12th Avenue Neighborhood & Business District

Central District News has updated renderings of the new Seattle University/Seneca Development student housing project in the works for the full block at 12th & Cherry. The developers of this project will be out to speak with the 12th Avenue Neighborhood Group soon, hopefully in January, so be on the lookout for that announcement.

This is an important development for many reasons. With more than 200 student beds, it will add a lot of people, and presumably vitality, to 12th Avenue. This project will also have several neighborhood retail spaces, and we are hoping that Seneca will be renting to student-serving AND neighborhood-serving businesses. Lastly, the southwest corner retail space (in the third rendering) will face the park at James Court that is currently in development (between this project and Watertown Coffee) so getting a restaurant in there that is active and lively throughout the day and night will be key to achieving safety goals at the pocket park.

12th Avenue, that is where. In the last several weeks the 12th Avenue business district, especially in Pike/Pine, has literally taken off. This is remarkable when you consider that we are in the midst of a national recession. I have a lot of theories about why this is happening, chief among them is that many people are choosing to dine and shop local to ensure the livelihood of their micro-neighborhood. Please keep this is mind when you are looking to spend you money these days…local businesses need you! Here is a brief report of some of the exciting new things happening on 12th…

The Pony rides again! Word on the street is that Pony will be open for business by early September. For those of you that remember the old Pony bar (at 500 Pine) the new version is sure to become a neighborhood favorite. Owner Mark Stoner has created an engaging exterior deck, adding to the square footage inside, using old street signs turned backwards.

CHS reports that Georgetown’s Revival Home and Garden will be making a move up to 12th soon, between Pike and Pine. We are waiting on confirmation, but our guess (and hope) is that they will be moving into the vacant commercial space in the COHO building, next to the NW Film Forum. We will keep you posted.

Plum is also getting some great press since opening about a month ago in the former Cafe Stellina space. They are getting consistently high ratings on Yelp and have quickly become a new neighborhood favorite. Stop in for yummy vegan food (yes, it is amazing!) Owner Makini Howell was recently interviewed on KUOW here .

Lastly, further down the south end of 12th, we are finally beginning to see movement on the huge parcel that Seattle University owns at 12th & Cherry . You are probably wondering why we are reporting on a vacant lot with all this other exciting business news…

First, this vacant lot is a big hole in the 12th Avenue business district, literally cutting off Watertown Coffee and everything south from the pedestrian "friendlier" district to the north.  Second, this project will deliver a first floor of retail space, adding vitality and energy (hopefully) to the corridor.  Lastly, there is great potential for this project to develop alongside the pocket park planned for James Court , between it and Watertown, making for a coordinated "neighborhood positive" space. Seneca, the firm SU is partnering with here, plans to begin soil work this fall and start construction next spring. We hope to meet with them soon to find out what kind of businesses they will be targeting for the retail space.

A nice summary on the massive storage building at 12th & Madison by Josh Mahar can be found here on the CHS blog. My belief is that this project could single-handedly improve the dreadful pedestrian experience of this intersection. And I think SU is headed in the right direction…

Seattle University’s Admissions & Alumni building will be opening later this month at 12th Avenue and E Marion Street. A meeting room at the north corner of the building on 12th Avenue boasts large windows to make the room visible from the sidewalk and will create a lantern effect for the intersection. This room is available for community meetings and Seattle University has already reserved a time for the monthly 12th Avenue Stewardship Committee meetings. WaterTown Coffee has graciously hosted these meetings in the past but we look forward to our new space in the A&A building. Thanks Seattle University!

Update : The Seattle University Admissions & Alumni building will soon host Design Review Meetings!  We look forward to having these important neighborhood design meetings in an easy to find location that is convenient for interested neighborhood residents.  Please check out the CHS blog here for more information on how the Seattle Department of Planning & Development chooses the location for Design Review Meetings.

We can expect to see great new things happening at that wacky intersection of 12th and Madison and Union Streets. Here’s a preview of what’s to come.

Pony Rides Again!

Pony , the much-loved gay bar that lived for a short while in the old Cha Cha space on Pine Street is making its new home at the Acacia Florist site at 12th and Madison. The new Pony plans to offer up the same awesomeness as before with the addition of a great deck out front. Look for Pony to open by early August!

Tavern Law, Seattle’s Prohibition Era Bar

Tavern Law plans to open in the Trace Condos building in mid-July.  Modeled after a Prohibition-era speakeasy, Tavern Law will feature cocktails from that period, a rotating seasonal food menu and, I quote, "some little surprises along the way." I’m expecting a hidden door behind a bookshelf that leads to a secret room but we’ll have to wait and see!

New Development Behind Trace Lofts

Developer Wallace Properties plans to build a 104-unit housing project directly to the east of the Trace Lofts property on Madison. Early design review guidance noted here has suggested re-tooling the corner shown above along with some other design suggestions. We’ll keep you posted on future meetings and new design schemes. The developer hopes to keep this project moving forward with the goal of breaking ground in November.

Update: The second Design Review Meeting is July 1st at 6:30pm at the Montlake Library.  More details here at the friendly CHS blog.

That Huge Self-Storage Building

Seattle University has been working on revising its Master Plan which directs the school’s future growth. SU plans to increase the school’s presence on 12th Avenue with future redevelopment of the storage facility at 12th and Madison. From the early drawing above, it looks like SU renovation plans will uncover long-darkened windows and provide a more pedestrian-friendly environment at the sidewalk level.

Triangle Development for Sale

Plans seem to be stalled for the proposed 6-story 100-unit apartment building at the triangle where the Buzz Stop Cafe, Color Store and Undre Arms Apartments currently live.
Community plans from back in 2001 call for a public art piece at the curb bulb at 12th and Union Street that will act as a gateway to 12th Avenue.  The Runberg Architecture Group met with community members during their initial design phase for the project to discuss this art project.  Let’s hope future development stays true to this plan. Right now, we’ll have to make due with our flowers and tree as the gateway to 12th!

Update: Please find the SU Draft MIMP here .

Seattle University is one of the biggest institutions in the City (and the neighborhood) and they are in the process of updating their Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP). This happens about every 20 years, with the goal of planning ahead for future institutional needs and growth. SU has been working with a Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) of neighborhood stakeholders on the Master Plan for the last two years, to get ongoing input on the drafts they have been formulating. However, now is the time for the general public to begin weighing in! SU is having its first public meeting about its Draft EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) on Wednesday June 3, 2009 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m . The meeting will be held at the following location:

Seattle University
Teilhard de Chardin Hall, Rm. 142
(The building is located in the southwest portion of campus – between Campion Hall and Logan Field — and north of E. Jefferson St.; the building is identified as #8 on Figure 2-4 in this Draft EIS)

Here is a campus map .

The Draft Master Plan and EIS is a HUGE document (so huge I cannot upload it here), but it is chock full of very interesting information, especially regarding future SU development plans on 12th Avenue and potential zoning changes to their Major Institution Overlay (the MIO is SU’s special institutional zoning boundaries and code). For more information about where the document can be viewed visit the City information here .  For more information on some of the details of the draft Master Plan see Capitol Hill Seattle’s recent post .

Please join us for the next 12th Avenue Stewardship Committee meeting on Wednesday May 27th at 6pm at Watertown Coffee at 550 12th Avenue . There is a lot going on right now on 12th Avenue, so come to engage more in the following topics:

• Streetscape improvements on 12th (fixing banner arms and new sidewalk furniture)
• Preliminary discussions about future James Court Pocket Park design
• SU Master Plan Update
• Capitol Hill Housing 12th & E Jefferson Workforce Housing Project Update
• First Hill/Capitol Hill Streetcar Update

Drinks and light snacks will be provided! Questions? Contact Bill Zosel at wmzosel@aol.com

Notes from this gathering can be found on Capitol Hill Seattle and the SLOG.

Capitol Hill Housing invites you to our annual meeting, and a panel discussion on the future of 12th Avenue.

12th Avenue is quickly becoming an active commercial spine for Capitol Hill and the Central Area with its new growth in restaurants, arts, and residential spaces. The corridor has enormous growth potential in the coming years. What uses do we want to preserve and attract to the business district as it grows? How will transit, diversity, and the arts play a role in the future?

This lively Panel will be made up of community members, property owners, developers, institutional leaders, and arts representatives. C.R. Douglas, veteran Seattle reporter, and host of City Inside/Out, will moderate.

Confirmed Panelists:
Michael Kiloren, Director; Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs
Liz Dunn, Pike/Pine Property Owner and Developer, Director; The National Trust for Historic Preservation Green Lab
Elizabeth Linke, Property Owner; Northwest Film Forum and 1621 12th Ave. Buildings
Kate Stineback, Housing & Community Developer; 12th Avenue Initiative, Capitol Hill Housing
Michael Kerns, Associate Vice President for Facilities; Seattle University
Tenaya Wright, President; Squire Park Community Council

Capitol Hill Housing Annual Meeting
Wednesday April 22, 2009
5pm Reception
6pm Annual Meeting and Panel Discussion

Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave
Seattle,
Space is limited. Please RSVP to: rsvp@chhip.org
Or call 206-329-7303 x112

James Cary, Architect on the SU project at 12th & E Marion recently sent along this new image of the building. Much better than what I had uploaded to my last post about the project.