The lease is signed and the process of build-out has begun at 111 S. Jackson. Galvanize will be a technology campus for students and start-ups. They will also host events. Galvanize will be occupying the entire building, with the exception of the retail spaces at street level – Dry Soda on 1st Ave S and the currently vacant space on the corner of 1st Ave S & S Jackson. We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Artifact Gallery is opening their doors for this month’s First Thursday at 313 First Ave S. Joshua Majchrzak, the gallery owner, describes Artifact as a gallery and “merchant outfitter”. Curious? Stop by to check it out and welcome Artifact to the neighborhood!
And venture down the street to introduce yourself to Ross Burtness and his team at Surface Theory at 536 1st Ave S. Their new showroom will feature custom flooring, furniture, and fine art. You will be amazed.
Sticking with art for a minute, have you heard about the Arts Periodicals Library at The New Foundation Seattle at 312 2nd Ave S? The library is a free and a great way to be informed about thoughts and events in the world of contemporary art.
Pioneer Square is known for its creative and collaborative vibe, so it’s no wonder why the founders of The Pioneer Collective thought this would be a great location for their co-working space scheduled to open in April. Watch their website for more details.
BEFORE 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
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
