(The below is solely my opinion and may not reflect the opinion of others including my employer.)
I agree with the authors of "City has a SLU of problems" (2008 Jul 2) that Seattle currently has more important challenges than the two-way Mercer project, but the article perpetuates some myths about South Lake Union.
First of all, while Paul Allen's Vulcan Real Estate is a major property owner with around 30 percent of the private property in SLU, he does not set the agenda for the neighborhood. Many local groups including the Cascade Neighborhood Council have been shaping the area for many years and it's a great place to live thanks to their hard work. Vulcan uses an upper-class image in their condo advertising that does not fit the facts on the ground, and in my opinion it remains to be seen whether Paul Allen is interested in the people who live here as anything other than a money-making enterprise.
Secondly, biotech is quite active in SLU but being led by non-profits. During a recent visit to SLU-based Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI), humanitarian Paul Farmer said our local biomedical research institutions have "performed CPR on international health" by focusing on global diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. Other areas of research being done in SLU include Nora Disis' work on the molecular origin of diseases affecting women (such as certain cancers) and how heart cells regenerate after a heart attack. I work for a group at the new UW 815 Mercer complex that helps researchers translate basic science discoveries (which UW has long been known for) into new treatments. While these jobs may not make millionaires like big pharma once did, I believe they were worth the public investment in such basic services as water and electricity.
It is vital to call out our mayor and city council on mistakes, but it is wrong to misrepresent the community in South Lake Union along the way. I hope to see some positive proposals from this year's candidates on how we can do better.
