community – Page 10 – Alliance for Pioneer Square

Community & Business Development Update – August 2013

Yep, I’m still leaning on you again to get out for a summer neighborhood walk. What better time to take another look at new developments in Pioneer Square?

Add Madboy Electric Vehicles to the “must see” list. They’re on 1^st Avenue South, just a little south of Railroad Ave. Not only will you discover the coolest electric bikes, there’s a good chance you’ll be convinced to take a test ride. Even if you’re not in the market for an electric bike, you’re going to love meeting Daniel and Maggie. And the things you will learn…
The official opening of AXIS Pioneer Square will be August 1 during the First Thursday art walk. A nod to the Globe Building’s rich history is evident throughout the space. The connection between the sidewalk on 1^st Ave South and Nord Alley in the back offers yet more opportunities to activate these unique public spaces.
The lease is signed. Finally. Manu Alfau will open La Bodega in the Prefontaine Building this fall. Stay tuned. This is welcome news.
The new Mediterranean Mix is open on Occidental Avenue between Yesler and S Washington, a welcome addition to the block.
Another First Thursday opportunity. The Nolo at Stadium Place will be giving hardhat tours August 1, 4:00-7:00 PM.
Have you heard that the Seattle Design Festival is coming to Pioneer Square? The dates are September 13-22. “The hub of the Festival will be at the ‘Design Block’ at Occidental Avenue South in Pioneer Square featuring large scale installations, design competitions, activities, and demonstrations investigating design’s impact on active lifestyles and healthy communities….” (From the Design Festival website.) Wow. Aren’t you curious?
Don’t forget to watch for the new Trail to Treasure kiosks around the neighborhood…since you’ll be out and about.
Only in Pioneer Square: Even if you’re not a soccer fan, you should check out the “March to the Match” that starts in Occidental Park one hour before every home Sounders game. These folks know how to have fun! (Click here for the Sounders FC schedule.)

I’ll be getting out of the office more in the upcoming weeks to look for retail and restaurant businesses that we might like in Pioneer Square. Who would you like to see in the neighborhood? Email me at karen@pioneersquare.org.

Final negotiations are underway on a few exciting retail/restaurant leases, but they’re not quite ready for prime time. We hope we’ll be ready to share more next month. If you’d like to get this kind of news when it breaks, follow us on Twitter @PioneerSquare.

Community & Business Development Update – July 2013

While it’s always fun to report on new businesses, we thought you might like an update about a few of the buildings in Pioneer Square. These are the places that are attracting the attention of businesses interested in setting up shop in Pioneer Square, as well as expanding businesses already in the neighborhood.

Restoration of the Scheuerman Building at 1^st Avenue & Cherry Street is scheduled to begin soon, thanks in part to a 2013 Landmarks Capital award from 4Culture. The building is owned by the Aegis Group whose offices are on the third floor along with the Borgen Project. Other building tenants include Easy Joe’s, Café Bengodi, Spooked in Seattle, and 57 Biscayne. Two restaurant spaces on Cherry Street are currently vacant and available for lease.

The gorgeous Pacific Commercial Building (on 2^nd Avenue S & S Main Street) is now actively marketing its street level retail space and four floors of office space. Prospective retailers and restaurateurs have been eyeing the retail space, complete with massive bank vaults, for a long time.

Down the block at 2^nd Ave Extension S & S Main, Main St. Gyros is rebuilding after the fire that caused such havoc in May.

Owners of the Heritage Building at 1^st Avenue S & S Jackson are putting final touches on the vacant office spaces once leased by Microsoft. The spaces include many of the amenities one would expect in a former Microsoft space, as well as a jaw-dropping rooftop deck. Dry Soda is a current Heritage Building tenant. Plans are to expose more brick in the now vacant corner retail space sitting at one of the Square’s most prominent intersections.

Though renovation continues, office and retail spaces at the historic 619 Western Building are leasing with expected occupancy next year. The building exudes charm and character with intricately restored windows and views that will stagger once the viaduct comes down.

The neglected property at 304 Alaskan Way S has a new local owner, someone passionate about historic preservation, and is finally getting the attention that’s so long overdue. Once current work is complete, the building will be available for lease as office and warehouse space.

The work done behind the papered windows of the Travelers Hotel Building on Yesler, once home to Mitchelli’s Trattoria, has been dramatic. Interior walls were removed, bricks revealed, and natural light from the myriad windows fills the large open space, complete with the horseshoe-shaped bar. It’s no wonder so many prospective restaurateurs are dreaming about this space.

Of course, all the news isn’t about historic buildings. Construction at Stadium Place continues and the anticipation builds. (Check out the video about the project here.) More residents – a welcome addition to Pioneer Square – will be moving into the loft apartments at The NOLO in September.

Many more buildings are in the midst of renovations and tenant improvements. As always, give me a shout if you’d like to learn more. It’s an exciting time in Pioneer Square.

Alliance for Pioneer Square Receives Community Advocacy Award

Yesterday evening on May 14, 2013, local preservationists gathered for Historic Seattle’s Fifth Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. The Alliance for Pioneer Square staff and two board members were in attendance to receive Historic Seattle’s 2013 Community Advocacy Award.

From the Preservation Awards program:

The Community Advocacy Award goes to the Alliance for Pioneer Square for its leadership in revitalizing Seattle’s first neighborhood. […] The Alliance’s broad and holistic approach to enhancing Pioneer Square allows the organization to draw upon the many inherent assets of the neighborhood to create a better and more vibrant place for everyone to work, live, and visit. The Alliance embraces Pioneer Square’s cultural heritage and historic buildings, recognizing the value of historic preservation and how it aids economic development, not hinder it.

Alliance board co-chair Kevin Daniels was also presented with the Community Investment Award for his work in preserving and reviving Seattle landmarks. In his acceptance speech, Kevin stated that when he and the Alliance board hired Leslie Smith to be the executive director of the organization, he worried about Leslie’s emphasis on community. Not sure if Leslie’s philosophy would be a good fit at first, Kevin said he later realized that community is the heart of preservation.

We are extremely proud to be presented with the Community Advocacy Award, and we congratulate our co-chair Kevin Daniels on his preservation achievements. Our work to connect the community and other key partners in reviving Pioneer Square is built on a solid foundation thanks to Leslie Smith’s advocacy for the community and the neighborhood.