Saturday, June 11, 2011, 9:00 AM -1:30 PM

                                   Former MLK Jr. School, 3201 E. Republican St., Seattle, WA 98112

Central Area Development Association (CADA) and First A.M.E. Church will be partnering to community build at F.A.M.E’s future community center—and we need you!  The grass and weeds have become pretty high at the former MLK Jr. Elementary School.  As First A.M.E prepares to begin community center activities, please join us in giving the grounds a well maintained look!   

This partnership is also in celebration of NeighborWorks® Week, June 4-11, 2011.  NeighborWorks Week is a national celebration that encourages communities to work together to improve their neighborhoods.  CADA, a non profit and NeighborWorks charter member, encourages you to join us in building a stronger Central Area community.  CADA will provide the tools, gloves and refreshments for this project!

If you plan on volunteering your time or need more info, please contact:  Erica Porter at (206) 328-6987. For more on CADA: www.cada.org or NeighborWorksWeek: www.nw.org/neighborworksweek.

                                    There is a lot of work to be done—we hope you will join us! 

NeighborWorks® America is a national non profit that supports community based organizations and is the sponsor of NeighborWorks Week.

Promenade 23 Associates sold the Promenade 23 Shopping Center last week.  Weingarten Realty assumed ownership of the complex on March 25th.  The Central Area shopping center sold for $18.4 million.  The sale marks a new phase in the shopping center’s development.  

The Promenade 23 Shopping Center, commonly known as “The Promenade”, straddles both sides of South Jackson Street.  Anchored by Starbucks, Walgreen’s and Red Apple Grocery, the complex welcomes much activity at 23rd & Jackson.  With most of the neighborhood’s retailers, it is the economic hub of the Central Area neighborhood.      

After more than 30 years, Promenade 23 Associates agreed it was time to sell their shopping center.  In dealing with several stakeholder turnovers, the investment partners realized they had taken Promenade’s development as far as it would.  Promenade 23 Associates built The Promenade’s south side in the 1970’s and expanded north in 1996.

Weingarten Realty is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) based in Houston, Texas.  Weingarten is an industry leader in developing and managing neighborhood shopping centers.  Weingarten’s property portfolio spans the nation.  With the addition of The Promenade, Weingarten now owns five Washington properties between Mukilteo and Puyallup.

George Staggers, CEO of CADA, recently met with a senior vice president of Weingarten.  Insightful information was exchanged by both executives regarding the neighborhood and The Promenade.  Weingarten’s representative expressed the REIT’s excitement and eagerness in taking The Promenade to its next level of development. 

Weingarten will be exploring all options to elevate The Promenade to its highest and best use.  Weingarten will review several retailers to recruit and will seek to redevelop The Promenade’s south side.  The REIT also looks forward to working with the community during The Promenade’s redevelopment.  Staggers did share idea and business suggestions for The Promenade obtained via centraldistrictnews.com. 

As Weingarten redevelops The Promenade, should the new owner change the name?

CADA, a non profit community development corporation, works to revitalize the Central Area neighborhood. CADA was an investment partner of Promenade 23 Associates. For more on CADA, www.cada.org. 

CADA announced last week the pending sale of the Promenade 23 Shopping Center.  In making this announcement, CADA was hoping to engage community dialogue and feedback regarding the sale via this the online forum.  Since online forums may not be for everyone, we would like to meet with you directly. 

 CADA is a non profit community development corporation (CDC).  Our mission is to revitalize the Central Area neighborhood.  Since 1994 we have worked to articulate, advocate and implement community needed change. Therefore community input is essential to our business—as we serve the community.

 CADA intends to reach out to the new owner of Promenade 23. The outreach will be to, hopefully, start open and constructive dialogue articulating the community’s needs.  Therefore we would appreciate you articulating what visions you want to see at Promenade 23 to CADA. We know that you, the community, have many positive ideas, concerns and questions regarding Promenade 23’s future. CADA wants to express those ideas and issues to the new owner of Promenade 23 for you. 

CADA’s CEO, George Staggers, will hold a series of small community meetings to discuss Promenade 23 and Jackson Street business development.  Initial meetings will be held:

                                                            Date:     March 1, 2, & 3, 2011

                                                           Time:    6:00 PM -7:00 PM

                                                            Place:  CADA–320 17th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98144

If you are interested in attending a meeting, please call CADA at (206) 328-2240 ext 4.  Our office cannot accommodate more than a group of ten per meeting.

Please come and share your vision for Promenade 23 and Jackson Street.  If you have the opportunity, please view CADA’s website (www.cada.org) to learn more about our work. We look forward to meeting you! 

The Promenade 23 Shopping Center is scheduled to have a new owner by the end of March 2011.  The current longtime and local owner, Promenade 23 Associates, will sell the center to a large Texas based real estate investment group.  The Promenade 23 has the Central Area’s largest concentration of neighborhood retail/commercial space. So this change in property ownership will play a significant role in the future development of the 23rd & Jackson business node.  

Promenade 23 will be the company’s first owned property in the Central Area neighborhood.  The acquisition will also make the new owner the largest property holder on South Jackson Street.  As CADA has long worked to revitalize the 23rd & Jackson business node, it hopes to build a working partnership with the new owner.  Hopefully it will be receptive to CADA’s outreach and CADA’s presentation of the community’s needs. 

With that said, what would you like to say to the new owners of Promenade 23?

CADA, a non profit CDC, works to revitalize the Central Area neighborhood. For more on CADA, www.cada.org.  And CADA is now on facebook!  Check us out!

Four colorful pole banners were recently installed along the 23rd & Jackson business node.  These neighborhood identification banners read, “Jackson Street Business District–Jazzin’ it up”.  On South Jackson Street between 23rd Ave. S. and 25th Ave. S., these banners decorate the heart of the business district.  

The banner tag line, “Jazzin’ it up”, gives a nod to Jackson Street’s jazz music history.  It also highlights the revitalization efforts underway along the corridor.  The banners hang in three different colors.

This neighborhood beautification project is courtesy of The Jackson Street Business Corridor (JSBC), a business association.  This project is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.  The JSBC plans to implement several more improvements along Jackson Street this year.

For more on the JSBC, visit www.cada.org/bia.html . 

The Jackson Street Business Corridor has made South Jackson Street safer for pedestrians!

    The Jackson Street Business Corridor (JSBC) has placed pedestrian safety flags at several crosswalks along South Jackson Street in the Central Area neighborhood. It is intended for these bright colored orange flags to increase pedestrian visibility, day or night.  The JSBC, a group of Jackson Street business owners, encourages a pedestrian friendly business district.

 Use a Safety Flag; cross the street safely!

Most flags are near busy crosswalks with no signal lights.  Use these flags by holding them straight out in front of you while crossing the street; waive as needed—a signal for vehicle traffic to stop.  These flags are also reflective for night visibility.

Celebrate a pedestrian friendly Jackson Street! 

The JSBC wants to celebrate a more pedestrian friendly Jackson Street with you!  Walk into the new Corner Store and Deli (18th Ave. S.), Franz Bakery Outlet (20th Ave. S.) or the Red Apple Grocery Store (23rd Ave. S.) and receive a free summer treat! Grab a free treat at Immortal Dog (18th Ave. S.) for your pet too!

**This project is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.  The project is also funded in part by the JSBC.  For more on the JSBC, visit www.cada.org/bia.html.  Free treats are limited 1 per customer while supplies last. Offer expires August 15, 2010.

Squire Park Plaza Apartments is having an open house starting this week! Take advantage of leasing specials Sept. 3rd to Sept. 10th. Apartment rents start at $844 per month. We are now offering two months free rent! Please pass along this info. We also have Workforce Housing! Squire Park Plaza has reserved some studios and one bedrooms that are priced for households between 60%-80% of the Seattle area median income.

The two month rent concession can be used two different ways. You can have the first two months of your lease term rent free. Or you can spread out your two month rent concession over the term of the 12 month lease. Also note that if you “look and lease” during this week, you can actually move in at a later date, this month or next, and still receive the rent concession. Squire Park Plaza has great apartments central to Seattle! Visit Today!

For more info: www.squireparkplaza.com or (206) 860-5000 or 1710 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98144.

Squire Park Plaza Ribbon Cutting!
March 12, 2009, 10-11AM
1710 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98144

Central Area Development Association (CADA) cordially invites you to the Squire Park Plaza Ribbon Cutting! The construction of Squire Park Plaza is now complete. Squire Park Plaza offers 59 apartments and 11,000 sqft of retail and office space. Additionally, 30 of the apartments are reserved as workforce housing for households at 70%-80% of the area median income. As a non profit developer, CADA is very excited to present Squire Park Plaza to the Central Area neighborhood.

Seattle’s Mayor Gregory Nickels, the project development team and financial partners will be among attendees and guest speakers. Please come and take a tour of the building. We hope that you will join us!

For more information, (206) 328-2240

View the building at www.SquireParkPlaza.com.

Squire Park Plaza Ribbon Cutting!
March 12, 2009, 10-11AM
1710 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98144

Central Area Development Association (CADA) cordially invites you to the Squire Park Plaza Ribbon Cutting! The construction of Squire Park Plaza is now complete. Squire Park Plaza offers 59 apartments and 11,000 sqft of retail and office space. Additionally, 30 of the apartments are reserved as workforce housing for households at 70%-80% of the area median income. As a non profit developer, CADA is very excited to present Squire Park Plaza to the Central Area neighborhood.

Seattle’s Mayor Gregory Nickels, the project development team and financial partners will be among attendees and guest speakers. Please come and take a tour of the building. We hope that you will join us!

For more information, (206) 328-2240

View the building at www.SquireParkPlaza.com.

Seattle’s workforce continues to struggle with affordable in-city housing opportunities. Central Area Development Association (CADA) has created affordable workforce housing at Squire Park Plaza apartments. Squire Park Plaza is located at 1710 S. Jackson St. 51% of the building’s apartments are reserved for households at 70%-80% of the area median income. These income qualified units offer people the opportunity to live central to the city affordably.

Squire Park Plaza apartments offer more than affordability. The building, newly constructed, is near downtown as well as I-90 and I-5. Unit rents start at $925 and include some utilities. Unit amenities include a washer and dryer, microwave, dishwasher, and a deck or patio. Unit amenities also include scenic views of Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and/or downtown Seattle. Squire Park Plaza building amenities include bicycle parking, garage parking, a front door bus stop and a rooftop deck.

Squire Park Plaza offers great apartments–and they are affordable! Please call (206) 860-5000 for a tour or income qualifications. You may also visit www.squireparkplaza.com to view floor plans as well as other building information.

CADA is a non profit community development corporation. CADA works to revitalize the Central Area neighborhood. Visit www.cada.org for more information on CADA.