Category: News

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New Accessible Sidewalk on Jackson Street

BEFORE the Jackson Street ADA repair. Photo courtesy SDOT.
BEFORE the Jackson Street ADA repair. Photo courtesy SDOT.
AFTER the Jackson Street ADA repair. Photo courtesy SDOT.
AFTER the Jackson Street ADA repair. Photo courtesy SDOT.

You may have recently noticed the new sidewalk on Jackson Street on your way to and from Pioneer Square. Thanks to a community and city effort, this stretch of sidewalk on Jackson from 2nd Ave S to 3rd Ave S is now accessible for everyone to travel.

Not only was this sidewalk slanted as high as 17% grade, the tall alley curb made it impossible for anyone using a wheelchair or pushing deliveries to access. Stories of people tripping and delivery drivers taking the street into oncoming traffic were common. With up to 380,000 people traveling into Pioneer Square’s transit hub daily and the First Hill Streetcar near completion, it made fixing the missing links on Jackson Street all the more critical.

In 2012, the Pioneer Square based International Sustainability Institute (ISI) led a 40-person volunteer walking audit to assess the streets, alleys and public spaces in Pioneer Square. The poor state of accessibility on nearly every street rose to the top of immediate issues with nearly 40 spots to fix. Randy Earle, local consultant and PSQ resident, led us through the neighborhood with his lens of using a wheelchair. Our list then grew to 60!

By focusing on repairing ADA issues on major walking routes to transit, ISI and the Alliance partnered to apply for a  Neighborhood Street Fund. We were awarded the grant in 2013 to pay for these improvements. Over the last year, Seattle Department of Transportation staff worked closely with the surrounding businesses and property owners along this stretch of Jackson to plan and execute the work.

According to Be Van Nguyen, owner of Adam Tailor Alterations, the repair is 30 years in the making – since 1984 when he established his business on Jackson Street. With the help of residents, businesses, neighborhood organizations and city staff, we’re continuing to seek funding sources and finding creative ways to repair our streets, making them accessible for everyone.

Future work under the NSF grant includes curb ramp installation on Yesler at the Pioneer Square bus tunnel entrance. For more information about the Active Streets Reports, visit ISI’s website. Don’t hesitate to contact me liz[at]pioneersquare.org to let us know if you notice spots to fix.

 

Liz Stenning
Public Realm Director
Alliance for Pioneer Square

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Update to the Neighborhood – January 2015

FX McRory's has been in the neighborhood since 1977.
FX McRory’s has been in the neighborhood since 1977.

Happy New Year Everyone, let’s start the year with some appreciations.

We really appreciate all the BIA members who attended our annual meeting December 12th. It was great fun to call out our successes and look forward to strong initiatives for 2015. Because the press LOVES all the new businesses we decided to appreciate the long term businesses that have made Pioneer Square the great neighborhood that it is. We did a shout out (including gifts) to the folks in the room who had their businesses in the neighborhood the longest. Again, we want to acknowledge Craig Bunker of Nordic Cold Storage, Adam Hasson of SAMIS Land Foundation, Phen Huang of the Foster White Gallery and Mick McHugh of FX McRory’s. Thanks for your years of commitment to the neighborhood.

We also appreciate all the retailers and shoppers who supported our retail promotion during December. We certainly hope that you all took advantage of the season to visit our local offerings both old and new.

What to expect in 2015.

  • More work on street civility and public safety, including emphasis patrols funded by the BIA
  • More business development
  • Lots going on in the public realm
    • Developing a Design Framework for Streetscapes
    • Developing a Concept Plan for our Parks and Gateways
    • Partnering with DSA and Friends of Waterfront Seattle to activate Occidental Park
    • More Trail to Treasure
  • And of course there is even more construction, prepare yourself for changes in parking and traffic patterns, we will continue to work with the city, county, state, and developers to keep you informed
  • And finally, continuing to improve our communication systems to bring you information that you need and want.

Stay tuned, get involved, and have a lovely month. See you in the neighborhood.

 

Leslie Smith
Executive Director
Alliance for Pioneer Square

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Business & Community Development Update – January 2015

Before talking about new businesses coming to our neighborhood, I’d like to thank and acknowledge the businesses who set up shop in Pioneer Square before the rest of the city was talking about us. They saw the potential, made the investments, took the risks, and made it work. If I didn’t think readers would roll their eyes from the repetitiveness, I’d start every announcement of a new business with a tip-of-the-hat to these people. Thank you.

Now a few updates…

Elm Coffee at 240 2nd Ave S.
Elm Coffee at 240 2nd Ave S.

Openings:

It was worth the wait. Elm Coffee is now open in the Furuya Building at 2nd Ave S & S Main St. (The entrance is actually on Main, one door east of Pizzeria Gabbiano.) Both the coffee and space are gorgeous. Stop by and introduce yourself to Brendan Mullally, Drew Fitchette, and the rest of the gang.

Have you checked out Calisea yet? Alden Alvarado quietly opened her charming new retail store in time for the holidays on Yesler Way in the Pioneer Square Best Western Hotel building. Take a look at the website to get an idea of the variety of merchandise she carries. It’s a winner and a nice addition to the block.

Coming soon:

Entrance to Casco Antiguo at 115 Occidental Ave S.
Entrance to Casco Antiguo at 115 Occidental Ave S.

We’re in the midst of another flurry of activity behind paper-covered windows:

  • Pioneer Square is in for something special if the brilliant red façade of Casco Antiguo, on Occidental Ave just north of the park, is an indication of what’s to come…both on Occidental and in the “Pioneer Passage” alley behind. Owner, Ward Allen, plans to open before the end of January.
  • Across the street, Nirmal’s will soon fill the long-vacant space in the Interurban Building with an innovative Indian restaurant.
  • People are buzzing about Girin, scheduled to open in Stadium Place in March. A special preview event scheduled for January 10 will feature Chef Brandon Kirksey and his “killer Korean food”.
  • Una Kim is still working feverishly to open the doors of The Faerie Queene on Yesler, upstairs from Little Uncle. Hoping to be able to order that lobster roll by spring.
  • While we’re focused on the Seahawks, work is underway in the new Sounders space between Rain Shadow Meats and Taylor Shellfish. The season starts in March, so we’ll be seeing more activity soon!
  • Have you heard Gallery Frames is moving? (Relax, they’re staying in the neighborhood.) They’ll close the doors in their current space at 1st & Cherry on February 1, then reopen in their new space at on 3rd Ave S (the same block as Salumi) on March 1.

In addition to papered windows, we’ve got construction all around us. Those projects include the new Embassy Suites Hotel between Stadium Place and King Street Station and Goodman Real Estate’s 45-unit apartment project on South Main Street.

More companies and organizations are expanding or moving into Pioneer Square’s office spaces every day. I’ll be writing more about them soon. In the meantime, take a moment to welcome any new neighbors to our ‘hood. The connections we share are among our district’s greatest assets.

 

Karen True
Director of Business Development
Alliance for Pioneer Square