Madison Temple Church of God in Christ began renting the space at the corner of 23rd Ave and E Madison St in 1930. Seven years later, the church purchased it for $2,500.

Now, they are looking to expand next door, turning a former auto shop into a muti-purpose community space.

Back in the day, the building at 2227 E Madison St, next door to Madison Temple, was a Texaco fueling station. Then it became an auto detail shop. The church purchased the property from the mortgage company in 2009, extending their property from the corner to the Safeway building next door.

“The area’s changing,” said Pastor Edgar Gray, Jr.

With a development planned across the street at 2200 E Madison, Gray said the church is looking to do more than just clean up the graffiti and change drab colors. They plan to fix up the larger annex space into a multi-purpose programming space. The garage doors will be replaced with windows and and door, he said. The smaller building will be cleaned up and used for storage.

Across the street, the development that will create a 6-story assisted living facility is taking shape as the project goes through the city’s design review process and moves toward the start of construction. It’s a busy area — CHS has also learned about a significant overhaul being planned for the 23rd/Madison Safeway. Details on that soon.

Meanwhile, at the site of the planned community space, inspectors checked the property for contamination left over from the Texaco station and gave it a clean bill. The church has the permits needed to do the work and is in the process of finding a contractor. Pastor Gray said he hopes most of the work will be finished by the end of the year just as the digging is planned to start across the street.

This post was also published on Capitol Hill Seattle.

Hi Neighbors – I’m a reader of Seattlecrime.com, and have noticed a spike in armed robberies recently, in the morning hours and concentrated in the area around where Rainier goes under I-90. I’ve been known to catch a bus down there myself, and thought neighbors should be aware. Here’s some recent crimes—all armed street robberies—with police report details below.

Jul 15 2011 10:36AM – ROBBERY – 23 AV S / S MASSACHUSETTS ST

Jul 14 2011 06:31 AM – STRONG-ARM ROBBERY – 2500 S HOLGATE ST

Jul 11 2011 8:00AM – ROBBERY – 19 AV S / S MASSACHUSETTS ST

Jul 9 2011 10:49AM – ROBBERY – 22 AV S / S GRAND ST

Details of 19th & Mass, Mon 8am: V/ described the suspect as a B/M 5’10, skinny, bushy or curly hair, wearing a red athletic track suit with matching pants. V/ stated she was walking thru TaeJon park (I-90 area) from her house to the bus stop located on Rainier under I-90. This is a routine walk that goes to the bus stop… V/ stated that she was walking at approximately 0755 down a path heading eastbound towards Rainier Ave S. when she heard a click. V/ turned around and the unknown suspect was approximately two feet from her pointing a black pistol at her. …The unknown suspect said “Give me your f***ing purse”…. The unknown suspect grabbed the purse and said, “turn around or I will shoot you” V/ stated she turned around and closed her eyes and the suspect left running in the park.

Details of 22nd & Grand, Sat noonish: [V] had just finished his meal at the teriyaki restaurant at Rainier AV S and S Massachusetts ST and was walking around the area. As he started walking north bound on 22 AV S from S Grand St, he saw a unknown black male start walking towards him. The male was about 35 YOA, 5’9”, stocky build wearing a black jacket, black shirt, black pants, black baseball hat with unknown logo on it, and carrying a green sweatshirt. When he saw the suspect he turned and started walking back towards Rainier AV S. The suspect pulled a black semi automatic pistol with a silver barrel out of the sweatshirt. He said “Give me your wallet? I’m going to pop you”. stated he did not have a wallet as he continued to walk backwards towards Rainier AV S. The suspect said “Give me what you got”, responded that he did not have anything. As they got closer to Rainier AV S the suspect wrapped the gun in the green sweatshirt and ran north bound on 22 AV S.

###

Knowledge is power. Find infomation here:

http://www.seattlecrime.com/911/map 

http://www.seattle.gov/police/records/online.htm

Stay safe! Your neighbor

The folks at Hello Earth Productions released this dramatic trailer to promote the 2011 Outdoor Trek show, which opens July 23 at Lavizzo Park.

For more promotions, including a long explanation of Berthold Rays, be sure to follow @hello_earth on Twitter and check out the “Captain’s Blog.”

The year’s show, a theatrical interpretation of the classic Star Trek episode “This Side of Paradise,” is free and runs weekends July 23 through August 7. Saturday productions start at 7 p.m. and Sundays start at 2.

The group conducting a city-wide district energy pre-feasibility study has recommended Yesler Terrace and First Hill as the neighborhood with the most potential for such a system. The combination of an existing system serving the hospitals and the opportunity associated with a large-scale redevelopment of Yesler Terrace bumped the neighborhood to the top of the list of viable opportunities for the modern, energy-saving idea.

At its core, a district energy system consists of a series of underground pipes carrying energy, typically in the form of steam or hot water, that buildings can pull from for their heating needs. Larger systems, such as in downtown, produce energy through more traditional methods, like burning natural gas or, more recently, biomass. Seattle Steam has been heating buildings downtown for over 100 years, and currently heats around 200 buildings including Seattle University, Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason and Harborview.

The modern district energy systems the city is looking at would likely be hot water systems instead of steam. Using hot water would allow the system to draw from a more diverse array of energy-production methods. In order to work with the existing Seattle Steam system on First Hill, the old system will need to be modernized. But once the system is in place, the ability to reduce dependence on oil (or, as is common in Seattle, electricity) can be huge.

As this Swedish system expanded, dependence on oil went down. From a presentation to the City Council

District energy is not completely new to Yesler Terrace. The neighborhood’s historic steam plant was recently saved by a $3.1 million grant form the federal government to rehab it and turn it into an early childhood education and adult training facility. There are no plans, it seems, to turn it back into a power generating facility.

The proposed arrangement would involve Seattle Steam as the wholesale energy provider, then a new retail provider would be selected to run the neighborhood system. The city’s would be a partner in some way with this retail provider and take the initiative to facilitate creation of the system. Here’s a flowchart outlining the potential system structure:

Other neighborhoods that show promise for district energy are Capitol Hill (especially near the upcoming light rail station), South Lake Union and the University of Washington.

Here’s the presentation given to the City Council earlier this week:

cbriefing20110711_3b

Watch the presentation (begins around 29:00):

Citing a lack of funds, the Queen Team based out of Cappy’s Boxing Gym has called it quits. After months of training that helped lead the Queen to her fifth National Championship in a row in June, the Queen has decided to train with Tacoma Boxing Club instead of Cappy’s at 22nd and Union.

From the Queen Team website:

Wow!  It has been an amazing 6 months since the Queen Team was  launched.  Without all of your support and money, we couldn’t have accomplished such Historic Goals.  We got our Boxer qualified for the Pan American Games, the U.S. Olympic Trial Box-offs and her 5th National Championship.

It is now the 7th month and we will be closing down the Queen Team.  We are out of money and cannot continue to operate without funding.  Upon Queen’s return from Nationals, we offered a training proposal that Queen turned down.  She has opted instead to train with Tacoma Boxing Club.

Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to this team and Queen’s goals.  You can stay in touch with Queen as she works her way to the gold via e-mail.  [email protected]

We wish the Garfield alumna much luck on her journey to the London games. Good work, Cappy’s and all the area businesses that did what they could to help her get where she is. We’ll definitely keep following her as she tries to be one of the first women ever to win an Olympic medal for boxing.

The Central District’s passion for music is getting a lot of public art love these days. Following the opening of the Jackson Street Music History Project near 21st Ave, a new mural honoring area jazz teachers has been installed in the window of a building near 17th Ave as part of the Corridor of Peace project.

While not exactly on 23rd Ave, the mural was created in collaboration with students from Washington Middle School to honor Washington’s Robert Knatt and Garfield’s Clarence Acox for their influence on youth in the community as jazz teachers. It is housed next to Cheeky Cafe inside a vacant space leased by the Central Area Development Association (CADA).

The first mural in the Corridor of Peace was installed earlier this week at 23rd and Union. The final piece, created in collaboration with students from Garfield, is finished and waiting at Coyote Central before being installed somewhere near 23rd and Cherry.

The Corridor of Peace project is intended to be a way to help “clean up the neighborhood and make it free of drugs and violence,” according to project organizer Randy Beaulieu, Central Seattle Drug Free Communities Coordinator for Seattle Public Schools. Each mural has been painted on plywood and are collaborations with youth who attend school near the mural site.

You gotta get to Seattle U early if you want free ice cream today (July 13) at 3:15 p.m.

Students will make the ice cream using liquid nitrogen as part of their summer research, and you can score some if you show up early enough. Seattle U’s Stacy Howard says it goes fast.

From Seattle U:

WHAT: Seattle University students will gear up in goggles and lab coats to make liquid nitrogen ice cream as part of their summer research project this afternoon. The tasty treat takes just five minutes to make because of the rapid boiling of the nitrogen. This is the third year chemistry students have made the special ice cream, where nitrogen supplies the bubbles that double the batter size, which is made with custard, cream and vanilla or chocolate flavor. Rumor has it, it’s better than most ice cream out there! 

WHEN: Wednesday, July 13, 2011

             3:15 p.m.

 

WHERE: Bannan Arboretum

              (Enter building through glass area, just SW of university seal at main gate, 12th/Marion)

Billy Chambers, who was convicted of manslaughter in the 2008 slaying of Ed “Tuba Man” McMichael, has pleaded not guilty to charges of hit-and-run and assault. Prosecutors say Chambers ran another motorist off the road on Jackson St near 23rd Ave in late June. He then fled the scene.

According to charging documents, prosecutors believe Chambers attacked the female victim because she had filed a police report against him in reference to an earlier car prowl. After ramming her car from behind, he allegedly pulled up next to her and turned into the passenger side of her car, causing her to run into a tree. He has been charged with hit-and-run and second degree assault.

He is currently being held on $250,000 bail. From the bail request document:

The State has grave concerns for the safety of the community and believes that there is reasonable cause to believe that the defendant will commit a violent offense. In this situation, the defendant was angry at the victim for filing a police report against him. He initially struck the rear of her vehicle, then moved into the lane next to hers and swerved into the passenger side of her car. This action caused her to lose control and strike a tree. While it is fortunate that no occupants of the car or pedestrians were injured, it does not lessen the risk that the defendant’s violent actions could harm someone.

The defendant’s criminal history adds to the concern that the defendant is a risk to community safety. His juvenile criminal history includes adjudications for Manslaughter in the First Degree, Robbery in the Second Degree, and Possessing Stolen Property in the First Degree. He has adult felony convictions of Theft in the First Degree (2011) and Theft in the Third Degree (2011). He has been charged in District Court with traffic offenses occurring on June 8, 2011, June 21, 2011, and June 22, 2011. In each, he has been charged with either Operating a Vehicle without a License or Operating a Vehicle without Insurance. He has demonstrated that he has no concern for the Court’s authority.

The site of the old Pratt mural near Thompson’s Point of View is now home to a new mural. Painted on plywood in the art room at Madrona K-8, the mural remembers the area’s Mardi Gras parades of the past, which turned into a centerpiece of Seafair and the current Umojafest African American Day Parade (check out our coverage of last year’s rainy parade). This year’s parade will start at noon August 6, heading south from 23rd and Union. For more on the history of the parade, check out the Umojafest website.

Here’s how project organizer Randy Beaulieu, Central Seattle Drug Free Communities Coordinator for Seattle Public Schools, described the mural:  

The theme is the mardi gras parade past and present. A drill Team representing the (Renaissance Jr and Sr, Drillanetts, Dangeretts, Baby Dangeretts, and Sweet Mahogany), Blue Angels, Mt. Rainier, Laura “Peace Kelly” singing representing the Umoja Fest Parade, Hydroplanes, and other identifiable pictures.

The mural is one of three planned for 23rd Ave as part of the Corridor of Peace project, which is intended to be a way to help “clean up the neighborhood and make it free of drugs and violence,” according to Beaulieu. Each mural has been painted on plywood and are collaborations with youth who attend school near the mural site. The pieces planned for Cherry Street (a collaboration with Garfield students) and Jackson Street (Washington Middle School) are also finished and ready to be installed.

Police are looking for more information about a shooting at 10th and Washington St in Yesler Terrace late July 11. The victim was shot in the leg and was driven to Harborview with non-life-threatening injuries.

From the SPD Blotter:

On July 11th at approximately 11:01 p.m. officers responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired in the 1000 block of South Washington Street with one victim shot.  Both the victim and the suspect(s) were gone upon the officers’ arrival. 

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim, a male believed to be in his early 40′s, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the calf while sitting in the rear seat of a Ford Taurus station wagon.  It is believed that the suspect shot the victim through the right rear car door of the vehicle and fled the scene. 

Following the shooting, the victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in that same Ford driven by one of his friends.  Officers contacted the victim at HMC and are interviewing him and his associates.

The suspect(s) remain at large.  There is no suspect description available at this time.

The circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown and still under active investigation. 

The Ford Taurus that the victim had been sitting in at the time of the shooting was impounded and taken to the evidence garage for processing. 

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identities or whereabouts of the suspect(s) is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident.