Alliance for Pioneer Square – Page 59 – The Alliance for Pioneer Square works to help preserve what makes Pioneer Square the most authentic, engaging and dynamic neighborhood in Seattle.

Update to the Neighborhood – January 2015

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 12^th. 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

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…

Openings:

It was worth the wait. Elm Coffee is now open in the Furuya Building at 2^nd 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:

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 1^st & Cherry on February 1, then reopen in their new space at on 3^rd 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

A Safety Reminder from Puget Sound Energy

Dear residents and businesses of Pioneer Square:

It’s always a good thing to know what natural gas smells like and what to do if you suspect a leak. That’s why PSE regularly sponsors public service announcements regarding gas safety. With the recent reports of ground settlement in some areas of Pioneer Square, which could affect underground utilities, we’d like to remind you of some basic safety tips and tell you what we’re doing to ensure the safety of the natural gas system in the neighborhood.

PSE regularly inspects the pipes, meters and other equipment that bring natural gas to the region. As a precaution, we have increased the frequency of these inspections in Pioneer Square. These inspections have not shown any signs of damage or increased incidence of gas leaks.

In addition, as part of the tunnel project, we have increased the resiliency of our gas system in areas above the tunnel route by retrofitting or rebuilding gas pipes and connections that might be affected by ground settlement.

If you should ever smell the rotten egg or sulfur-like odor of natural gas, leave the building immediately and call PSE or 911.

Don’t do anything inside the building, including making a phone call, that could cause a spark.
If you notice the odor outside, move upwind of the odor and call PSE or 911. Other signs of a leak include hissing, bubbles rising in a puddle, and dead vegetation in unexpected places.
PSE will dispatch a technician immediately, at no cost, to investigate.

For more safety tips and to smell the odor of natural gas, please see our natural gas safety brochure, which includes a “scratch and sniff” feature. Click here to request a brochure.

If you have questions, please contact naturalgas@pse.com.

Respectfully,

Charlie Gadzik
Customer Safety Communications Manager
Puget Sound Energy