About ten years ago neighborhood residents began urging King County to develop the parking lot area north of the Youth Services Center on 12th Avenue for uses providing some vitality to the neighborhood. In 2004 King County Councilmember Larry Gossett helped bring about funding for a master planning effort for the entire Youth Services Center site. The design firm of Arai Jackson led a series of public meetings attended by dozens of neighborhood and County stakeholders. That effort produced a concept plan for replacement and expansion of County courtroom and office buildings, development of housing and retail space along 12th Avenue, and preservation of the Marvin Oliver artwork at the northeast corner of the site. (The artwork, “Spirit of Our Youth” consists of the bronze whale fin and surrounding earthworks. See http://www.marvinoliver.com/Bronze/fins_totem_poles/index.ht )
In order to support future development, the City upzoned a portion of the site to allow greater height at the northwest portion along 12th Avenue to 65 feet while keeping the lower L3 zone height limit on the east and south portion of the site.

However, the publication of the Arai Jackson concept plan in 2005 did not result in further action. The County postponed work on developing the site while assessing the need for additional courtroom and office space. Now that assessment has been completed and the County would like to demolish the existing Alder Tower (the tallest building on the site) and attached Alder Wing, and replace those buildings with a new larger structure with more courtrooms and office space. (The new County court and office space would be up to 250,000 square feet, several times the size of the Alder Tower and Alder Wing.) The existing detention facility at the southwest part of the site would remain mostly unchanged.

The County is seeking developers interested in the development of the remainder of the site north as a mixed-use project which may include affordable and market-rate housing and retail and commercial space. Parking, now entirely in a surface lot, could be located in a structure. The Arai Jackson concept saw the parking underground, but the County has not ruled out any particular parking option.
The method and source of financing the County portion of the development, as well as a timeline, have not yet been determined. It’s likely that funding will require a bond or levy. Because of the poor and overcrowded condition of the current facilities, the County Executive sees this as a high priority capital project.

The County has given no public estimate of the range of housing units and retail space that could be built on the site, but the potential change to this stretch of 12th Avenue is significant. The total size of the site is 8.6 acres, although there’s no expectation that the portion occupied by the detention center would be redeveloped. At the several public meetings in 2004 most neighborhood residents were supportive of development that was sensitive to the neighborhood and resulted in neighborhood services. County officials have professed no interest in repeating the brutal anti-urban, street-destroying development represented by the current Youth Services Facility.
Oddly enough, those working on planning the project to this point have not given much attention to the issue of public transportation improvements. There’s no public transportation on 12th Avenue and the County provides free parking to most of its employees at the current Youth Services site. The County apparently is not required to participate in programs to reduce single-occupancy-vehicle commute trips as are other large employers.

Preservation of the Spirit of Our Youth artwork was a particular focus of neighborhood residents during the 2004 round of public meetings. Because the bronze whale fin and much of the surrounding site constitute a work of public art there are some safeguards, although moving the work to some other location may not be out of the question. The County’s RFQ is ambivalent about that.
The King County Facilities Web site shows that seven developers responded to the RFQ (Request for Qualifications) indicating interest in working on the site. http://procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_OVR/detail.asp

In mid-January the County expects to review and assess the list of developers who responded.

Organizers of the “Jingle-Bell Jam” a holiday celebration for neighborhood kids at Garfield Community Center, announced at the Central District Council meeting tonight that the number of kids expected at the party tomorrow exceeds the number of gifts contributed. They are asking anyone who can to contribute a gift for a child. The party will be from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. December 12, Friday, at the Garfield Community Center, 23rd and E. Cherry. There will be entertainment, games and a holiday treat. For more information call and ask about the “toys for tots” program at 206 684-4788.

The building at 12th and E. Marion, for many years the site of Plasteel Frames, was acquired earlier this year by Seattle University which proposes to renovate and expand the building. The University plans the site to house the Office of Admissions and the Office of Alumni Relations.

On Monday, November 24, S.U. will present the site’s plans to the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) for the University’s Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP). All interested parties are encouraged to attend the meeting, at 5:30 P.M. at the S. U. Facilities office at 1218 E. Cherry.

The project was presented at earlier CAC meetings where committee members were generally impressed by the building’s design. However committee members expressed the concern that, even though the renovated and expanded building would present a greatly improved appearance, the University did not propose to include any space for retail use. CAC members, and many in the neighborhood, are looking for uses on 12th Avenue that continue to increase the pedestrian vitality of the street both day and night.

In a recent letter to the CAC, Michael Kerns, the Associate Vice President for Facilities Administration stated that the “University did review the program to determine if private retail use would be compatible for the programs identified for the facility. Due to the size of the project and nature of the programs, it does not appear that private retail use is a good fit for this facility.”

S.U. argues that the building will be an attractive and lively place on the street, serving as the “primary orientation and welcoming site for prospective students, returning alumni, and members of the greater S.U. community.” … “Space will also be provided for a new museum and the relocation of the Kinsey Art Gallery from an interior building on campus. The venue promises to be an attractive location for university and community meetings, receptions and events.”

The project’s scope will expand the existing 8,500 squre-foot building to a toal size of 11,300 square feet. The surface parking lot and the 12th Avenue curb cut will be eliminated.

All meetings of the CAC are open to the public. To request to receive notices and copies of the agenda of future meetings send an e-mail to Steve Sheppard of the Department of Neighborhoods at [email protected].

The City Landmarks Preservation Board voted on Wednesday to accept the nomination of Washington Hall as an historic landmark. Acceptance of the nomination is the first hurdle in the process. At a public meeting in early January the Board will decide whether or not Washington Hall should be designated a landmark.

At Wednesday’s meeting the staff of 4Culture made the case for Washington Hall with a presentation of its architectural and cultural significance. See http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/LPBCurrent (PDF)

Representatives of the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas, the Filipino-Amercian Society, the Nordic Heritage Museum, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Squire Park Community Council, as well as several individuals spoke of the building’s importance to a broad range of people and generations.

The board’s vote to accept the nomination was unanimous. While stating their reasons for their vote several members included the evidence of community support for the building’s preservation.

The Sabey Corporation and Swedish Medical Center, current owners of the former Providence Hospital Campus, have submitted a request to the City for approval of plans to build a 132,000 square foot medical building with underground parking for 240-357 vehicles on the east side of 18th Avenue between Jefferson and Cherry. This proposal will be reviewed by the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for the institution at a public meeting on Tuesday, November 18th at 5:30 P.M. (The meeting most likely will be held at the Swedish Education Center, on the first floor of the James Tower Building, 18th Avenue and E. Jefferson St, but the exact location has not yet been posted; check CentralDistrictNews for later information.)

Developments on university and hospital campuses (“major institutions”) are governed in Seattle by Major Institution Master Plans (MIMPs). The Land Use Code establishes a system whereby institutional development can be permitted to take place in residential-zoned neighborhoods where the large size, scale, and the uses of institutions would ordinarily not be allowed by the zoning standards. In return, the development is planned through a process with a lot of opportunity for public review by means of the Citizens Advisory Committee.

At Tuesday’s meeting the CAC will be asked to make a recommendation on the request of Swedish that the new project proposed for the east side of 18th Avenue be considered a “minor amendment” of the existing MIMP. The existing MIMP envisions for that location a day care center for use by medical center staff and neighborhood residents, a gym or fitness center for patients, staff, and others, and a small inn primarily for hospital patients’ families. That development was slated to be about 30,000 square feet and require parking for about 30 vehicles — about one fourth the size of the new proposal with less than one tenth the vehicle traffic.

The existing MIMP was adopted by the City Council in 1994 and was arrived at after many adjustments and compromises by the hospital, the community, and the City. Many in the neighborhood believe that the institution agreed to concentrate development in areas other than the 18th Avenue portion of the campus which is immediately adjacent to single-family homes. Rather than large-scale development, smaller- scale buildings such as the day care center, fitness center, and inn would be placed on 18th Avenue.

After the adoption of the 1994 MIMP, Swedish Medical Center acquired the campus from the Sisters of Providence, and following that Swedish sold about half of the campus to the Sabey Corporation. Swedish and Sabey are not interested in the small-scale plans agreed to by Providence in 1994. The position of Swedish and Sabey is that the 1994 MIMP authorized a maximum area of development on the campus and that so long as the total floor area of proposed buildings does not exceed that maximum, it‘s not necessary to participate in a new Master Plan process which would require City Council review.

Tuesday’s public meeting will be an important part of the decision making process. CAC members have repeatedly sought greater attendance and input from community residents at CAC meetings.

Washington Performance Hall, for over one hundred years the scene of important events for a broad cross-section of Central Area people, has been nominated for preservation as a historic landmark. The initial meeting of the Landmarks Preservation Board to consider the nomination will be next Wednesday, November 19, in Room 4060 of the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue. The meeting begins at 3:30, and with other items on the agenda it’s estimated that Washington Performance Hall will be considered at 4:30 or later. Historic Seattle emphasizes that it’s important for the Landmarks Preservation Board to see and hear neighborhood support for a nomination such as this.

Documents supporting the nomination (filed by 4Culture — the King County Arts organization) including current and historical exterior and interior pictures as well as a fascinating narrative can be seen on the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Web site at: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/landmarks_ (follow the link to Washington Hall).

Washington Hall is one hundred years old this year, having been completed in 1908 by the Danish Brotherhood in America. For decades the building served as a fraternal lodge and center for the social and cultural activites of Danish immigrants. African Americans also used Washington Hall for community and cultural events, beginning early in its history. Among many other uses, Sephardic Jewish communities also occupied Washington Hall for religious services, Yiddish plays were performed, and the Filipino organizations held meetings and dances.

Renowned performers who appeared at Washington Hall include Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Lawrence Felinghettis, Spalding Gray, Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones, and many, many more, as well as possibly Duke Ellington, Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson, and Count Basie.

From 1978 to 1998 On the Boards made its home at Washington Hall. Following that, NuBlackArts West presented its programs there.

The building is owned by the Sons of Haiti, a Masonic lodge, which listed the property for sale earlier this year. 4Culture and Historic Seattle have worked to find owners or tenants who could continue the building’s use as an important cultural resource.

The UnRegistered: A 2008 Election Cabaret
Description: The UnRegistered: A 2008 Election Cabaret
Written by Andrea Allen and David Schmader

Directed by Allison Narver and Jack Bentz

DXM explores the motivations behind voter apathy through this community-inspired cabaret.

Deus X Machina (DXM) makes plays with and about local communities in Washington State. Artistic Director Jack Bentz brings together artists who share a desire to connect people with people, using plays as ways to share human experience and encourage community. Recent projects have included “La Pastorela St. Joseph,” a Christmas play blending input from Yakima residents with Mexican ritual theatre, and “The Tempest at NewHolly,” a community exploration of the relationships between parents and children via Shakespeare.

This past spring, DXM joined forces with SU students, setting out in search of answers to some serious questions. Why are Americans not voting? Why are young Americans not even registered? What are the stories behind the decision to stay home on Election Day? In the spring of 2008, they began the intensive listening process in the communities on both sides of 12th Ave. Participants knocked on doors up and down the 12th Ave. corridor to find out what makes a citizen and why people choose to vote…or not.

Playwrights Andrea Allen and David Schmader have gathered up all the results and transformed them into several short plays reflecting the motivations (or lack thereof) of one diverse Seattle community. Throw in a live band, election information, and voter registration and you have one heck of an evening designed to appeal to your inner founding father.

October 2, 3, and 4 at 8 p.m.

Lee Center for the Arts

Pay what you can, at the door

296-2244

Somos Vecinos is returning.

Last Spring, for ten weeks, about twenty native English speakers and a similar number of native Spanish speakers got together for a couple of hours on Thursday nights for introductions to a new language and new neighbors. For the first half of the evening each of the two groups took part in separate group language lessons and then, for the remainder of the evening, the groups joined for language-learning exercises and conversation. The program, offered in the Japanese Congregational Church near the location of the planned new offices of CASA Latina in the Central Area, was deemed a big success and will be offered for a second ten-week session beginning on September 11.

The program is one of the many results of the vision and community-building efforts of John Jeannot,and is carried out by staff and volunteers of CASA Latina.

Emily Gaggia, of CASA Latina provides the following:

Somos Vecinos – We Are Neighbors!

Beginning Spanish Classes

· Learn Spanish
· Enjoy a multi-lingual, multi-cultural learning environment
· Meet local Latino language partners
· Get to know your new neighbors at CASA Latina
· Learn and practice Spanish with the Latino Community

Join CASA Latina in its new and exciting language exchange program,
Somos Vecinos – We are Neighbors, a program providing Spanish classes
for English speakers, and English classes for Spanish speakers. Take
part in a fun and educational space where we can come together as a
community and practice either English or Spanish with native
speakers. Learn a new language, make friends, and learn more about
your community!

Start date: Thursday, September 11th
When: Thursday evenings 6 pm to 8:15 pm
Location: Japanese Cong Church. 305 17th Ave S.
Cost: $100 for ten classes. Financial Assistance available
Childcare available for a small cost. This is a ten-week session.

For more information, or to register, please contact Emily Gaggia at
CASA Latina
[email protected]

Christine Palmer of Historic Seattle in her weekly e-newsletter of the Historic Seattle organization (www.historicseattle.org) has posted a message from the National Park Services Cultural Resources office regarding a historically significant neighborhood house now for sale.

According to Gretchen Luxenberg of the National Park Service “the George Washington Carmack House at 1522 E. Jefferson Street is for sale and being offered as a 4,800 square foot lot (no mention of the house) in a neighborhood that has already lost all its single family residences due to Swedish/Providence hospital construction.”

The house is the last home of Carmack whose gold strike is credited with setting off the Klondike Rush. Luxenberg writes that “the National Park Service has initiated a National Register nomination form for the property. … The house will likely be demolished as it is surrounded by Swedish Hospital buildings and a parking garage.  While it could make for a wonderful addition to Swedish’s building inventory, they are not in the business of preservation. NPS is not in a position to help this house as it is way beyond our authority to do this. We have always talked about how it could be an associated property for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park but it is outside of the Pioneer Square Historic District and the Park/NPS is limited in what it can do. … NPS would more than likely want to help interpret the history and significance of the place, if it can be saved.”

Neighborhood residents will remember the house as the long-time residence of Mr. and Ms. Jewdoschenko. While they lived there Providence Hospital, and later the Sabey Corporation, apparently tried to purchase the property so it could be used for future expansion of the medical center’s parking garages. After the death of Ms. Jewdoschenko, who had survived her husband, Swedish Medical Center and the Sabey Corporation apparently tried to purchase the property from the estate. Terms of sale were not agreed upon by the parties.

Sabey and Swedish proceeded with plans to expand their adjacent parking garage and asked the City for approval to reduce the required setback from Jefferson Street. After the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) approved reducing the setback, the Administrator of the Jewdoschenko estate appealed the City decision to the Hearing Examiner’s Office. Her argument was based on the increased impact on the house that would be presented by allowing the parking garage to be built nearer the street than the Jewdoschenko (Carmack) House. (The Squire Park Community Council and Feet First appealed the approval of the expanded parking garage on other grounds.) The decision of the Hearing Examiner upheld the DPD decision and the parking garage has been built with the reduced setback.

You can see the City of Seattle historical record for this property at: http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/historicalsite/QueryResult.aspx?]

Also, Jess Cliffe, in his Vintage Seattle blog has a number of excellent exterior and interior pictures of the house, along with more words about the history of the house: www.vintageseattle.org

The next meeting of the S.U. Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is Wednesday, August 27, 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on the S.U. Campus in the Student Center, Room 160, known as the LeRoux Room. (The Student Center is on James Way — on the north side of the street.)

The agenda for this meeting includes discussion and public comments on the “preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement” (EIS).

Public comments are important to help highlight areas of possible environmental impact which should be evaluated and for which alternatives should be considered.

The proposed Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) which is the subject of the EIS includes plans for an increase of the student, faculty and staff head count from the current 8,850 to approximately 11,300 over the next two decades.

The MIMP would set standards for planned and potential development of over 2,000,000 square feet of new building. Near-term development on or near the east side of the campus would include renovation of the former Coca Cola Building, renovation and additions to the former Plasteel Frame store, renovation and addition to the self-storage building at the southwest corner of 12th and Madison, and new parking spaces and retail spaces at Logan Field (12th and Cherry).

Over twenty years, up to 700 additional parking spaces would be created with a corresponding increase in automobile traffic on neighborhood streets.

Significant Land Use impacts proposed in the MIMP include an expansion of the institution’s boundary to the east side of 12th Avenue between Marion and Spring (a block currently occupied by the Photographic Center Northwest, two restaurants and a cafe, and Moss Alley Motors.) If the boundary expansion takes place the allowed height would be increased to 65 feet for S.U. The University could develop in that block to that height, although others would be limited to the height limit of the underlying zone which is currently 40 feet.

The MIMP proposes increasing the limit to 65 feet for the University on James Ct. and Barclay Ct. where existing zoning allows 35 feet, and on the block occupied by the Coca Cola Building (which recently was designated an historic landmark). If the proposal is approved, in those blocks S.U. would be allowed to develop to a height almost twice that available to others and more than twice that of most existing residences on those blocks.

If you are not able to attend the meeting on Wednesday, you may submit comments to Lisa Rutzick, Land Use Planner with the Department of Planning and Development: [email protected] .

Following the Draft EIS comment period, DPD will prepare a Final EIS that addressed comments it has received.