Miller Park Seattle

Dine around Seattle is a program where 30 high-end restaurants offer 3-course dinners for only $30 (exclusive of tax/tip/beverages). Many places also offer a $15 lunch. In these tough economic times, it's hard to justify a $200 meal, but a $30 one is very attractive.

From Nov 2 thru Nov 30th, take advantage of some great meals throughout the greater Seattle area.

http://www.dinearoundseattle.org/

Here on the edge of the CD, Crush will participate in the program. Here is the advertised menu, subject to change:

STARTERS
Baby Lettuces Salad with Croutons, Blue Cheese & Sherry Vinaigrette
Leek & Celery Root Soup with Lovage & Croutons
Citrus Marinated Beet Salad with Watercress & Chevre

ENTREES
Crispy Skin Alaskan Lingcod, Chowder Vegetables & Smoked Bacon
Trofie Pasta with Braised Beef Short Ribs, Truffle Oil, Arugula, Sage & Tuada Cheese
Sweet Onion Risotto with Escarole & Vadouvan, Golden Raisins & Pumpkin

DESSERTS
Brioche Bread Pudding with Roasted Fruits & Anglaise
Dark Chocolate Torte with Espresso & Vanilla Cream
Pumpkin Custard with GingerSpice Bread & Mascarpone

Bon appetite!

Nest Wednesday [6:30PM, Miller] the Parks Department will hold a meeting to talk about their plans for a synthetic playing surface (like that at Bobby Morris) at Miller Playfield, 330 - 19th Ave. E.. Details on Miller blog

There I also present 3 ideas to make life better for everyone when the renovated playfield opens:

 

• Free time on the field for pickup games. 
• Helping players find off-street parking.
• Keeping the outdoor bathrooms available.

I'd like your support for those ideas at the meeting (assuming you agree). 

Getting a significant chunk of unscheduled time on the field for pick-up games will surely be the most difficult. If there's a core group of you interested in pick-up games I'd encourage you to get together and come to the meeting as an organized group. All the ball teams have large organizations and we can expect them there in force.

We earlier talked about the closed self-service carwash and the sale of the property under Chester Dorsey's detailing business.  And I suppose it shows my weaknesses in journalistic investigation and persuasion that we could never get the real story from the actual business owners.   But I noticed yesterday that new signs have gone up at their 23rd & Madison location, announcing a move to the Safeco Plaza Building downtown (aka "The Box the Space Needle Came In").

Now the question turns to what will be done with both of those properties?   Will we be left with vacant lots for months or years until the economy recovers?

For the past couple of mornings, I have seen a lovely white, newer-model Volvo sedan parked on the west side of 24th @ Olive near the YMCA. The hood was been spray painted with blue paint: There's a star of David and the words "J Crew." I don't have a picture or the license plate, but my gut feeling is that this is an abandoned/stolen car.

If there are any readers in that neighborhood who can vouch for this car, or can help by reporting it (it hasn't moved in days), I think that's probably the right thing to do. I am always rushing to work when I see and remember it too late.

Urban renewal in action on Madison St.

I just got back from the meet-and-greet that developer Jim Mueller hosted at the old Deano's property. There was a pretty good crowd for a Saturday morning event, with about 20 people there to get more information on Jim's plans for that property and others he's working on in the neighborhood.

Here's what I found out:

• The remaining buildings on the Deano's property will be torn down within the next week
• The red brick building on the corner of Madison & Denny Way won't be kept. The brick has been previously sandblasted, which let moisture into it and causing a lot of damage. In addition, there's significant contamination from an old dry-cleaner in the ground under the building, and Jim says it wouldn't be possible to get to it with the building in place.
• Although the overall scale of the new building is fixed by the existing master-use permit, architects will be refining the details of the design over the next few months. Jim is putting a lot of focus on creating a friendly pedestrian environment along Madison, with "European style" outdoor seating for cafes, etc.
• There's still a lot of building permits to work out, so construction on the new building won't begin until spring or summer of 2009

Jim is also redeveloping the property across Madison where the Twilight Exit currently sits. The design for that project is complete, but permitting will push the construction date out until spring/summer of 2009.

Saturday Morning, 9AM - ?? , developer Jim Mueller will be at the (rapidly vanishing) ""Deano's" site at 21st & Denny/Madison.

In his own words; " it will be a neighborhood reception to meet and greet with signup opportunity for feedback and invites to any neighborhood meetings we’ll be holding".

Great chance to chat with Jim and learn about his plans for the redevelopment plans there. As the plans stand now: http://homepage.mac.com/andrew_taylor/MPNA/PhotoAlbum3.html

Pictures of "deconstruction":

http://millerparkseattle.blogspot.com/2008/06/deanos-destruc

Also note the opportunity to donate to Northwest Center at the Deano's site that afternoon:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2008/06/12/more-g-sale-goo

Justin Carder of CHS Capitol Hill blog (and now Capitol Hill Community Council president ) fame, is organizing a Capitol Hill wide garage sale this coming Saturday (6/14/08): register and get details/map at http://www.capitolhillgaragesale.com/

One of the sites offering tables (for those without garages) will be the at the former Deano's site at 20th & Denny. It's sponsored by the new owner of the site (JC Mueller LLC), who will also provide coffee & doughnuts. Jim Mueller be there from 9:00 – 10:30, to chat about the project and get peoples' reactions, and then a staff member will be there with project information and to collect contact information for those who want updates.

It's called the Capitol Hill Community Garage Sale Day, it's Saturday June 14th, and it's organized by http://www.capitolhillseattle.com blogger Justin, but I bet you can piggyback onto it! The idea is to give local citizens a day to rally around to get rid of some junk, do some recycling and meet neighbors.
Sign up at http://www.capitolhillgaragesale.com to register your address.
Live in an apartment? There are TWO locations where there will be tables available (register for one at same address).
One community location will be provided by Jim Mueller LLC at the old Deano's site[that he's just bought] near Madison and East Denny. Free coffee and donuts. Jim will say a few words about his development plans at about 9 AM.

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.