[sorry for the lack of posts...I think I was hit with some major food poisoning...]

People were buzzing on twitter yesterday with news that film crews were down in Pioneer Square…

According to the Seattle PI — the feature film is “Late Autumn,” and has been filming in various locations around Seattle. Check out @moniguzman’s post on the Seattle PI regarding filming.

Also, there seems to be a lot going on in Pioneer Square tomorrow — don’t forget to check out the Events Calendar when you’re making your plans for the weekend. Here are tweets of a few events coming up:

Great City, PSCA, and AIA Seattle sponsored a brownbag discussion of the Viaduct’s South Portal and the potential impacts on Pioneer Square. At least that’s what it was supposed to be about.

The presentation by SDOT/WSDOT was great and informative (view the video of the presentation here). The panel brought up important issues for the neighborhood and asked the questions that really needed to be asked. When it was turned over to the Q&A, however, people were asking generic tunnel questions (like why is it a freeway, and why do we have to pay overages, and on and on). At one point, one of the SDOT/WSDOT representatives commented that they were only presenting the information that they thought people were there to hear about: How the south portal will affect Pioneer Square.

We needed a moderator to make sure that people were working through the issues of the new placement and presenting other possible issues for the neighborhood. To see a video of the questions/issues posed by the panel, as well as the Q&A, click here.

Panel:

Cary Moon, Director and Cofounder of People’s Waterfront Coalition
Bradley Khouri, AIA, Principal and Founder of b9 architects, lecturer at UW
Adam Hasson, Board President of PSCA, and Samis Land Company, Central Waterfront planning working group
Lisa Dixon, Program Director at PSCA, P² rep on south portal working group

Questions, issues, and risks posed by the panel:

Cary:

1. With the new alignment, risk assessment hasn’t been done; it’s closer to the water now and there are still tricky water table issues
2. Will boring, vibrations and ground settlement affect the sea wall?
3. If there’s ground settlement and vibrations, will those affect the foundations of P²’s historic buildings?
4. “This is probably the worst possible place in the whole city to put a tunnel portal. It’s the historic district, it’s next to the water, we have climate changing, rising sea levels, we have a very tricky water table, and we have the worst possible soil.”
5. As we look at all of the risks involved, “We really have to keep asking: is it really worth it?”
6. It is a project that doesn’t really serve access in and out of downtown Seattle
7. Great diagrams for getting people in and out of the portal, but don’t really know what it’s going to feel like.
8. Expecting 59,000 car trips a day with the new portal — it’s a lot of additional cars trying to drive through the historic district, streets, and waterfront to try and get to the portal. What are you going to do to make these streets handle the additional traffic, especially given the pedestrian nature of the streets?
9. Need to be careful that these great goals are actually things that the project can follow through on
10. If the tunnel cost should go up, all of these things are at risk for getting their budget cut — we have to make sure that it’s going to get done and its budget is protected

Bradley:

1. This tunnel needs to help us have a really great waterfront
2. The success or lack of success of each portal placement has a big impact on the success of the waterfront
3. What impact will it have on the environment of the water’s edge?
4. Great opportunity for Pioneer Square to be connected right to the waterfront once the viaduct is gone
5. Trying to enhance the waterfront environment and make sure that whatever solution with the tunnel contributes to that
6. Information from SDOT, WSDOT needs to be really transparent — people need to know what it’s going to look and feel like
7. How will you manage 50,000+ vehicles AND create a really great place for people to walk?
8. Traffic along waterfront and shoreline is an issue of great concern — is this the place to be doing this? Can we create a portal that is further south and distributes the traffic earlier so that by the time we reach the waterfront, we don’t have all of the car issues to deal with
9. Request that transit stays because the tunnel will not handle all of the traffic needs
10. P² has the highest walkscore. “It’s considered a walkers paradise, and we want it to stay that way.”

Adam:

1. Pioneer Square is a national historic district and we need to treat it with the care that it needs — it is a pedestrian oriented neighborhood — if we increase car and bus trips, how is that going to interact w/ pedestrians
2. If tolling is implemented, what’s the impact on our neighborhood going to be -- how many people are going to divert through P², the earliest opportunity’s going to be first avenue, and people are going to be just jammed on that street.
3. The mitigation during construction — is there funds available, how hard do we have to fight for it — are they open to discussing, providing marketing money, telling people P² is still open, showing people it’s still a good place to visit and do business
4. The goal is to move cars, but where are these cars going — the reality is that lots of people park under the viaduct — if you take away all of that significant amt of parking, where are the tourists and visitors and people in the workforce, where are they going to park?? There needs to be some consideration if you’re bringing cards here, they have to go somewhere

Lisa:

1. Moving the tunnel closer to the waterfront was significant — thrilled to hear that
2. Managing through the construction phase — making sure that office workers can get to their jobs and tourists can get to places they want to see
3. Making sure small businesses don’t go out of business because of the construction over the next 10 – 15 years
4. Displacement of some of the homeless people that live under the ramps — how handled so they’re not just pushed to another area
5. What are the changes to 1st ave going to look like and how are we protecting that area so that it still maintains its historic character?

This was a fantastic group and they posed some serious questions in relation to Pioneer Square. There are so many issues and concerns in regards to a project of this magnitude. One can only hope is that neighborhoods won’t get lost under the beast that is the Viaduct.

Link to Part 1, Social
Link to Part 2, Economic
Link to Part 3, Political
Link to Part 4, Physical

The Revitalization Committee for Pioneer Square is meeting again tomorrow morning (open to the public)  to continue the discussion about revitalizing our neighborhood. I’ve been posting clips from the presentation, but if you’d like to see the whole 60 min presentation, click here.

Realities and Observations

1. There is a sense among Pioneer Square stakeholders that the commercial district is suffering.
2. Declining rents, vacancies and deferral of major reinvestment projects support this premise.
3. However these characteristics are true of commercial districts all over America, and the primary forces creating these consequences are national in scope and beyond the ability of one city, state or region to quickly overcome them.
4. But even in its current condition, Pioneer Square is one of the great historic commercial districts in the country.
5. The quality level of the retailers in Pioneer Square is very high, and a vast majority of them are independent, locally owned businesses.
6. There seems to be an inadequate recognition by Pioneer Square stakeholders of how extraordinary this commercial district is.
7. The number and quality of great historic buildings in Pioneer Square is certainly the major defining characteristic and strength of the district. At the same time the “edginess” and concentration of locally owned businesses is also an asset. But both “edginess” and independent merchants are fragile assets. In economic downturns, many independent merchants struggle to simply survive. In economic boom times the “edginess” can often be lost in a wave of cash and investment from national chains who prefer a more antiseptic environment.



8. The clients of Pioneer Square social service providers (who are readily apparent in the district) are seen as a significant adverse factor on both commercial activity and more market rate residential development in the district.
   1. There is a concentration of social service providers (and, therefore, their clients) in Pioneer Square.
   2. Many of these service providers predate any of the existing businesses in Pioneer Square. Further, many own their own buildings and are not going elsewhere.
   3. There seems to be a significant difference among social service providers their sense of responsibility for their clients once they leave their facilities.
   4. The congregation of unemployed and often homeless persons in a relatively small commercial district does create a sense of uneasiness among many customer and stakeholder groups.
   5. The criminal predators – drug dealers and others – exacerbate the sense of unsafety and frequently target the homeless and their not-infrequent addictions and physical and mental health conditions.
   6. The reality is that people who may have a bed but neither a job nor a daytime residence have to be somewhere. And until there is a day center for them to go, they will be on the street.
   7. While there is a role for police in addressing these issues, it is not solely a police function.
   8. While being homeless is not a crime there should be an expectation of civility in an urban context, and many of the actions of some of the homeless far cross the civility threshold.
   9. At the same time there is a political position among some advocacy groups that the expectation of civil and hygienic behavior is a violation of some imaginary “right”. The concept of rights without responsibilities violates the basic principles which functioning urban life requires.
9. This concept of rights but not responsibilities is not limited to some homeless or their advocacy organizations, however. There are numerous examples in Pioneer Square of property owners leaving properties vacant, unmaintained, or suffering demolition by neglect. This is defended by the argument “It’s my property and I have the right to do with it as I will.” But this ignores the property responsibility side of the equation that recognizes that a deteriorating and vacant property is essentially stealing value from adjacent properties. The concept of property rights should not be extended to allow one property owner the right to diminish the property values of his neighbors.
10. The Pioneer Square Community Association as lost considerable effectiveness and credibility in recent years.
11. The Pioneer Square Community Association needs to be a comprehensive economic development organization, not just the “voice of the neighborhood” or a promotional organization. Currently it is neither staffed nor funded to serve in that role.

Here are the final recommendations from Rypkema (commercial revitalization expert):

1. Establish an entity that is a comprehensive economic development organization. This could be a new organization, a reconstituted Pioneer Square Community Association, or a subset of another organization.
2. Systematically assemble and evaluate reliable economic data for the Pioneer Square for the last 5 to 8 years.
3. Create and then implement a communications strategy targeting both Pioneer Square stakeholders and the larger Seattle community regarding the organization and its role and the economic facts (as opposed to anecdotes) of the Pioneer Square economy.
4. Actively recruit and involve the growth sector business segments in Pioneer Square beyond retailing and food and beverage.
5. Incorporate these and other priorities into a comprehensive strategy for Pioneer Square.

“Far from being a commercial district in its last gasp, Pioneer Square is a commercial district of both relative economic health and extraordinary economic opportunity. The physical fabric of the neighborhood, the considerable but largely invisible growth of knowledge based businesses, and the proximity to both Seattle and international markets that the district provides would be envied by almost any other commercial district in the country.

But those opportunities will be foregone if stakeholders in Pioneer Square don’t approach economic development comprehensively, continue to make decisions based on anecdote rather than data, and fail to include and capture the currently untapped human and financial resources that could be available.”

Donovan Rypkema
PlaceEconomics
Washington, DC
December 20, 2009

Top Image Credit Link

NEWS

2010 is big year for progress on tunnel (Crosscut)
I have a post coming up today with video and commentary from the Viaduct south portal brownbag last Friday. This article will give you a good lead in to that. Or this from PubliCola:

Probably the Worst Place in the City (Publicola)
This is referencing Cary Moon’s (People’s Waterfront Coalition) comment during the brownbag.

More soil testing for deep-bore tunnel (DJC — subscription only)
In case you can’t open this one — Now that the tunnel has moved closer to the waterfront, crews are doing more soil tests to make sure that it will hold up. It was not known on Friday when the results would be made available.

Redfin makes a move uptown, choosing Belltown for new HQ (techflash)
This is not good news for Pioneer Square — we need to work harder to keep these tech, online and startup companies in the neighborhood. I think they just liked the carpet in the new place, as they dedicated a whole paragraph to it.

Raising dough for Haiti: generosity comes in small slices (Seattle Times)
Grand Central Bakery was just one of many deli’s/restaurants to raise money for Haiti

Seattle’s neon signs pierce the winter darkness (Seattle PI)
Where to find the neon signs that supposedly “elevates dour spirits year-round” — including the signs at Argens Locksmith and Bread of Life in Pioneer Square. I know looking at them gives me the same feeling as looking at the sun.

Yearly count finds fewer homeless in King County (Seattle Times)
A more detailed look at the “One Night Count” of the homeless living on the streets in King County.

Amanda Knox’s family: “Comedy night fundraiser a welcomed break” (West Seattle Herald)
Tickets were $50 to attend this fundraiser held by the Comedy Underground for Amanda Knox and her family. Approximately 90 showed up to listen to five stand up comedians, who performed free of charge. And no — none of them used Amanda or Italy in their jokes… I was wondering, too.

Possible Stabbing at 2nd and Washington (SeattleCrime.com)
Police are investigating a possible stabbing Sunday morning about a man lying face down in the street — police don’t know more info right now, but they believe he may have been attacked. Stabbed = cuts on his face. Not sure about the accuracy of this one.

Patti Smith reads, sings, and shouts at Benaroya Hall (Crosscut)
Before her performance, says “I’ve been in Pioneer Square hanging with the bums.” She stopped in at Elliott Bay and then at a local mission.

BLOG

Pioneer Square Pub Crawl (npost)
Free Pub Crawl coming up Tuesday, February 9th. Starts at 5pm @ Collins Pub on 1st and James.

Photo tour of pioneer square
Nice photo tour of the neighborhood with one comment that it was “ridiculously empty for a Saturday.”

Kim Hendricks photography
A few wedding photos shot in Pioneer Square

Crimson pub closed for good (Voracious)
Pretty safe assumption as they have an eviction notice on their door.

Hip Hop/Soul Artist Shyan Selah holds benefit show for Community’s Youth (Hip Hop Press)
He came to contour last Friday for the benefit show. “I’m excited to rock the Contour on behalf of the Brave Foundation,” said Shyan. “It’s my mission to raise awareness through my music and uplift the people. It’s about time that people begin to party for a purpose.”

Almost 1,000 volunteers showed up this year to participate in SKCHH’s One Night Count of homeless in King County.

Here are the stats from this year’s count (to see the pdf report, click here):

There was a 5% decrease from last year — from 2,827 in 2009 to 2,759 in 2010. SKCHH attributes this to an increase in awareness of homelessness, as well as an increase in available services. To celebrate, it looks like their website got an upgrade — go check it out.

The unsheltered number released this morning does not include the estimated 5,800 people staying in emergency shelter and transitional housing overnight.

Here are the results from the 2009 ONC (which showed a 2% increase from 2008):

As a reminder, don’t miss out on a follow up free event called “Beyond the One Night Count.” Details are in this post, or you can go directly to their site to register.

There’s a brown bag information session today from 12 – 1:30 regarding the Viaduct South Portal. The south entrance has different proposed locations, one of which would essentially turn 1st Ave into a freeway with major traffic.

I’ve heard that Pioneer Square has not been very well represented at these meetings by business owners and residents, so if you’re able, please try to make it there so that we can voice our concerns.

From Publicola:

“In short, the tunnel project is creating serious fears about its negative impact to Pioneer Square. The session tomorrow is a discussion on how much the project will effect the landscape of the neighborhood. It includes presentations by Bob Powers, deputy director of SDOT, and Ron Paananen, administrator for the viaduct replacement program.

There’s also a panel discussion featuring Cary Moon of the People’s Waterfront Coalition (who called the state of south-portal planning “dreadful” in an editorial last month), Bradley Khouri of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and Lisa Dixon and Adam Hasson of the Pioneer Square Neighborhood Association. The event is sponsored by Great City, the AIA, and the Pioneer Square Community Association.”

Fore more information on the presenters, see AIA’s website here.

Thursday (today) from noon to 1:30 pm, at the Klondike Gold Rush Museum, 319 2nd Ave S.

The annual One Night Count of people who are homeless in King County is happening tomorrow morning from 2am – 5am. This will be the 30th year that the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH – pronounced “skitch”) and Operation Nightwatch have organized volunteers to see how many of our neighbors are homeless and without shelter.

The One Night Count has two parts:

1. A survey of emergency shelter and transitional housing providers. Staff provide a written summary about who is staying in their programs or facilities on that night. Staff from the King County Community Services Division, Homeless Housing Program coordinate the survey.
2. A street count of people who are homeless and without shelter and staying outside or in vehicles or makeshift shelters. Volunteers go out with trained team leaders to pre-arranged areas in parts of Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Shoreline, Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville, Kent, Federal Way, Renton, Auburn, and White Center.

How does the count work? Teams of Count Volunteers will meet at 2:45 am at Seattle Mennonite Church (3120 NE 125th St., Seattle WA 98125) and go out with trained team leaders to pre-arranged areas.  Teams ride “Night Owl” buses, and collect information from area hospitals, the Sobering Center, and Tent Cities. (via Shoreline blog)

For more information, please see the SKCCH web site (which appears to be down right now) or call SKCCH Executive Director, Alison Eisinger, at 206-357-3148.

Beyond the ONC

What: BEYOND the ONE NIGHT COUNT: a free and fun advocacy 101 workshop and local issue briefing.

Where: St. James Cathedral in Seattle

When: February 6, 10am – 12pm

Cost: FREE. Please pre-register by calling (206) 357-3149 or sending a message to BONC@homelessinfo.org

In January 2009, there were at least 2,827 men, women, and children without overnight shelter in King County. In total, 8,961 people were homeless in King County during our 2009 One Night Count: sleeping on mats in church basements, staying in transitional housing programs, or wrapped in blankets trying to keep warm outside.

Beyond the One Night Count workshops are one way that concerned people can carry that work forward all year to make a real difference.

Image Credits: Header, Image 1, Image 2

Link to Part 1, Social
Link to Part 2, Economic
Link to Part 3, Political

This is the final part of the Revitalization Committee videos, which discusses the Physical aspects of Pioneer Square. Here’s the clip from Donovan Rypkema:

The main take-aways from this value:

• Pioneer Square is an amazing historic neighborhood and it needs to be recognized as such
• Density should be increased — but it needs to be a better mix of housing (i.e. not more affordable housing in Pioneer Square)
• The “North Lot” project needs to be built soon — it will bring a lot of residents and development to the neighborhood that we won’t see otherwise
• Buildings like the one on 2nd and Yesler need to be fixed up — they should not be allowed to stay boarded up (see the volunteer page for more info)
• Maintaining public space can’t always be someone else’s responsibility — all of the groups (city, building owner, tenants, etc.) need to work together to get it done

I have one more post coming regarding the presentation by Donovan Rypkema to the Pioneer Square Revitalization Committee. It will include his final recommendations to the committee and how to move forward. The committee will be meeting again next week (open to the public) to discuss next steps.

As a side note (but related), if you look at the Events Calendar, you will see the Trail to Treasure Design Workshop public meeting coming up this Saturday at 6:30pm. This public meeting will provide an opportunity to learn about this effort to create an interpretive trail that will explore the historic and cultural aspects of the square.

So for all of you who have no date on Saturday evening, the group will just be finishing an all day workshop and will present the initial design ideas for the Pioneer Square Trail to Treasure.

Dog  For Sale
Free to good home. Excellent guard dog. Owner cannot afford to feed him anymore, as there are no more drug pushers, thieves, murderers, or molesters left in the neighborhood for him to eat.  Most of them knew Jethro only by his street name, Holy  Shi*

(sigh) If only. Such a nice, easy solution to our problems at Fortson Square.

If you live in P², check out the following polls: