BELLTOWN BUSINESS GAZETTE
The Official Newsletter of the Belltown Business Association
April 9, 2012, Vol. 3, No. 5
REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN BELLTOWN ON A DEFINITE UPSWING
The building boom in Belltown continues. There are currently 1,349 market rate apartments under construction or imminently opening in the neighborhood (Alto, at 3rd & Cedar opens this month). Below are some of the new projects that are in the pipeline, adding to the big list that appeared in our February edition (thanks to Board Member Tom Graff of Ewing and Clark, for providing the information):
The Martin – 5th & Lenora
The Martin is Vulcan Real Estate’s 24-story luxury apartment tower under construction at 5th and Lenora, directly east of the Cinerama. It will have 188 apartment units and 4,300 square feet of ground floor retail. The project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2013.
Equinix Data Center – 2010 5th Ave.
A new 51,000 square foot data center is being jointly developed by Clise properties and Digital Realty Trust. This is a build-to-suit project and will be occupied by, Equinix Inc., a global provider of data center services based out of Redwood City, CA. The project will remove 1.5 floors of the current Westin Hotel parking garage and add an additional 4 full floors. The project is due for completion during the First Quarter 2013.
Amazon – At our eastern edge
Recently Amazon announced an intent to purchase three Clise full block properties located on 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue around Lenora. They have started the permit process to build three 37 story office towers connected by skywalks and adjoining 6-story “incubator” buildings, a 2,000 seat auditorium, street level retail, a park accessible to the public, art and water features. The three towers would house nearly 3.3 million square feet of office space.
Viktoria Apartments
Viktoria Apartments will be a new 24-story apartment tower located on 2nd Avenue between Stewart and Virginia. The new luxury apartment building will have 249 residential units with 139 parking spaces. It is being developed by Goodman and Harbor-Urban. The site was previously occupied by a three story parking garage.
NEW BELLTOWN BUSINESSES
New businesses are coming into the neighborhood. Please check them out and support the local retailers & restaurateurs!
Northwest Woodworkers' Gallery - 2111 1st Ave
Northwest Woodworkers' Gallery is a woodworking cooperative dedicated to promoting the highest quality craftsmanship, original design, and fine furniture. The gallery is owned by the very woodworkers who show their work at the gallery.
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Henry and Oscar's - 2525 4th Avenue
Henry and Oscar's is a lodge inspired supper club serving classic American cuisine. Back in the day, supper clubs were the neighborhood gathering places for satisfying food, well-shaken martinis and good conversation. Henry and Oscar's gives a nod to supper clubs of the past, while maintaining a contemporary feel.
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C.S. Finnegan’s Irish House - 2604 1st Avenue
C.S. Finnegan’s Irish House is Irish built, owned and operated, with a wonderful blend of old country warmth and urban sophistication. C.S. Finnegan’s hopes provide Belltown with a neighborhood gathering place to enjoy authentic Irish food and drinks, excellent service, festive events and good times with friends and family.
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Sell Your Sole–2121 First Avenue, Suite 101
Located behind Cherry Street Coffee, Sell Your Sole is a unique form of consignment shop described as having a "supercool loft–like urban/industrial setting" consisting of soaring ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, exposed brick walls, industrial lighting, multiple levels, gorgeous wood floors and a "shoe lounge". Current inventory includes coveted pieces by Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, Milly, See By Chloe, Burberry, Alice + Olivia and Elizabeth and James, just to name a few--- all at a fraction of their original price.
MONTHLY BELLTOWN ART WALK STARTED THIS MONTH
Mark your calendars for the second Friday of each month from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM for the ongoing Belltown Art Walk. The next one is May 11. Here are the participants as of the writing of this newsletter (courtesy of Belltown Local – BBA Members -indicated with (*)): Roq La Rue Gallery*, Form/Space Atelier, Art/Not Terminal Gallery, Vice Versa Gallery, Seattle Glass Blowing Studio*, City Hostel Seattle*, Object, The Burnley Gallery of the Art Institute of Seattle, Under the Needle, Cyclops*, 5-Point Café*, Quiksilver, The Upstairs*, Pintxo*, The Whiskey Bar, Sonya’s Sky Lounge, Gary Manuel Studio*, Goorin Brothers Hat Shop, Belltown Barber. Maps of the walk will be available prior to the May walk. You can participate by starting at any time and any place in Belltown. Special thanks to Lindsey Willar, the daughter of a well-known BBA board member, for extensive promotional support for the April Art Walk.
BIG BIA/MID COMMUNITY MEETING MAY 1
The BIA/MID grant study group has completed the smaller focus groups and is now scheduling a larger community forum on May 1 to discuss the issues of Belltown and whether a BIA could provide the services needed in Belltown. This Belltown Business Association and Belltown Community Council community forum is part of the effort to ensure that Belltown property owners, businesses and residents have the opportunity for their voices to be heard. The event will be facilitated by the BIA/MID study group consultant.
The community forum will be on May 1st at the Labor Temple from 5:00 pm until 7:30 pm.
Board Member Jane Savard is organizing the BIA/MID connected efforts and this community forum.
Belltown Business Association Partners with Belltown Local
The BBA is pleased to announce a partnership with Belltown Local, the new free online publication promoting the neighborhood to subscribers interested in what is happening in Belltown. Published weekly and disseminated via email and social media channels, Belltown Local provides Belltown businesses with an affordable and consistent place to promote their events and services and stay “top of mind” to the people most likely to become repeat customers.
This innovative marketing vehicle combines the best of Groupon (Belltown Local grows the monster subscriber list) with built-in marketing support for businesses such as free writing services, email lead captures, video and photo hosting, and social media push-outs of your tweets and posts. And they’ll do it all at an affordable monthly rate.
“Early Adopter” rates are in effect though the end of May 2012 as Belltown Local grows the monster list. During this time, BBA members receive 50% off regular monthly contract plans. Starting in June, members receive the following discounts as long as they remain BBA members:
- 20% off a 12-month support contract at the Pro or Basic level (paid monthly starting June 2012)
- 10% off a 6-month support contract at the Pro or Basic level (paid monthly starting June 2012)
- 5% off a 1-month purchase at the Pro or Basic Level or 1-time purchase of an article or announcement
The Belltown Local will also help promote BBA membership recruitment and initiatives via the newsletter and social media channels.
Sign up for the newsletter here. For more information on the benefits of becoming a business supporter in the Belltown Local you can contact owner Michelle Hippler directly at or 206-962-9698.
Anyone interested in receiving this flashy, informative piece can subscribe now by visiting
BBA’S APRIL NETWORKING EVENT WILL BE INFORMATIVE AND FUN!
A happy crowd of Belltown Business People showed up for the monthly after-hours social on March 22 at the Belltown Pub and were entertained and educated about social media by Natalie Danielson, who humorously covered a lot of interesting material in a very short time.
Now, the April BBA networking event is finalized for April 26. We will be at the Spur Gastropub, 113 Blanchard St., from 4:30 pm until 6 pm. Michael Lee, who heads up Express Employment Professionals will demonstrate how the simple yo-yo is an effective analogy for many of our experiences with our businesses and how it can draw us into interesting and effective thinking about personnel matters such as motivation, encouragement, integrating people into their organization, getting the most out of people (temporary or permanent), team building, support, leadership, and many other issues that we deal with daily.
And of course there will be plenty of time for socializing, networking, and enjoying good food and drink.
The April event is organized by Board Member Jane Savard.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BBA’S SCVB MEMBERSHIP
The BBA is a member of the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau and therefore BBA members are invited to the many SCVB events throughout the year. We try to keep you advised with regular postings on our website. The next significant event of interest is the SCVB’s “Membership 101” event, which will be held on Tuesday, May 1, from 1:45 – 4:30 PM at Daniel’s Broiler, Lake Union, 809 Fairview Place N. The goals of this event include (1) allowing participants to connect with industry partners, (2) getting to know the SCVB team, and (3) learning how to benefit from membership in the SCVB. Attendees are encouraged to bring business cards and brochures. There will be networking opportunity time at 4:00 PM with light snacks. Cost of the event is $16.00 per person. Advanced registration is required at
NEW PRECINCT LIAISON TAKES CHARGE
Peter Holmes, Seattle City Attorney recently appointed Sumeer Singla as the new West Precinct Liaison to coordinate legal matters with the Seattle Police Department and citizenry in our neighborhood. In a recent BBA Board meeting, Mr. Singla said that he expects the office to have a broader focus than it has in the past, and that he is looking forward to helping community members with public safety issues and locating appropriate resources to take care of these. Obtaining a continuing presence in this office was a key BBA initiative which we raised with Mr. Holmes, the Mayor, and City Council. Sumeer Singla can be reached at 206-368-4084 or at.
PAINTING OF TRANSFORMER BOXES
A very important and beneficial step to reducing neighborhood graffiti is underway. BBA Board Member and Past President Tom Graff is organizing an effort to decorate street corner transformer and signal control boxes with art work. So far, this work is funded by private property owners and businesses. Tom has arranged for the box on the corner of 1st and Wall to be painted (rough draft above). The owners of the 1st and Wall Building have agreed to cover the cost. He is working on the box at 4th & Cedar and looking for another one “somewhere on Second Avenue.” Estimated cost depending on the artist (Picasso charges a little more) is $1,000/box. It has been demonstrated that boxes displaying art work are generally not targeted for graffiti.
MORE PUBLIC SAFETY
BBA President Jim Miller recently participated in a Seattle Public Safety Partnership discussion meeting organized by the City of Seattle. The purpose of the meeting was to convene a group representing a cross section of the Seattle community to identify and discuss public safety issues. Included on the list of concerns voiced by the City-wide group were aggressive panhandling, open air drug trafficking, graffiti, street litter and overflowing garbage receptacles, multiple arrests and releases, public disorder connected with nightclub and bar closings, disregard for civilized conduct on the streets, etc., etc. Belltown is not the only Seattle community facing these issues.
“FUN RUN” THROUGH BELLTOWN ON SATURDAY, MAY 13
Promoters for the 5K Color Run have announced their sponsorship of a run through the City Center including Belltown on Saturday, May 13, from 7:00 AM – 10:30 AM. A feature of the Color Run is that runners are hit with colored corn starch powder at each kilometer of the run. The promoters will do the post-event cleanup and they promise to hold to a “leave no trace” policy. The Belltown route will be between Fifth and Second Avenues on Cedar and then down Second Avenue from Cedar to Seneca. Comments on the event can be made to or to City of Seattle, Special Events Office, P.O. Box 94708, Seattle, WA 98124. If you are a business operator on Second Avenue, you should already have received a “permission form” from the organizers.
QUICK HITS
- Metro’s ride-free zone is going away in September. There has already been much publicity about this in local media. Belltown business people view the end of free rides with mixed feelings. Some of the business people are required to make regular trips from Belltown to Downtown Seattle and the ride-free is a convenience. Others view the ride-free as an encouragement to “street elements” moving between Pioneer Square and Belltown.
- New LCD lighting should be installed on Blanchard Street, between First and Second Avenue, in May.
- SPD is continuing its early morning patrols to address the open air drug marts operating during those hours.
- Opening of the Belltown Community Center is in June. Stay tuned for an announcement about an opening event.
ABOUT THE BBA: The BBA consists entirely of volunteer business owners, executives, and managers who actively work for the improvement of the business climate in Belltown. If you are interested in the promotion and improvement of our business community and want to become a member, please contact our current BBA President, Jim Miller, at 206-728-5627, or by e-mail or click on the “Join the BBA” button on our webpage: Day to day office administration and information is maintained by our Administrative Assistant, Josh Watts, or by telephone at 206-951-3852
CONTACTS:
The BBA maintains a Facebook page at which members and interested community members should regularly check. We can also be reached via Twitter at
Editor of this Newsletter: Greg Schuler, .
Written responses to any of the articles and commentary are encouraged and some may even be published, with the writer’s approval.
MEETINGS: The BBA Board of Directors holds its regular business meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, 8 AM – 9:30 AM, at the Palace Ballroom (not the Palace Kitchen) located on the NE corner of 5th and Lenora. Members are openly invited to attend board meetings. Social and informational events for the entire membership are scheduled regularly each month on the 4th Thursday of the month and larger, special events are scheduled often.
This newsletter is published as a service to the members of the Belltown Business Association.
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