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Metro is closing about half the bus stops on Dexter Ave N. Why is this good news? Currently the stops are only one or two blocks apart, and all that stopping wastes energy and slows down the bus. They're also keeping the nicest stops, like the one near Dexter Deli (902 Dexter Ave N, at Aloha St). I hope Metro does the same for route 70, which as you can see from OneBusAway has about twice as many stops as the streetcar though SLU.
Speaking of getting places, the Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2010 Benchmarking Report shows Seattle in the top 10 in both mode share and safety for bike/pedestrian. Want to bike more? Seattle Way to Go has some great incentives, including free stuff from REI and a quarterly drawing for an iPhone. Hat tips to the Metro notice and Queen Anne View.
cascadepplscntr reports:
thanks City Investors (i.e. Vulcan) for a huge donation of new kitchen cabinets, stove, microwave and more!! http://bit.ly/aw4saZVulcan has also previously made donations and done pro-bono lobbying for Cascade People's Center, Immanuel Community Services, and Mary's Place. While this doesn't give them a free pass on urban design issues, it's enough for me to become Vulcan's Facebook fan.
Q13 story about Terry
After the "Vulcan Declassified" event last month, I had the idea of submitting questions like the Seattle P-I's "Getting There" column. To get us started, I asked, "Was it really necessary to put a bunch of temporary construction trailers at 201 Boren Ave N?" Read below for the answer, which unfortunately ties into today's City of Seattle street crime proposals. Thanks to Pearl Leung and the Vulcan Government and Community Relations team for the answer. Please submit more questions in the comments!
There are a few things that prompted the temporary construction trailers at that location. The original plan was to have the construction team move site offices to 201 Boren Ave N from the current offices at the Terry Avenue building. Unfortunately, due to repeated vandalism and theft (stripping out copper wires), our construction team deemed it unsafe and now operates out of the temporary trailers. And, due to the theft and vandalism that site has experienced, we wanted to ensure a more active presence on the...
It doesn't appear on the REI Store page, but as reported at Publicola:
The Sierra Club is holding a forum/information session tonight at REI about their priorities for the remainder of this year’s legislative session in Olympia. 
The sand is running low and the play area mats are warping (see photo) at Cascade Playground. I contacted Seattle Parks about it using their online form and got this quick response:
Thanks for your message about the sand running low and the play-area mats at Cascade Playground. 
In addition to Flying Fish, we got these coming:
"Seattle Now & Then: A Footprint of Love" has historic photographs of what is now the Cascade P-Patch, with commentary from Paul Dorpat who lived in a tiny cottage on the site in the 1970s. It goes well with the data-driven "[PDF] Mapping Neighborhood Identity in Seattle’s Cascade District" by UW Grad student David Lipe, part of the Preservation and the Vernacular Environment course at UW.
Oh, and there's also a front page Seattle Times SLU story today. If you look really close at the bottom of their picture of downtown you can make out South Lake Union. You'd think the Times could take a decent picture of the neighborhood they're located in. 
Being a total nerd, I'm excited about the 2010 Census. Lately posters went up all over the neighborhood advertising official 2010 Census Jobs. According to the census.gov website, the Seattle number for job inquiries is 206-501-4160, and census takers start at $17.50/hour:
The Census Bureau is committed to hiring people to work in their own communities because they are usually the most familiar with the people and places within their community. South Lake Union has changed dramatically in the past decade, perhaps more so than any time since the 1960s when the Seattle Times tore down acres of homes for parking lots and I-5 cut Cascade off from Capitol Hill. 
Packed house tonight at the Seattle Unity Church for the first major public unvieling of the SLU Urban Design Framework.
John Holmes from the City of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development just started things off with some background on where we are in the process. 2008-2009 focused on EIS scoping, or determining different zoning alternatives for further analysis, the EIS itself is to be done in 2010, and zoning will be finalized in 2011. The Urban Design Framework has been going on in parallel with the city planning process, with the goal of implementing design standards and shaping the future development of South Lake Union.
6:35PM
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SLU Urban Design Framework Open House
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6:58PM
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SLU Urban Design Framework Open House
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Marshall Foster, also from the City, is introducing the Framework's key principles, which leads into concepts such as Gateways, Hearts, and Public Views/Tower Spacing. Gateways include the new two-way Mercer as well as the new Aurora crossings at John, Thomas and Harrison. Hearts include the relocated MOHAI, Cascade People's Center, and somewhat concrete plans for a Community Center in what is now Seattle Parks Dept's headquarters at Denny Park. In the area of view protection, the Framework has put in place limits on towers--2 per block except for the lakefront which is limited to 1 per block.
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7:20PM
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SLU Urban Design Framework Open House
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A panel of stakeholders have begun giving their spiel on the SLU Urban Design Framework. John Pehrson of LUOA had some strong criticisms of the EIS work that has been done as well as parts of the UDF. Among his comments were tower spacing which allows for separation of as little as 18' and the zoning alternatives in the EIS which all allow towers along the lakefront.
The panel is now taking questions from the audience. Have thoughts on what was discussed? Leave your two cents in the comments. -----Original Message----- I received a sad tip in my inbox today. I'll miss seeing all those little red vests running around.
How do you feel about this rendering of SLU's possible future (around 2040 or so)? For more detail check out the 30-page SLU Design Framework Presentation. Come respond at the Public Meeting next Tuesday, 26 January 2010 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Seattle Unity Church. What sounds good about the Urban Design Framework to you?
The LUOA EIS alternative is slightly different, with no towers on the lakefront except for the existing AGC building. Note that tower height incentives provide funding for public amenities and affordable housing. Of course, the rendering represents a full buildout which is extremely unlikely even over 30 years. It also can't show what I think it the most important part of the Urban Design Framework, which are the 6 principles that set a clear vision for South Lake Union’s future development: • Integrate South Lake Union with adjacent neighborhoods • Create a network of great streets • Develop a diverse system of open spaces and community services • Reform zoning and design guidelines... 
Evergreen Bank, which described itself as "one of the few remaining local, independent banks in the Puget Sound region," was taken over by the FDIC yesterday. (As usual, customer deposits are insured.)
Any Evergreen employees or customers out there want to share their perspective? Anyone witness FDIC agents pouring into the bank? (Reminder: anyone can post stories after creating an account via the "Log in" link at the top right.)
Evergreen Bank was based in the PEMCO building on Eastlake, and also had a branch in the SBRI building on Westlake and sponsored a SLU Streetcar stop. The bank had over $53m in nonperforming loans, according to the Seattle Times article "Evergreen Bank failure may signal more consolidation." If you missed last years This American Life episode 377: Scenes From a Recession you may want to listed to it now, substituting "Evergreen" for "Bank of Clark County" in the FDIC takeover story. It's also available on NPR.org as "Anatomy Of A Bank Takeover". The same Oregon-based bank in the story,...
Stay in the loop by joining the SLU Open Mic Night group on Facebook. One of the nice parts of this is being able to ask a question to one of the departments that you always wanted to ask but couldn't figure out who to ask! Click here for the flyer. This should be as good as last years series. Click here for the flyer. You're invited to a public meeting to discuss the South Lake Union Urban Design Framework. The Urban Design Framework was developed from past planning efforts and consideration of new opportunities, and with the guidance of community stakeholders. The Urban Design Framework identifies specific projects, actions, and design opportunities that will ensure that new development strengthens South Lake Union’s livability and sense of place. The framework advances the goals and strategies set out in the South Lake Union neighborhood plan. Join us at the workshop to learn about the draft framework and offer your comment. DPD staff will also present revised height and density environmental impact study alternatives and answer questions about the study and rezone process. Meeting Details Tuesday, Jan. 26 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Seattle Unity Church, Fellowship Hall 200 Eighth Ave. N. http://www.seattleunity.org/directions.html This location is accessible, enter on the main level.
For more information, visit our website, , or... 
Then you might to check out the Hard Rock Cafe Job Fair, taking place all this week at SLU's 415Westlake event space from 9am-7pm (Monday January 11 to Saturday January 16, 2010).
The new Seattle Hard Rock Cafe will be located near Pike Place Market which wouldn't be a bad commute. The press release says "Interested candidates ages 19 and older must bring valid government issued ID and any other documentation pertaining to their applied position. Applicants please come prepared for final interview on day of job fair." They'll be hiring about 140 people total.
Every once in a while I'll read something along the lines of "Paul Allen filled South Lake Union with million-dollar condos." I've even seen apartment buildings like Alley24 mistaken for condos. Well, the good news is that there finally really is a million dollar condo on the market, though it's not from Vulcan. The Zillow description says it best:
The Art Stable is a seven-story loft building in South Lake Union's Cascade neighborhood. Designed by celebrated architect Tom Kundig, the steel and concrete structure features a unique geothermal heating and cooling system. The building contains five contemporary lofts designed to accommodate buyer's creativity and use. Each unit includes two secure, above-grade parking stalls. Construction of the Art Stable is underway with completion scheduled for September 2010. I've empirically verified that construction really is happening, so I guess in about a year 516 Yale Ave N Unit 600 could be yours for just $1.85m. I'm just hoping they put a Bartell Drugs in for ground-... 
Hey everybody! I am throwing an art show at Southlake Grill next Saturday, January 9th. Show starts at 7pm and I will be holding a rock, paper, scissors contest at 8pm for a great prize bag. I will be featuring 20 of my best pieces. I will be selling prints for around $10! There will be a private bartender and Southlake Grill is providing some great snacks. I specialize in dramatic portraits and epic landscapes. To view my portfolio, check out www.mikefolden.com. I hope to see you there! Mike WHAT: FREE! Viral Video Film Festival WHEN: Tuesday, January 5th (6:30pm - 8:00pm) This free talk is for anyone curious about how to create and launch a successful viral video for fun or marketing profit. For more info & registration - http://snurl.com/tx4qd
WHAT: FREE! Job-Hunters LinkedIn Tent Revival Meeting WHEN: Thursday, January 7th (6:30pm - 8:00pm) This free talk is for anyone who is looking for a job, might be looking for a job someday, looking for freelance work, or looking for new clients. In short, everyone. For more info & registration - http://snurl.com/tx4px In what seems like another goofy marketing ploy but is actually true, SLU-based Jones Soda Co. is considering a takeover offer from a company based out of Waco, Texas called Big Red Holdings Corp. Read more at Seattle Times. This too is a little hard to believe, but is definitely a good omen for the neighborhood. Enso closings begin today and move-ins start tomorrow with over half of the building's 135 condos sold. Across the street, Rollin Street is doing surprisingly well. After ditching the condo route and going apartments in April, Rollin's 208 units are now 90% leased. See the full press release at urbnlivn. Not so good for the neighborhood–Urban Beast is having a going-out-of-business sale. Alley24's retail environment is done right, but times are tough for retailers. The residents may be filling Enso and Rollin Street as mentioned above, but this news signals the retail spaces in those buildings may be vacant a while longer. Story in the Seattle Times. Plans for a 38-story apartment tower are being discussed for the site currently occupied by the Cosmopolitan Motors Building. If you'll remember, the terra cotta facade of the unofficially historic building came under attack during the summer. The Stranger makes a convincing claim that the owners are trying to strip the building of any historic significance in order to streamline the site's re-development, and they're calling for the City to step in an do something about it. Now serving!!!!!! Mike East Coast panini sandwiches for lunch very very good for the soul, make sure you have it grilled. The eastcoast, and the Chicken Chipolte are my favs Barista Alex, will be holding a open Training session for the coffee Pros, and those that would like more knowledge of what we do as professional Barista and why. Taking you on a journey from Origin-Seed to cup.
Be there 4pm |
