Tag Archives: 14th ave

A Seattle first at 14th and Union, the Heartwood’s residents can see, touch, and feel the timber — But challenges to affordable housing have trimmed the excitement

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With reporting by Alex Garland

In better times, you would hear more about the Heartwood, a recently completed mass-timber affordable apartment building at the core of Capitol Hill and the Central District, that puts its residents in direct contact with a building material more closely connected with the planet and the feelings of home.

The cross-laminated timber project is one of the first in the country to be designed with full exposure of mass timber in the structure. The newly opened building’s eight stories feature full exposure of its timber beams so residents and visitors can see, touch, and feel the wood. Other types can build higher — like this project on First Hill — but require that the wood be kept “encapsulated.”

But the Heartwood’s amazing composition has been overshadowed.

“[The timing surrounding the development and lease up of the Heartwood has presented challenges,” a spokesperson for the building’s developer Community Roots Housing tells CHS. “We’re seeing a softened rental market that has led to a slower lease up of the property than we anticipated, which is having an impact on other projects in our pipeline.” Continue reading →

Now open: Ramie taking Capitol Hill Vietnamese in new directions on 14th Ave

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(Image: Ramie)

Trinh and Thai Nguyen (Image: Ramie)

Now outfitted in a palette of charcoal and jade, a 14th Ave space has gone back into motion as the home for new Capitol Hill “contemporary Vietnamese” restaurant Ramie.

The new project from sibling chefs Trinh and Thai Nguyen opened last week and is already drawing reviews on level with their Bainbridge Island original Ba Sa.

The Nguyens say Ramie is focused on innovation and creativity in Vietnamese cuisine driven by flavors including Bánh Tiêu fried bread with honey butter, MắmKho Quet with taro puree, mam, anchovies, shrimp powder, and chicharron, Bắp Cải Cuộn cabbage pork rolls, Mosaic Bò Tái Chanh with wagyu, Giò Giả Cầy crispy pork trotters with butter lettuce, shiso, diep ca, rau ram, serrano, purple radish, and pickled garlic, and a raw bar that not only features oc but a variety of Vietnam’s favorite sea snails.

“We’re creating a menu that will offer dishes that have a familiar flavor profile, but with an innovative twist and more refined look,” Trinh Nguyen said in the announcement of Ramie’s debut. Continue reading →

A Bainbridge Island restaurant family will extend to Capitol Hill with Ramie, ‘contemporary Vietnamese’

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Hopefully they bring Ba Sa’s soft shell crab roll to Ramie (Image: Ba Sa)

(Image: Ba Sa)

Don’t be too worried about closures in the Capitol Hill food and drink scene. Most spaces don’t look like they’ll stay empty for long. On 14th Ave, the exit of Omega Ouzeri and retirement of restaurateurs Thomas and Rebecca Soukakos in January now comes with a Tết announcement of Ramie, a new dining project from Trinh and Thai Nguyen, “the sibling chefs behind Bainbridge Island’s acclaimed modern Vietnamese restaurant Ba Sa.”

“Providing sterling hospitality in a space that’s welcoming, serving contemporary Vietnamese food that incorporates simple, old-school cooking techniques, and offering a robust cocktail program will be the guiding principles of Ramie,” the announcement reads.

They say the 3,055-square-foot restaurant neighboring Nue and Spinasse “will undergo some cosmetic and design changes,” but “the basic layout of the open kitchen, dining area, bar, mezzanine, and seasonal patio dining will remain.” Continue reading →

The end at Omega Ouzeri: The Soukakos family brings 40 years of Capitol Hill food and drink to a close

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The Soukakos and Omega Ouzeri family in 2015

Thomas Soukakos and Rebecca Soukakos are leaving Capitol Hill for the hills of Greece. The veteran restaurateur has announced he is closing Omega Ouzeri at the end of January, bringing to a close 30 years of food and drink in the neighborhood.

“I want to thank everyone who helped me to have enough experiences to fill two lifetimes,” Soukakos said in the announcement.

Omega’s final day of service will be January 31st. Soukakos said an announcement about a new project taking over the 14th Ave space next to culinary neighbors Spinasse and Nue will be made soon.

The closure follows a typically busy year of change for Capitol Hill food and drink. CHS tallied “14 sad goodbyes and 33 happy hellos” in the area’s food and drink economy in 2023.

Omega was born into a boom time on Capitol Hill as a wave of major new projects launched in new construction created in a wave of development across the neighborhood. The restaurant debuted in 2015 on the ground floor of the new REO Flats preservation incentive-boosted mixed-use building as a more upscale, more modern sibling to the family-friendly Vios Cafe. Continue reading →

Assault charges in stabbing that injured four outside Capitol Hill bar

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SPD says it recovered a small knife from the suspect during a frisk

A First Hill resident has been charged in the stabbing incident outside a Capitol Hill bar early last Friday that sent two people to the hospital and injured two others.

The King County Prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday that Thomas Ellis, 36, has been charged with two counts of second degree assault.

CHS reported here as police and Seattle Fire were called to the Diesel bar on 14th Ave off E Madison to the just after 2 AM fight and stabbing.

Arriving officers found a chaotic scene outside the bar with multiple people suffering from stab wounds in the attack. A fourth victim had left the scene but was located nearby.

According to police, Ellis told officers the stabbings came in self defense after punches were thrown in a fight in front of the bar. But victims described a swift and violent retaliation stemming from an argument that quickly led to Ellis pulling out a knife. One of the victims described being chased down by the assailant in an unprovoked attack that “was in no way self-defense.”

The injuries in the incident were significant. Police say one victim suffered an “approximate 10” wide and 1” deep slash wound across the front of his chest, filleting him open, as well at least one stab/puncture wound on his right side.”

Ellis has not yet entered a plea on the charges and remains jailed on $300,000 bail.

 

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Two to hospital, two more injured in stabbing at Capitol Hill bar

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Four people were reported stabbed and a suspect was taken into custody in a violent, 2 AM altercation outside a Capitol Hill bar.

Police and Seattle Fire were called to the Diesel bar on 14th Ave off E Madison to the just after 2 AM fight and stabbing. Arriving officers found a chaotic scene outside the bar with multiple people suffering from stab wounds in the attack. A fourth victim had left the scene but was located nearby.

Police also found the reported suspect at the scene and took the 36-year-old into custody.

SPD reports that two victims were transported to Harborview in stable condition with stab and slashing wounds and two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The suspect was booked into King County Jail.

 

HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.

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CHS Pics | With OOLA Capitol Hill, Kirby Kallas-Lewis and KT Niehoff share their ‘all time favorite spot in their all time favorite neighborhood’

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Kirby Kallas-Lewis and KT Niehoff

Summer isn’t over yet and OOLA Capitol Hill’s patio at its new 14th and Union bottle shop, cocktail bar, and restaurant is ready when you are.

It has been a few weeks since the craft distillery returned to its home turf with the new hangout in the former home of Marjorie. CHS reported here on the opening as Kirby Kallas-Lewis and KT Niehoff put the final touches on the overhaul with help from their new teammates executive chef Liz Blacker and beverage director Devan Lenning.

The new OOLA is across the street from where it began distilling craft spirits in 2011. Now, three years after its move to a larger, easier to manage production facility in Georgetown, OOLA is back with a space dedicated to showcasing its gin, vodka, and whiskey along with farm-to-table pairings and creative cocktails.

Continue reading →

Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on second Capitol Hill affordable condo project

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Officials were there to help break ground Thursday (Image: Alex Garland)

In March, Habitat for Humanity just opened its first affordable condo building on Capitol Hill. This week, it broke ground on its second.

The Thursday ceremony marked the start of construction of Olympic Ridge, a 14th Ave affordable condominium building planned to provide “homeownership opportunity for those making less than 80% AMI,” Habitat for Humanity SKKC said about the project.

CHS reported earlier this year on the opening of Capitol Ridge, a 13-unit building on 11th Ave E between Harrison and Republican on Capitol Hill. Continue reading →

911 | 17th Ave shooting, 14th Ave death investigation

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See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt/Signal (206) 399-5959. You can view recent CHS 911 coverage here. Hear sirens and wondering what’s going on? Check out Twitter reports from @jseattle or join and check in with neighbors in the CHS Facebook Group.

  • 17th Ave shooting: Police say a man suffered non-life threatening injuries to his hand and torso in a Friday afternoon shooting in a 17th Ave parking lot. According to the SPD brief, the victim told police he was shot in a dispute with the occupants of a vehicle that fled the scene in the 1700 block of 17th around 2:35 PM. A search for the suspects was not successful. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
  • 14th and Denny death investigation: Seattle Fire says SPD is investigating after a man was found dead Wednesday morning in the 1800 block of 14th Ave near E Denny Way. According to Seattle Fire, a 35-year-old male was found dead at the scene. Witnesses reported a man who appeared to have been homeless found in a an apartment building stairwell around 11:30 Wednesday morning. There were no reported signs of foul play. We’ve asked SPD for more details.
 

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In the spirit of 60 Minute Photo, you can now drop your film at this 14th Ave coffee shop

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It has been more than a decade since 60 Minute Photo, the last dedicated photo shop on Capitol Hill, wound up its final roll and made way for demolition and redevelopment on 14th Ave. One of the businesses that survived that 14th Ave change has added a new element that might be of interest to neighborhood shutterbugs.

There is now a new Moody’s Film Lab drop box inside the street’s Porchlight Coffee and Records shop. The box joins a collection point at Sonic Boom in Ballard as the brand new photographer-run company’s first as it grows a boutique drop-off and by-mail film development, printing, and more business in Seattle. Continue reading →