Big Changes Coming to Deano's

By scott
(7 votes) (report abuse)
The Deano's Grocery, RIP
Our friend Andrew has a big scoop on his blog: Jim Mueller has purchased the Deano's property and several other parcels around 22nd & Madison.

You may know Jim from previous neighborhood hits such as the planned 23rd & Union development. Now he owns almost all of the remaining buildable land to the north and west of the 23rd & Madison Safeway.

There are plans and permits that go back 4 years for the Deano's property, and the planning wheels are already cranking for a new apartment building to replace the building across the street, where the Twilight Exit now resides. It sounds like Mueller will stick with those plans to avoid having to go all the way back through the permitting process. And Andrew says that demolition of the old structures could start very soon.

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago that corner was nothing but drug deals and empty parking lots. The real test will be to see if Mr. Mueller is able to finance so many big projects in a down real estate market. But it will be cool to see the result if he pulls it off.
tags: Deanos + add tags
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location: Miller ParkSeattle, Washington
posted on Thu, May 29, 2008 11:50 PM
last updated on Fri, May 30, 2008 08:55 AM
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sad byElvis May 30, 2008 (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
i actually think that space should be perserved and used. i know its history, but the building itself is something you don't see a ton in seattle...beautiful red brick with long, high windows and ceilings inside.

it could make an amazing upscale restaurant/tavern or coffee shop, but instead we'll do the seattle thing and build generic and sterile townhouses.

i think we're gonna look back at this period in Seattle and wonder where the architectural creativity was and why the look is so sterile and plane. Seattle's residential architecture is quickly becoming the East Germany of the United States.
facade byjoanna May 30, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
yes, I agree
facade byKari May 30, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I agree with this also. I'm sick of more townhomes being built that are all just variations on one generic theme.
23d and Dearborn byRichard Wells May 30, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Mr. Mueller,

Please buy Parnells. Please, pretty please, pretty please with sugar on top...
RE: 23d and Dearborn byPaul Furio May 30, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse)
But Parnells TOTALLy fits in with the new hypermodern construction going on next door.

At least the Deanos renovation will hopefully make the Planned Parenthood corner less of an attraction for the crackheads.
not townhomes bywave May 30, 2008 (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
It'll be mid-rise condos/apartments, not townhomes. But i agree, I'd love to see that corner building saved and turned into a gastropub or something.
Keep the Corner Build byYeslerWay May 30, 2008 (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Concur that it would really be nice if the corner build (Deano's Grocery) could be preserved, renovated, and re-purposed as part of the re-development --assuming it is structrally sound. It seems that a new apartment / mixed use building could be build around it and abut it but retain the exisiting building with an engaging commercial use such as a restaurant as others have suggested. Any word on when first public comment could come up?
Design Review hearings on project were years ago byAndrew Taylor May 30, 2008 (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Design Review on the project was back in 2003 to 2005:
http://home.jps.net/~tayles/Madison/deanos/falls_design_review.html

Rezoning hearings for that area were back in 2000:
http://home.jps.net/~tayles/Madison/rezone/Madison_rezoning.html

There were (as I recall) occasional suggestions back then to preserve the brick building as part of the new building, but they were not heavily supported.

My sense of the neighbors present at the meetings (and there weren't many of them) was that their eagerness to get the existing "businesses" replaced pretty much trumped everything else.

I campaigned to keep the rear (Denny Way) part of the structure at 40' height, to minimize the shadow impacts on neighbors to the north, but at least one person at the meeting was eager to sacrifice that point to get the project moving ahead.

My understanding is that the new owner will not be deviating much from the existing approved plans. It's not clear yet whether any requested changes will be handled administratively, or whether there will be new Design Review hearings.

BTW: pictures of design models:

http://homepage.mac.com/andrew_taylor/MPNA/PhotoAlbum3.html

All the best,
Andrew
Deanos byMiller Family May 30, 2008 (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I totally agree do not tear it down just built within the walls and structure of the building. Our family has seen many a changes on Madison come and go. The Blue Note, Gideon's Drug store, Virgie's Beauty salon, the record shop, Chandler's wood store, so please consider our cry for preserving the building.
Deanos again byfalcon May 30, 2008 (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Like the Blue Moon in the U-Dist. and the Second Ave. terra cotta baths facade and numerous other examples, Jim could save the brick facade and keep a human scale feeling along the streetscape. Perhaps a Design Review departure would be to allow him to go a story higher or so higher if he keeps the existing building facade and build to at least LEED silver?
Are you out there Jim? Is this do-able?
Re: East Germany byJohn June 01, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Wow, I hope the building doesn't get built as in the design model pics above - a(nother) true nightmare. It's a beautiful building and everytime I drive by I'm thinking a restaurant would be ideal and if they'd get the food right a wild success (maybe Crush a few blocks down could evacuate their truly pitiful location)

Re east german building style: Maybe in 20 years the City is spending most of its money on correcting todays real estate sins. Hopefully not.
Street trees byAndrew Taylor June 03, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Jim Mueller notes; "Of course the street trees will remain unless the city
forces us to remove them - they are still trying to denude Madison Park."