels, Hardie Panel, and Natural Cedar will round out the final shape. (Image: GGLO)

Affordable housing development Africatown Plaza has opened its leasing process, Africatown Community Land Trust CEO Wyking Garrett announced in an interview with Converge Media.

Talking about the changes at 23rd and Union and the development of Midtown Plaza, Garrett said the path for the investments at the corner “really didn’t include us” but, with advocacy and working with developers including Community Roots Housing, “now if you go there, you see us, you see us our journey and experience represented in the art. You see us represented in the actual design of the built environment with Africatown Plaza and its very unique, iconic design.”

The 24th and Spring building’s ground floor has been planned to provide offices for Africatown’s new headquarters, and an affordable space that will include a commercial kitchen to be used by “local culinary entrepreneurs.” Continue reading

One to hospital, police looking for another possibly hit in 23rd and Union shooting

One person was taken to the hospital and bullets hit at least two apartment windows in a shooting Wednesday night at 23rd and Union. Police were also looking for another possible person who may have been hit and fled the scene.

Seattle Police were called to the area just before 9:30 PM and found one person down with a gunshot wound near the Uncle Ike’s pot shop. SPD said the patient was transported by Seattle Fire to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition. Continue reading

Ms. Helen’s plans for 23rd and Union return put on hold

(Image: Ms. Helen’s)

Ms. Helen, for now, won’t be returning to 23rd and Union. The project team at Midtown Square has announced that plans for Ms. Helen’s Soul Bistro to be part of the mix of Black-owned and neighborhood businesses in the development are not moving forward.

“In spite of their best efforts, it has become clear that that the 3,000 square foot space is more than they are willing to take on given the headwinds for raising the additional capital necessary beyond the landlord’s commitment pay for the build-out of the space,” the statement from Lake Union Partners reads. “Ms. Helen’s will continue with their catering business and will likely pursue either a smaller space for grab and go, or possibly roll out a Ms. Helen’s food truck.”

The statement said that efforts including Seattle restaurateur Deming Maclise as well as assistance from the City of Seattle weren’t enough to help make the Ms. Helen’s restaurant project take shape. Continue reading

Police search for suspect in deadly 25th and Union shooting — UPDATE

A man was killed and police were searching for the suspect and the getaway vehicle in a shooting Thursday night near 25th and Union in the Central District.

All details are preliminary at this point and Seattle Police has only confirmed it was conducting an investigation at the scene at this time. UPDATE: SPD confirmed the homicide late Thursday night.

Continue reading

With renewed focus on equity and ‘Just Growth’ agenda, Capitol Hill EcoDistrict makes move to growing Seattle Urban League

A building acquired by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle for affordable housing last fall

A REVIVAL market at Capitol Hill Station (Image: Capitol Hill EcoDistrict)

The Capitol Hill EcoDistrict, one of the closest organizations the neighborhood currently has to an independent community group representing the area’s neighborhoods in the city’s growth and development process, is moving under the wings of Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle with a renewed focus on equity.

“This next phase of partnership with the Urban League is an opportunity for the EcoDistrict to co-create a future for equitable community development at scale,” EcoDistrict executive director Donna Moodie said in the announcement.

The Capitol Hill EcoDistrict took shape more than a decade ago as it as formed by what was then known as Capitol Hill Housing. The developer and manager of affordable housing across Capitol Hill recognized its shifting focus to a larger citywide mandate with a change of its name to Community Roots Housing in the time since. Now the community-focused organization it helped create to address environmental and social concerns in the area’s development is ready for a larger mandate.

The Urban League is growing. Last week, it announced plans to move from its Central District headquarters at 14th and Yesler to Rainier Ave as part of a major development to create both a new hq and around 300 new affordable apartment units.

Continue reading

New Central District building with mix of workforce housing and apartments for formerly homeless people to open in 2024

(Image: Walsh Construction)

A new building with a mix of workforce housing and affordable apartment units will be ready to open in 2024 to join the growing area of development around 23rd and Union.

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and Low Income Housing Institute announced their Good Shepherd Housing project is on track for a spring opening on 22nd Ave.

CHS reported here in 2020 on the housing development designed to create new homes for formerly homeless individuals and “low wage workers at risk of displacement from the Central Area.” Continue reading

Man found covered in blood at 23rd and Union after reported E Cherry shooting — UPDATE

Seattle Police were photographing a blood trail running from E Cherry to E Union after a man was found shot at 23rd and Union Thursday morning.

According to Seattle Fire and East Precinct radio updates, a 911 caller reported finding the man just after 6 AM near Uncle Ike’s just off the intersection with his upper body covered in blood and saying he had been shot. Continue reading