Kaiser’s 15th Ave streetfront is not completely empty — Moli Bento and Overcast Coffee continue to hold down the fort (Image: CHS)

By Matt Dowell

On 15th and Denny, across from Aviv Hummus Bar and the neighborhood 7-Eleven is a stretch of darkened windows — unoccupied retail space on Kaiser Permanente’s Capitol Hill campus. Up past Thomas in Kaiser’s North Building across from Safeway, more storefronts have gone vacant.

A longstanding agreement with the neighborhood holds Kaiser accountable to renting the space out and keeping the streetfront an active space. But the integrated managed care consortium may not holding up its end of the 15th Ave bargain.

“Kaiser appears uninterested in filling these spaces,” said David Dahl in an email to CHS. Dahl has been part of the Implementation Advisory Committee for Kaiser’s Major Institution Master Plan since its formation in 2018. Seattle requires universities, colleges, and hospitals to have MIMPs, which try to balance the institutions’ needs for special zoning rules with the needs of adjacent communities. The IAC represents the neighborhood in this arrangement.

Kaiser’s MIMP dates back to 1988, when Group Health owned the property. As part of the agreement Kaiser inherited, they’re on the hook for a few promises to the neighborhood. Continue reading →

(Image: Nook & Cranny Books)

Capitol Hill’s Nook & Cranny Books has lost its lease and is raising funds to help it find a new home.

“Nook & Cranny needs your help getting over this hurdle,” owner Maren Comendant writes. “We are pursuing small business loans for the long-term, but your support will help cover the upfront costs of a significant move: deposit and increased rent, additional shelving and furniture, and rebuilding inventory.” Continue reading →

By Emily Riehl

Holiday shoppers looking to keep their dollars in the neighborhood have a new option on 15th Ave E that also features sustainable products, accessible design services, and a commitment to causes like fighting homelessness.

Rufous and Co. in many ways is a front-end, user friendly interface for interior design — a new home decor and design shop on the street level of the new Hilltop Apartments building that serves as a fun place to shop and the start of working with owner Jim MacLean to shape Seattle living spaces.

“My design approach is very client driven. When a client has an aesthetic, I make sure it’s appropriate for the house, the architecture of the home, and I try to push them to think of things they didn’t think of before or provide them with resources that they didn’t have before,” MacLean says. “I try to make it very collaborative and keep the client thoroughly involved in the process.”

After studying design at Cornish College of the Arts, MacLean developed a strong interest in visual merchandising and spent 20 years at Nordstrom, starting as a part-time employee in college, and eventually rising to the role of a regional manager. He has collaborated with renowned brands like Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, and for nearly 24 years, has led his own design firm, working with at least a dozen clients, some including the Seattle Art Museum and Saint Mark’s Cathedral. He has contributed to in-store development and visual merchandising for companies like L’Oréal, Clarisonic, Sur La Table, and Things Remembered. Continue reading →