February 2017

Neighborhood News + Updates

February 2017

WINTER BEAUTY IN PIONEER SQUARE

Make sure to stop at Waterfall Garden Park for the fragrance of winter blooming plants. It’s rare to find a winter garden in the heart of the city. Located on the corner of 2nd Ave S & S Main St, the park was designed in 1978 by the renowned landscape architect, Masao Kinoshita. Maintained by the Anne E. Casey Foundation, it is located on the site where the first United Parcel Service headquarters started in 1907. The park is open during the day to the public.

RETAIL NEWS

  • Arundel Books in the Grand Central Building is moving from Occidental Park to the 1st Ave S side with an additional entrance off the atrium, like Grand Central Bakery. They’ll be open for business for the Art Walk on Thursday.
  • More book news: Peter Miller Books is planning a move to 304 Alaskan Way S in mid-March. Peter Miller opened his first design bookstore in Pioneer Square in 1980. He moved to the Terminal Sales Building near Pike Place Market in 1984, where he remained for 25 years. In 2013, he moved to a space in Belltown. We couldn’t be happier about his return to our neighborhood. This is great news for all the bookstores in Pioneer Square.
  • The Halal Guys are moving into the Olympic Block Building on Yesler Way. They hope to be serving the food made popular in NYC here in Pioneer Square later this spring. Stay tuned for details.
  • Flora + Henri continues the build-out of their new space. In the meantime, you can still stop by their pop-up space at 411 1st Ave S.

UPSTREAM MUSIC FEST + SUMMIT

If you’ve been following Upstream’s via social media or newsletter, you were the first to hear about:

The Upstream Pop-Up in Pioneer Square on Jan 12. What a show!

The announcement of keynote speakers for the Upstream Summit.

The Guest Curators who will build out stages to showcase emerging artists of the Pacific Northwest.
The announcement of Mastering the Hustle: Workshops to Empower Artists Pursuing a Career in Music. Read the latest Seattle Times article about the workshop here.

Don’t miss out on upcoming announcements, including news about musicians and venues. Check out Upstream Music Fest + Summit now.

Early Bird Tickets are still available. Pioneer Square Promo Code: PSQ2017 (Please resist the urge to post the promo code on social media. A limited number of these discounted tickets have been set aside for people who live and work in Pioneer Square.

NEW BIKE PARKING

Recent additions to bike parking in the neighborhood make biking more accessible to you, neighborhood visitors, and customers. New bike racks were installed in January, nearly doubling bike parking availability in Pioneer Square. In case you didn’t know, bikes mean business. While the Alliance works to maintain affordable vehicle parking by advocating with the city, and promoting downtownseattleparking.com , we continually seek new ways to get people to the neighborhood.
Not only are these racks thoughtfully designed to fit into the historic district, their shape and dimensions are specific to accommodate multiple styles of bikes. As cycling grows in Seattle, expect to see more cargo bikes and family bikes, and expect for them to be able to find proper parking in Pioneer Square.

PARKS & GATEWAYS

The Pioneer Square Parks & Gateways project kicks off the second phase thanks to a very generous anonymous donation!
The first phase was funded through the City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund grant program in 2016. The Alliance worked with community stakeholders and consultant Walker Macy to create a Concept Plan for all neighborhood parks and gateways. Stakeholders identified the designs for Pioneer Park, Fortson Square and the King Street Plaza, including the adjoining triangle plaza, Union Station Square as priorities for the next phase.

LOOKING FOR CHILDCARE?

roof deck playground
The search for quality childcare in Pioneer Square has long been a challenge for many parents living and working in our neighborhood. The José Martí Child Development Center, operated by El Centro de la Raza, is currently accepting new enrollments for their program in their new facility in Hirabayashi Place at 424 S Main St.
The dual language program, (English/Spanish and English/Mandarin), serves children 15 months to 5 years old. If you’re looking for childcare, call 206-957-4606 to schedule a tour. And wait until you see the rooftop playground…
Another trusted resource for finding quality childcare throughout is Childcare Resources. Call 206-329-5544 for assistance in finding the perfect match for you and your child.

A HISTORIC BRIDGE GETS NEW LIFE

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working to rehabilitate the Yesler Way Bridge. Located over Fourth Avenue S at Yesler Way and Terrace Street, the historic, century-year old bridge had reached its structural lifespan and is being replaced. The project team held open houses, drop-in sessions, and worked with key stakeholders to find a comprehensive design solution, before starting construction in May 2016.
Keeping History Alive 
Built in 1910, the Yesler Way Bridge is one of the oldest permanent steel roadway bridges in the City of Seattle, connecting First Hill to Pioneer Square and Chinatown/International District. The project team worked with the Pioneer Square Preservation Board and the International Special Review District Board to ensure that key historic features of the bridge were incorporated in the new structure. The bridge’s decorative pedestrian railings, fascia girders, cast iron columns and decorative lanterns were carefully removed and stored off-site before the structure’s demolition. These, and other ornamental elements, will be renewed and restored as the project proceeds.
 
What’s Next

New girders will be placed over Fourth Avenue S in February, and bridge decking will follow. As construction activities continue, the bridge’s historic elements will be reintroduced to the new bridge structure. Once complete this fall, Yesler Way Bridge will provide improved safety for people walking, biking, and driving over and under the bridge, with the same character and ornamentation it had before.
 
Find Out More
To learn more about the project and see more historic photos, visit our project website: www.seattle.gov/transportation/YeslerBridge.htm. If you have any questions, would like to discuss the project further, or want to be to be added to our mailing list, please contact us at YeslerBridge@seattle.gov or 206-684-8684.

ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT REPLACEMENT PROJECT

FIRST THURSDAY SPEAKER SERIES


From the sublime to the ridiculous: movies shot in Pioneer Square
6 – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 2
Milepost 31, 211 First Ave. S., Seattle
Admission is free.

Seattle Weekly film critic Robert Horton will be showcasing and discussing movies shot in the vicinity of Pioneer Square. From the sublime to the ridiculous, these films document places that have changed, disappeared (R.I.P. Kingdome), or will soon be history (the Alaskan Way Viaduct always was a good place for a car chase). Robert is a film critic for Seattle Weekly and the Everett Herald, and a longtime contributor to Film Comment. He curated the Magic Lantern film-discussion program at the Frye Art Museum for ten years, has taught at Seattle University, and is a guest speaker for Smithsonian Journeys.
After the talk, be sure to leave enough time to explore the rest of the First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Free parking is available for First Thursday art walk patrons in Pioneer Square. Please visit www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com for more information about participating garages. Want to explore historic Seattle another day this winter without the hassle of parking fees? Bundle up and stop by Milepost 31 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday to receive two hours of free parking at the First and Columbia garage, while supplies last!

CONSTRUCTION ROUNDUP

PIONEER SQUARE IMPACTS

Center City Connector Project (First Ave Streetcar)
200 Occidental (COMPLETED)
80 Main (COMPLETED)
For more detail on upcoming projects and events in the region see SDOT’s three week look ahead.

FIND IT, FIX IT!

Have you seen an issue in the neighborhood, but didn’t know how to report it to get it taken care of? ” Find It, Fix It” is a smartphone app offering mobile users one more way to report selected issues to the City of Seattle. Reporting an issue is as easy as snapping a photo with your smartphone, adding detailed information, and hitting submit. Help us keep our neighborhood a clean and well maintained. Be on the look out to report graffiti, potholes,street lights out, abandoned cars and other issues through the Find it, Fix it app, online or call 206-684-7587. If graffiti shows up on your property,  make a police report by calling 206-625-5011.