Monthly Archives: August 2016

12th and John ‘squatter houses’ finally demolished making way for microhousing project

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IMG_8725A doomed trio of three old houses have been demolished at the corner of 12th and John to make way for a a four-story apartment building with 51 apartment units.

The houses were involved in two separate fires earlier this year likely caused by “improperly discarded smoking materials” as squatters had been using the old homes that stood boarded up awaiting their demolition to make way for the new microhousing development.

City inspectors met with the Hardy Development Company this spring to discuss ongoing issues at their properties, which are slated for the new 51-unit apartment building. Hardy promised to secure the houses and clean up the properties prior to the fires. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Housing touts early success combining affordable housing with affordable transit

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(Images: Capitol Hill Housing)

Capitol Hill Housing and its Capitol Hill Ecodistrict initiative have announced encouraging early results from an innovative pilot program that makes transit passes available at a significantly reduced cost to the nonprofit’s affordable housing residents.

Since rolling out earlier this year, the CHH transit pass program is helping some residents save as much as $100 per month in transportation costs, a post on the program reports. This kind of savings is particularly important, CHH says, because “after housing, transportation is the second highest cost for most people” — Continue reading →

Elliott Bay Book Co. gets digital audio book upgrade

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A Hogwarts Reunion greeted the recent release of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Elliott Bay

 

The new service will also move Elliott Bay’s curated lists, recommendations into the world of e-books

When people go into Elliott Bay Book Co., they know about Amazon, explains Mark Pearson. Shoppers realize they could get the same book, often for less money at the Internet giant, but they choose to go to their local, independent bookstore for a neighborhood experience and neighborly recommendations.

“They want to shop local, and they believe in the value of the store,” Pearson said.

So Pearson, who runs Libro.fm, is teaming with Elliott Bay and other independent bookstores to offer audio books digitally.

Pearson said that digital audiobooks are growing at a rate of 30% to 40% annually, while sales of CD-based audio books are drying up. Without a physical product to sell, independent bookstores have been mostly shut out of that growth. So he started his company, based in the U-District, and began partnering with independent stores around the country. Continue reading →

Velocity Dance marks 20 years in motion on Capitol Hill

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Inside 12th Ave’s VDC (Image: Velocity)
The community helped Velocity “move” in 2010 (Image: CHS)
(Image: CHS)
A Mega Dance Church session at V2 (Image: Velocity)
The Bebe Miller Company at Velocity 12th Ave (Image: Velocity)
(Image: Velocity)

Velocity Dance Center has fueled the careers of dancers and artists and provided a space and classes on Capitol Hill for anyone with an inspiration to move their bodies.

“It would be very detrimental to the entire city if it wasn’t here,” Kate Wallich, a dancer, choreographer, director, and teacher in Velocity’s community told CHS.

The dance center’s entire 2016 season has been celebrating Velocity. The Fall Kick-Off offers audiences a way to relive the season and experience a taste of the upcoming 2017 season. Performances are at 7:30 PM Sept. 23-25 at wthe Velocity Founders Theater, 1621 12th Ave.

About ten years ago, Velocity’s longevity was tested, but the community’s support gave the center a breath of new life. The center hit some rocky ground financially in 2007 when the Odd Fellows Hall at 10th and Pine, its home since 1996, was sold and the nonprofit’s rent was hiked. Continue reading →

Woman jumps from window in First Hill home invasion robbery

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A woman reportedly jumped from a second floor window and fell 20 feet in an early morning home invasion robbery attempt at an apartment building near Alder and Broadway.

Seattle Police and Seattle Fire responded to the chaotic scene on First Hill early Wednesday morning just after 3 AM. The woman reported to be in her 40s and suffering from a leg fracture and possible broken nose according to Seattle Fire radio, was rushed to Harborview only blocks from the scene after police said she fell from a second story window when a group of four males armed with handguns and a knife entered the apartment building and attempted to rob a family member by busting into her unit inside the Alder St. apartment building: Continue reading →

CHS Pics | Lez-broz down Drag Queens in Bat’n Rouge 2016

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(Images: Jim Simandl for CHS)

With the annual charity game’s home field closed for installation of its new cork-filled turf surface earlier this summer, Bat’n Rouge took the field at Bobby Morris a little later than usual with a late August game pitting rivals Lez-broz vs. Drag Queens in a match of good times and, occasionally, some pretty good play. Sunday, Mayor Ed Murray was there to throw out the first pitch, lucky folks in the crowd walked away with raffle prizes from John Criscitello, and karaoke entertainer David Marshall sang the national anthem. After plenty of shenanigans and good-natured, money-for-a-good-cause cheating, the Lez-Bros came out on top to take the title at the 18th annual event. The charity game benefits the Seattle Area Support Groups and Community Center. CHS reported on the nonprofit’s mission and its move into a new home above 15th Ave E earlier this year. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Route 12 to First Hill will be rerouted off of E Pine St at 15 Av on 8/29-9/23

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16-012-02_Rt12_EPineSt_15Av_Aug29-Sep23From King County Metro

Tuesday, August 29 through Friday, September 23 at all times, Route 12 heading toward First Hill will be rerouted off of E Pine St at 15th Av, due to construction.

Route 12 trips leaving Marion St and 2nd Av at 7:30 AM, 7:40 AM and 7:50 AM, will not service the southbound stop on 15 Av and E Madison St.

Route 12 heading toward Interlaken Park or downtown Seattle will not be affected.

Visit the Service Advisories page for specific reroute information. Transit reroute start and end times may be subject to change.

Visit Metro’s Online Regional Trip Planner to find out how to get to and from events and locations. Thank you for riding and for using Metro’s services.

Capitol Hill food+drink | Dueminuti — ‘the Chipotle of fresh pasta’ — hopes to get off to fast start on Broadway

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(Images: Dueminuti)

Two young world travelers with entrepreneurial spirit — and know-how — spun the globe and chose your very own Broadway, Capitol Hill Seattle, USA as the perfect launchpad for what they feel is the perfect new concept — the Chipotle of fresh pasta — to join the ranks of food and drink start-up superstars. You should feel good.

“We analyzed different cities,” chef and engineer Filippo Fiori tells CHS. “Nothing really matched Seattle in terms of opportunity.”

And nothing in Seattle matched Capitol Hill for the demographic mix of adventuresome eaters Dueminuti Healthy Pasta hopes to attract when it opens its first restaurant and Broadway flagship in the space left empty by the exit of Samurai Noodle, another casualty of the late summer restaurant die-off. Continue reading →

Mapping Capitol Hill’s political battleground in the August primary

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Capitol Hill’s political divide was, once again, in effect in the August primary as candidates in two races split votes between the neighborhood’s apartment-dense south and single family home-dominated north.

In the 43rd District state House race, longtime homeless housing advocate Nicole Macri won 52.3% of the vote, making her the clear frontrunner heading into the November election. The densest parts of Capitol Hill and First Hill made up the core of Macri’s support, where she took at least 50% of the votes in dozens of precincts. Macri also had a strong showing around the U District.

(Images: nwmapt.com with permission to CHS)

Facing Macri in November will be trial lawyer Dan Shih, who took 24.6% of the district’s vote. Shih’s largest chunk of votes came from Capitol Hill precincts north of Aloha, as well as Montlake, Eastlake, and Madison Park. Continue reading →

More meetings or something new? Seattle asking how you want to connect with City Hall

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City Hall has announced its intention to, among other acts of creative destruction, disassemble its support network for the old District Neighborhood Council system with officials saying the old ways weren’t representative enough and depended too much on white homeowners with time to be part of tedious public proceedings. As part of the changes to come to usher in a glorious new era when EVERYONE can find a way to be part of tedious public proceedings, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is surveying citizens about how best to get them in the loop:

The City of Seattle is shifting our approach to outreach and engagement. We need your ideas on how the City can keep you better informed about City projects, events, opportunities, and issues. Tell us how you want to participate, and what we can do to make it easier

You can take the Engage Seattle survey here and answer questions like these: Continue reading →