As we reported last month, the Seattle Housing Authority has been expanding its Yesler Terrace holdings east of Boren to the area around 12th & Yesler. They purchased the corner property, formerly home of Pizza Time, in 2003, and over the years have picked up additional parcels north of that.

All of the properties have sat empty since being taken over by the housing authority. In the 12th Avenue Stewardship Meeting on Tuesday, community leader Bill Zosel expressed some annoyance at the impact those vacancies have on the neighborhood and asked a SHA representative whether there was any plan to make better use of the properties while Yesler Terrace plans continue in the planning and design phase. 

We followed up yesterday with Virginia Felton, spokesperson for SHA, who told us that the current economic environment didn’t support leasing the retail space that exists at 12th & Yesler. And although she couldn’t give a timeline on when the property might be redeveloped, she said that the existing zoning on the land fits with SHA’s designs, which could decouple it from the much larger Yesler Terrace project that is years from breaking ground.

The SunBreak had a good update on that process yesterday, which could see the addition of thousands of new units of housing and a large new amount of office space to the 70 year old Yesler Terrace housing project. The next public meeting on that is scheduled for April 29th.

In the meantime, SHA says that they are actively trying to expand their property holdings around 12th & Yesler, and have eyes on the two blocks bordered by 12th, 14th, Yesler, and Fir streets. That includes the large King County Elections warehouse, the Urban League building, and several other private properties. SHA already owns a few parcels within that along 13th Avenue.

The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center (a CDNews sponsor) is taking their film festival on the road this year due to the big renovations under way at their home at 17th & Yesler, spreading their films around to other venues, including our friends at Central Cinema (a CDNews sponsor).

The festival kicks off this Saturday with a screening of Nurse.Fighter.Boy downtown at the Cinerama. The award-winning movie tells the story of a woman stricken with Sickle Cell Anemia, and how it affects her family and a past-his-prime boxer who comes into their life.

Then on Sunday the show moves to Central Cinema, with four screenings throughout the day:

1:30pm – Anomaly, a documentary that examines the experiences of multiracial America. Tickets are available online or in person at the door for $8 each.

3:00 pm – Vintage – Families of Value – takes a look at African American Families through the eyes of gay and lesbian siblings.

5:00 pm – Why We Do What We Do and Turning A Corner – Two documentaries about workers in sex trades and the violence and abuse they encounter.

7:00 pm  – Mississippi Damned – A true story about three African American kids in the 80’s and the poverty, addiction, and abuse they encounter in rural Mississippi.

The festival continues through next weekend. Check out their full line-up for more.

I noticed that there was a “sold” sign on the vacant commercial space at 23rd and Cherry today.  Anybody know any details about the buyer?  Or, what the plans are for the property?  Thanks in advance.

UPDATE 4/16/10 3:00 PM: Suspect arrested in pit bull puppy reward money robbery

Original report:
A desperate search for a lost puppy turned extraordinarily dangerous Wednesday when the dog’s E. Union owner was robbed of more than $800 in reward money by a man armed with a pistol. The man claimed he knew where the 15-week-old blue-nose pit bull puppy was and tricked the owner into driving to south Seattle where the man took the money and disappeared.

Amelia C. says her boyfriend’s decision to let a man with a gun in his pants waistband into his car was rash, unwise — and done out of pure, desperate love. We’re leaving out the couple’s last names even though they’re on posters up and down E. Union. Given what CHS has learned about the rest of the story, it would be a good idea to pull those posters down.

“We didn’t care about the money. We just want our dog back. It was just pure emotion,” Amelia told CHS today as she and her boyfriend continue the search for their new puppy, Honey.

Amelia told CHS that on Tuesday around 7 PM, Honey managed to find her way out of the backyard under a fence and into the street near 20th and E. Union while Amelia and her roommates were inside their residence. A witness told Amelia that somebody driving a white Lexus had stopped, picked Honey up and drove off.

After her boyfriend’s ordeal, Amelia desperately wants to know who actually has Honey. If you have information, please send [email protected] a note or call/text (206) 399-5959 and we’ll immediately pass your contact info to her. Despite already having been robbed of the $800, the couple is again offering a sizable reward for her return.

The details of the robbery are extremely convoluted. From the Seattle Police Department report on the incident, the situation played out like this. Amelia and her boyfriend Brandon were putting up posters with their names and phone numbers offering a $1,500 reward for Honey’s return. As they were hanging the posters on Wednesday near 23rd and Union, a man approached them and told them he had bought the puppy last night for $50 from a man in a Lexus. The man said he needed a ride to where the dog was so they could complete the handover and give him the reward. Amelia and Brandon decided to call the cops to “mediate” the situation but when they arrived, the man said the puppy was not there but that he’d take Brandon to where Honey was being kept. According to the SPD report, Brandon agreed to drive the man to where the puppy was — against the officers’ advice who were concerned the man “was going take advantage of them and take their reward money.”

The report says that Brandon was directed to drive to an address near 21st and Marion. The man got out of the car and returned with a pistol visible in the waistband of his pants. The man said he needed the gun for protection because “people didn’t like him” in the place where Honey was, Amelia said Brandon told her. The SPD report says the man then directed Brandon toward south Seattle. Amelia told CHS she attempted to follow them in her own car but couldn’t keep up with all the turns and the speed at which Brandon drove.

Brandon told police that during the drive to south Seattle, the man reached into Brandon’s pocket and attempted to grab the reward cash. According to the report, Brandon struggled but stopped when the man said he would kill Amelia if the cash wasn’t handed over. Amelia said Brandon gave up $800 of the reward money but was able to keep the man from stealing the other half. He was also texting her throughout the incident as he drove deeper into south Seattle. At that point, Amelia decided it was time to again call the police.

Honey in happier times

The SPD report says the man then directed Brandon to stop the vehicle near 39 Ave S and S Brandon where the man got out of the car and said he’d be back in five minutes with the dog. Brandon waited for a half hour but the man never returned. He then drove around the area looking for Honey until Amelia convinced him to stop the search and meet with police.

The SPD report describes the suspect as a black male, approximately 5′ 4″ 160 pounds, wearing a white beanie, a white v-neck t-shirt and blue jeans. Brandon also said the man had crooked teeth and a tattoo that, according to the police report, could have been an insignia for an area gang, Black Gangster Disciples.

Meanwhile, the police have advised the couple to stay away from E. Union so both are staying with family on the Eastside. “The police advised us not to stay there. It’s very scary,” Amelia said.

Amelia said that she and Brandon are still prepared to pay the $1,500 reward and that they have checked every shelter in the area.

“I don’t know what to do,” Amelia said. “There’s no way of knowing if he was just trying to make a quick buck or if he has Honey.”

The most popular question from commenters in our Monday story about the potential lease of the TT Minor school building was whether there was similar activity for the Mann building at 24th & Cherry (former home of the Nova program).

We checked with Teresa Whipple, spokesperson at Seattle Schools, who said that yes, there is a lease deal in the works for the Mann building too. The “highest proposal” for the building came from a community service organization called “People’s Family Life Center.” We’re currently doing some additional research to find out who that is and what they have planned for the space (leave a comment below if you know).

The big remaining issue with that lease is the funding – the organization involved is looking to the city and state to help pay for the lease, and given the nature of government finances right now, that could be a challenge.

We also found that there is a time issue that drives the the school district to find organizations to occupy these buildings. Although boardmember Smith-Blum described it as “reverting to the city” in the case of TT Minor, Whipple tells us that the actual issue is one of city permitting. If the building stays vacant for more than 2 years, the city will require it to be brought completely up to modern code before being occupied again. A similar issue faces the old MLK Elementary building in Madison Valley, where the permitting clock runs out later this summer.

There have been additional questions about the TT Minor deal too, with rumored involvement of a daycare or preschool provider. Whipple confirmed that Hamlin-Robinson was the only party to that lease deal, but couldn’t say whether the lease would allow them to sublet extra space to other organizations.

Incidentally, the TT Minor lease will be discussed at a school board Operations Committee hearing today at 4pm.

This morning the National Trust for Historic Preservation (a CDNews sponsor) announced that three Central District properties are among the 25 that are competing for $1 million in preservation funding from American Express. After a public vote that runs through May 12th, the winning site will be guaranteed funding, and an advisory board will determine which other projects will receive partial funding.

The buildings here in our neighborhood are:

• Washington Hall at 14th & Fir, built in 1908, and home of arts programs and performances for many years. As we reported last year, Washington Hall is now owned by Historic Seattle, which plans to rehab the building and keep it available for arts uses.
• The Urban League building at 14th & Yesler, which was built in 1910 as a residential hotel, requires seismic upgrades and suffers from 100 years of wear and tear.
• The Japanese Cultural and Community Center at 14th & Weller has been the home of the longest continually operating Japanese language school in the continental U.S since 1902. Preservationists hope to restore the front facade of the building to its original appearance and insure the center can continue to serve future generations.

You can vote for these projects and others among the 25 on the preservationnation.org website.

For residents of 25th Avenue and Spring Street: Wed.  7 pm, a neighbor spotted a young man, under 6 ft. tall, late teens, African-American, blue sweatpants and red windbreaker, walking through my yard (which is fenced) and possibly trying doors.  No break-in evidence. He was last seen heading speedily E on Spring Street.

Today the 22nd Avenue blockwatch group sent us a new letter about the controversial felon housing project that has been proposed for a house on their block. The lengthly letter (attached at left) gives a fuller picture of why the group pulled out of the negotiations on the Good Neighbor Agreement, citing several key issues:

• The blockwatch says they never received a response to concerns raised in a previous letter sent in February
• The city stated that it would not enforce the GNA and that any party that signs it would waive all right to future legal action
• The group received legal advice that they could be liable for any problems in the project if they joined the steering committee as they have been invited to do.

The blockwatch also takes issue with what they believe is an inappropriate injection of race into the discussion, saying that “the people most opposed to his project are older black residents who fear for their safety.” Having attended most of the meetings on this topic, we can confirm the controversy doesn’t fit into a stereotypical gentrifiers-vs-longtime-residents mold. The most outspoken residents have often been African Americans who have lived on the block for many years.

The group also lists open questions that they say remain unanswered:

• How will prospective residents be screened to eliminate violent offenders or sex offenders?
• How many ex-offenders will live there, and for how long?
• What programs will be offered, and are they licensed and insured?
• Will non-residents be invited to use the programs, and if so how will that affect neighborhood parking?

In spite of their stated misgivings, the blockwatch says they still want to talk to Reverend Jeffrey and “ensure that the project is well planned and operated.” They say that they’ve been trying to get State Senator Adam Kline involved, but that his calls to Reverend Jeffrey have not been returned.

We placed a call to Reverend Jeffrey to get his comment on the letter and involvement of Senator Kline, but have not yet heard back.

Donna Moodie’s Marjorie, a storied Belltown restaurant that closed in September 2008, announced in January 2010 that after a year of looking at various spaces, they had found an ideal location in the Chloe at 1412 East Union.  This location had the advantage of straddling the border between Capitol Hill and the Central District (both neighborhoods providing a good amount of foot traffic).  

Today, via Seattle Metropolitan, Moodie announced that Marjorie will be opening May 11.  In addition, Moodie announced that she would be hiring Kylen McCarthy of Madison Valley’s Harvest Vine.  Moodie has long standing ties to the Central District, having previously served as a Chair and currently as a member of the of the Central District Forum Board.  

All the news from Seattle’s East Precinct on the day before tax day 2010: