Tag Archives: capitol hill alliance

Capitol Hill Business Alliance sets out to grow despite Seattle’s chamber backlash

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Christina Arrington (Image: Capitol Hill Alliance)

With reporting by Tim Kukes

In a tumultuous week that brought what many see as a backlash against pro-business politics in Seattle, Capitol Hill’s new de facto chamber was a relatively calm, almost apolitical center of advocacy and information as it set about trying to represent the neighborhood’s small businesses — and grow its ranks.

At a Thursday night forum organized by GSBA and the new Capitol Hill Business Alliance, attendees visited tables at the neighborhood’s Union bar to learn more about “Capitol Hill Streetscapes” with representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation, Lid I-5, the Melrose Promenade, the Capitol Hill Ecodistrict, and more.

“This community will be as strong as we make it,” the GSBA’s Louise Chernin said in remarks during the gathering. “I just want to tell you, if you need something done you need to call us, whether it is with the city, whether it is with the state, whether it with the county – whatever it is we want to get together, we want to get to know each other, we want to protest something, we want to stop something, we want to make sure something happens –- give us a call.” Continue reading →

Congratulations on your Spirit of the Hill award, Tracy Taylor — now tell us about about Elliott Bay Book Company’s coming Sea-Tac store

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Mayor Durkan congratulates 2018 Spirit of the Hill winner Tracy Taylor

Last week, “work” came up a lot as the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce recognized Elliott Bay Book Company’s general manger Tracy Taylor with its 2018 Spirit of the Hill award. Taylor will soon have even more work to do as she helps the Pioneer Square-born, 10th Ave resident bookstore expand with a new presence at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

“This is an award that recognizes not only hard work and dedication but love and passion,” Jeffrey Pelletier, principal at 15th Ave architecture and design firm Board and Vellum and chair of the chamber’s board said at the organization’s State of the Hill event held last Wednesday night at Queer/Bar. Pelletier said the State of the Hill winner is usually “someone who works hard and cares and oftentimes does it without thanks.” He called Taylor a “tireless advocate” and “a voice for small business.”

“I look around this room and I see how much work everyone in this neighborhood does to make sure that our neighborhood is a wonderful place to live, to work, to run a business,” Taylor said upon receiving the award in the seventh year it has been handed out.

Taylor tells CHS that the new Elliott Bay venture at Sea-Tac is a partnership with the Hudson Book Group to operate an EBBC satellite for travelers at the busy airport. Continue reading →

From Melrose to 19th, Capitol Hill Chamber launches campaign to create $1.6 million Business Improvement Area

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The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce is ready to start its campaign to build a $1.6 million a year program to help fill empty store fronts, attract visitors, expand street cleaning, improve public safety, advocate for affordable housing and improved service from City Hall, and make local attractions like Cal Anderson Park more inviting. Now the nonprofit just needs 390, or 60%, of some 650 commercial property owners to sign on to its plan to expand the neighborhood’s Business Improvement Area across Broadway, 12th Ave, 15th Ave E, 19th Ave E, Melrose, Olive/Denny, and Pike/Pine. If it can hit that threshold, all commercial properties in the BIA will be required to pay into the program.

“It’s gonna be a lot of groundwork,” director Sierra Hansen told CHS about the expansion campaign. Starting with Wednesday night’s announcement of the campaign’s launch, the chamber this week is delivering petitions to the 650 property owners within the proposed new BIA boundary. “I’m a very stubborn person,” Hansen said.

She is also already half way there. Continue reading →