Pine and Belmont St.
Developer: Murray Franklin
How’s that Pike/Pine lifestyle working out for all of you?
By now, many of you know how this story goes.
Once there was a great historic block of bars, small shops and no Cingular, Subway sandwiches, Starbucks, suburban sprawl ugliness etc…
All was torn down to make way for condos for people to enjoy what was demolished. (Sigh.)
Now two years on and counting… (The developer must be waiting for the cheapshit condo market to rebound.)
We at CSC request that the city government climb out of the developers’ pockets to show some love to the neighborhood by requiring the developer to turn this space into an area for terrific public use.
We suggest that the developer provide an area where bands and free BBQ could be enjoyed on weekends. During the months of inclement weather a geodesic dome could provide shelter.
In addition, a portion of the area should be a p-patch garden.
The mayor’s number is: (206) 684-4000. His name is Greg and he’s waiting to hear from you.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
http://peoplesparkinglot.blogspot.com/
That lot is now the People’s Parking Lot. Not as vibrant as the bars that were demolished for the invisible condos, but still something.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
thanks for the shout-out, jason!
and to the authors/readers of CSC, you might be interested in knowing that we will be converting this space into a central park for Park(ing) Day on september 18th. There are lots of posts about the event on the ppl site or you can read a press release i posted over at hugeasscity:
http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2009/08/09/parking-day-2009/
we still have room for some parks, and could use donations in the form of plants, musical performances, or whatever form of spectacle you specialize in.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Reminds me of that abandoned, half-finished parking garage in Kent. That and the empty block in downtown Auburn are the results of the same development scheme gone wrong.
August 29th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
This site is brilliant, keep it up!
September 1st, 2009 at 10:26 am
Maybe with some Sani-Cans, this could be a site for Nicklesville.
IMO, a suitable penance for the greed that placed an entire planet in jeopardy.
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:35 am
I just found this blog. I was totally psyched until I realized it was all about stuff in Seattle. How is anyone supposed to take Seattle seriously?
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
@ NWSucks -
Nobody does take it seriously, that is part of it’s elusive charm.
You may leave now, there is nothing here for you.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:36 am
Hey CSC, come on out to W. Seattle sometime soon. We are an up-and-coming neighborhood in the crap-tastic development category. Your tour would begin immediately after exiting the W. Sea. Bridge and turning left on 35th. At the corner of 35th & Roxbury the developer managed to get to the particle-board stage before financial problems halted the project. I’m wondering what we get this Winter; big plastic sheets, flapping in the wind, or waterlogged particle-board?
Head back out to Fauntleroy Way so you can drive past the vast acres of empty car lots (plans are out there to replace them with…really poorly designed condos!), and turn R. on Alaska to get a good view of our Hole Foods store. At least they left our bowling alley. Within a block your aesthetic sensibilities will be sent reeling with Jefferson Square and the med center/condos on the L., and our brand new glory, the Altamira apartments above (chain-business space). Sort of like a serrated concrete box.
From this point, you are on your own, but it won’t take you long to find some fresh crapola to post about. Looking forward to your visit; be sure to get a mani/pedi at one of our 538 salons.