Harbor once had plans to build up to 400 apartments on the entire 4-acre St. Gobain property, but backed off when the economy tanked. "We decided that if we wanted to get one good, bite-sized chunk going, this was it," Onslow said.

The first was to the contact, Clayton O'Brien Smith. He turns out to be the architect for the project and we had a very pleasant conversation. He was very helpful, although made every effort not to share too much information that might not be "public" as yet and suggested I give Bradley Wilburn with DPD a call. Mr. Wilburn might have not had enough coffee before returning my call but was helpful none the less.

What is now clear from my conversations is that Harbor is attempting to only develop half of this project. According to Mr. Wilburn, the area covered by these two permits is the northern half of the property. Basically everything along Hudson and midway down 37th. The rest of the property will potentially be developed in the future.

So, while it appears that the very high density of this project is not being changed, just staggered. We should definitely keep this in mind during future reviews.

The next review meeting will likely be scheduled sometime this fall, according to Mr. Wilburn.

Thanks!
Connie

For some reason, Harbor Properties has split their application into two:

• project 3007279: a six-story building containing 4,400 sq. ft. of retail at ground level with 81 residential units above. Parking for 85 vehicles to be provided in two levels within the structure. Project includes 44,000 cu. yds. of grading, renovation of an existing single story building containing 7,000 sq. ft. of retail, the addition of two stories containing 12,800 sq. ft. of office above and is also being reviewed with Project #3010062.
• project 3010062: two 6-story buildings containing [sic] one with 111 residential units and one with 93 residential units.

This is a large project that would occupy most of the block between Hudson, 37th, Dawson, and Rainier — although almost none of the project actually fronts on Rainier.

So letsee… 81 + 111 + 93… carry the one… that makes 285, 90 fewer than originally envisioned.

Citizens can address the project as a single piece — no need to duplicate your comments for the two applications.

The public comment period is officially two weeks, unless someone asks them to extend it for two additional weeks. Regardless, the assigned land use planner continues to accept comment until he's about to write the decision. And we get at least one more public meeting with the Southeast Design Review Board — maybe more.

The land use planner is Bradley Wilburn. His contact information is here:

vog.elttaes|nrubliw.yeldarb#vog.elttaes|nrubliw.yeldarb
Department of Planning and Development
700 Fifth Ave., Suite 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019
615-0508

True walakability is the key thought here and a local grocer/PCC won't achieve that end

There are numerous established businesses already along Rainer Avenue that could benefit from the added foot traffic that this project will create. There's a new thrift store just pass Big Boss and another clothing store across from Safeway. I'd love for more people to experience Tagla and I bet the catering place two doors down is awesome too (anyone try that place).

I think what is most important is that what business does go in to these new spaces also be consistent with the cultural make-up of our community.

I know I'm desperate

Yes! I vote for this too. What about all those shops that will be lost at the CC Plaza? Are they locally owned?
I'd love to see Tagla move a little closer in for their own sake. I already go there regularly and it's delicious Ethiopian food but it's almost never over crowded. If you haven't tried it stop on by.

Something I love about our business district — most of the tenant businesses are truly Mom & Pop, and a lot of them are owned and operated by actual neighbors. It's an uncommon arrangement, and it's becoming uncommoner still. I think it encourages a delightful synergy and makes a big difference in our sense of community and the stewardship of our town center.

Instead of searching for popular brands, I'd encourage both Harbor Properties and HAL to seek out local folks with promising business plans. When I consider any of our family's favorite businesses, I realize I never would have thought to ask for exactly that. If we know it well enough to ask for it by name — then that's surely a sign we should be looking elsewhere.

My vote: no shops I've already heard of!

Relocating all the businesses that currently occupy the Columbia City Plaza. They seem to already be sustainable businesses and not a big risk.

A bar/night club that would provide nightly music: Jazz, Blues, African, Reggae in particular. That would bend great with all our African restaurants.

Thrift stores.

LOCALLY OWNED Hardware store.

One new restaurant or relocate some of the smaller one's nearby but not in the central commercial district.

Childcare.

No Furniture Stores.

A small hardware/garden store like the True Value in W. Seattle Junction.

Indian Restaurant.

Thai Restaurant.

Another breakfast spot.

Trader Joe's.

Taqueria Guaymas or something similar.

A thrift/antique store.

Art supply or stationery/paper store.

Ice cream shop.

Late night coffee shop.

Greek food.

Basically it looks like I'm wistful for my old Junction neighborhood.

Also, some ideas that seeem viable and exciting:
~Sushi (how one hasn't opened in te Business District is interesting)
~Drinks open late (there aren't too many options if you want a drink past 10.)
~Ice Cream Shop
~Gyros
~Business/Resaurant with outdoor communal/seating area.

~Sporting goods/Outdoor gear shop (2nd hand maybe?)
~Movie Store (Rain City Video) is really involved in their communities)
~Credit Union ATM (I realize there is one down at the Dakota building, but it would be useful)
~Cowork space (for art, projects, crafts)

As we move forward with the project on the Saint Gobain site (S. Hudson and 27th Ave. S) we are exploring retail options for approximately 20,000 square feet of space. What businesses are missing in the neighborhood that you’d like to see here?

Potential businesses should complement the existing ones, be financially viable, and have a proven track record. Our desire is to support and promote the existing diversity and small-town feel of the neighborhood. Feel free to comment below on those thoughts and ideas. If you have contact information for those businesses that we should follow up on, please e-mail Kira Shively at:

kshively@harborproperties.com

Many people have expressed a desire for Trader Joes and several smaller, local hardware/garden stores like City Peoples, but so far we have not had luck in enticing them here.

Construction ground breaking is scheduled for early fall of 2009, and occupancy would begin in the summer of 2011.

We value your feedback and look forward to your thoughts. Thank you.

I am excited about this project! Bringing more density to the neighborhood in the right way should be a plus for everyone. It sounds to me like Harbor is doing a decent job of engaging the community and addressing concerns.

Quoted text is all paraphrased.

Community meeting hosted by Harbor Properties
About proposed development at 3711 S Hudson St (St Gobain site)
March 4, 2008 — Columbia City Theater

I didn't count meeting attendees. There might have been about 80 neighbors.

• Catherine Stanford facilitated.
  • She referred to other public meetings about the project, and she characterized this as an informal setting in which to learn about the project.
  • She introduced the proponents' team: Sean, Kira, Lynn, Emi, Steve, Clayton, Denny.
  • She's a consultant, worked on the Pike Place Market for 15 yrs, chaired the downtown planning process with the 5 neighborhoods that make up downtown. Now chairs the Downtown Council. She's interested in the historical perspective.

• Mikala Woodward of the RVHS offered that perspective.
  • She sees parallels with the current situation — Columbia City really owes its existence to a real estate developer.
  • The original streetcar line is now Rainier Ave. It was the lifeblood of the community. In between the trolley stops is auto-oriented development that happened after the war.
  • In 1891, JK Edmiston offered lots for $300, with $10 down and $10 a month. The debt would be forgiven if the breadwinner died. Mikala thinks it would be awesome if Harbor would provide similar terms.
  • Edmiston really wanted to build a town. She sees parallels to Harbor Properties.
  • There was a streetcar barn a little south of the property, where there's a parking lot now.
  • The original industry was lumber, with horses pulling enormous logs through the forest. She referred to a RVHS photo of early loggers captioned "the Hand of Commercial Man soon after wrought wonderful changes here".

• (Have you checked out the RVHS photo archives?) …but we digress.
  • Seattle used Columbia City's lumber to rebuild after the 1889 Seattle Fire, and residents used it to build homes here.
  • The Columbia Lumber Yard operated on this site in 1910.
  • A factory got started there in WWII, manufacturing plastics for Boeing. Light industrial. Plastics were ultimately crucial in the industry that put the street car under.
  • There was a gas station and auto service business here [in the St Gobain HQ building].
  • Looking forward to interpreting the history as Harbor develops it.

• Steve Orser with Harbor Properties presented.
  • "I live in the Central District myself. My son and I play basketball at the Rainier Community Center. I think of this as my neighborhood as well. I appreciate the context of what the neighborhood is and has been."
  • "When you enter Columbia City, you're instantly aware that you're in a separate world. That sense of history provides a great context."
  • The landmark district encompasses about a third of the site. The part that's in the district encompasses the St Gobain headquarters building. The plan is to salvage the building and bring it back to its former glory.
  • "We want to attract people to Rainier Ave and complement it without pulling anything from it. We do that with multifamily housing and townhomes. We've examined this [St Gobain HQ] building in particular as a focal point. It could be retail, a restaurant, a gallery space. For the most part ours is a residential project, intended to bring more residents to the neighborhood."
  • "Safety and security is something we've contended with — more eyes on the street, more people talking to the police about safety and security."
  • "New residents encourage economic development, strengthening the vitality of shops, bars, and restaurants."
  • "Sound Transit's light rail station will open soon. It's within 4 blocks, or about a quarter mile. We locate developments in transit oriented development: downtown, U District, West Seattle."
  • "We were the first to introduce Flexcar/Zipcar to Seattle in a new development."
  • "The site is now a plastics plant that you can't get into. We'll provide connectivity and transparency."
  • Schedule of the project.
    • "St Gobain has leased the site until August 2009. They're looking elsewhere for a site with an industrial base."
    • "We would begin construction in what we're seeing as a two-phase project. Phase I would start in Sept 2009 and run for about 18 months. The second phase would follow and depends on absorbtion and other factors."

• Clayton O'Brien-Smith, architect with GGLO, presented.
  • "GGLO is a Seattle firm. I grew up in Tacoma, educated at the UW."
  • "We work on mixed-use projects in neighborhoods. We work with good clients who want to contribute to neighborhoods. Let's make density a positive trend in the city."
  • The site is to the southwest of Rainier and Hudson, bounded by Hudson, 37th and Dawson.
  • "Its interior property line runs behind Wash's Auto Repair, the Busy Bee, and the SEED building. The site is zoned Commercial 2 with a 65' height limit (C2-65), as is the Columbia Plaza site." Columbia Plaza is zoned Neighborhood Commercial 3 with a 65' height limit and a pedestrian overlay, (NC3P-65).
  • "Right now the site is primarily covered by roofs and parking lots. It's a secured area with gated entry for cars. Our intent is to connect the open space of Hitt's Hill with the commercial core."
  • "We'll provide internal green space and other open space to emphasize connections to existing green spaces in the neighborhood."
  • "Rainier Ave S is a high-speed arterial. Surrounding the site are more residential streets. We plan to install new sidewalks and curb bulbs to break up the extent of parallel parking and add additional street trees."
  • He showed a conceptual site plan featuring a series of six structures and briefly described each building.¹ He identified a series of front doors, stoops and porches facing streets.
  • He mentioned townhouses along a parking garage element (on 37th?), noting that "the parking garage then buries into the hillside. Where the parking garage abuts Dawson, [its lid?] is at grade."
  • "On the north end (off Hudson), there’s vehicular access to parking garages, and potentially a restaurant space with outdoor seating to the west of the existing St Gobain building."
  • Mr O'Brien-Smith presented a series of perspective sketches, calling attention to various stormwater features — "try to display that natural process in the landscaping" — and he noted that a goal is to include 30% of the site in landscaping, of which some might be accommodated in green walls. This compares favorably to the current condition of about 5%².
  • "An internal drive is intended to have a pedestrian friendly character. It would be used primarily as an access to parking and for the occasional dropoff."
  • "The design incorporates modulation and massing to reduce the scale of larger buildings, to create a human scale in a denser development."

• Denny Onslow with Harbor Properties presented.
  • "I'm not involved quite as deeply in the project as Steve and Clayton. I've directed Harbor's development for 20 years."
  • "I've been a resident of Seattle, and live in Leschi-Madrona. I'm a neighbor of Steve's."
  • "I joined Harbor 25 years ago. Stimson Bullitt had a vision. I believe in the underlying way we look at things and do things."
  • "Consider Harbor Steps — Bullitt had a vision to create housing in the Downtown area. The business uses there were pretty bad, the place was rundown, and safety was terrible. We said let's reclaim our downtown and put in housing. When people live there, they're there 24 hours, they claim it for themselves. There were twelve buildings: four are historic and still stand. Harbor steps is denser, taller than anything we'd propose here."
  • "Some of the things that came from that experience — we learned how to integrate the open space. We narrowed Post Alley from a vehicle alley to a walking alley. You'll see childcare, grocery, a Tully's. We wanted a mix of uses. GGLO's offices are there. There are shops and uses that are conducive to the residents and that draw people into the area. We've connected people to the waterfront from downtown."
  • "People raised concerns about safety. People said, you're going to create this 16,000 sq.ft. park, how will you keep the bad guys out? The folks there will see it, own it, No bikes, no skateboards."
  • "We learned about phasing. How to build and keep the new and existing places working during construction."
  • "We're sensitive. We're private, local, rooted. We even own a local ski area: Steven's Pass."
  • "We focus mostly on middle income workforce housing. We don't do condos. We've done a few in the early 80s. All the rest have been rentals."
  • "We fit the neighborhood. We try to integrate with the neighborhood and businesses. We do change things in a way that the community sees the benefits of it."
  • "We're not low income housing providers. We've found there's a sweet spot at 65' tall. A floor of retail or live-work in the base of the building, and then we build five stories of housing on top. That's the most affordable project. This is a target zone for what we do."
  • "We design edges, courtyards, we create pockets for landscaping."
  • "Among the key issues involved in this project is height. This is a big site and a big project. At Harbor Steps, we incorporated openness around the base of the building."
  • "We're really about trying to bring more people into an area. In these urban settings it's the proper use of land. We pull back — we can create a 65' building that's better than a 40' building. It's how you treat the edge and how you step back. We'll respect the street edge."
  • "People are concerned about how we'll affect their views. Some people's views will be affected. We're going to make the edge better, but we will block some views to the surrounding areas."
  • "Neighbors have commented about blocked views from Hitt's Hill Park: you will look down on the project. It's not something unpleasant, but different from what you see today."
  • "If I'm walking by, I wonder 'can I get in?' We want people to walk through the project. Clayton mentioned that it's similar to the alley in the Market. We want people to come through the project and use the open space."
  • "We're still trying to build a project that remains affordable. We're conscious of rents. We can't just raise the rents indiscriminately. We're not doing affordable housing, we've done that in the past, but not here."
  • "The multifamily tax exemption is something we've looked at in the past, it might allow some folks to come in and blend in with the market rate. Right now, as things stand, the program doesn't work for us, but we hope that it will. It would target residents earning 70-80% of median income for a portion of the building."
  • "What kind of retail?, especially on Hudson. Rainier is really the neighborhood's retail street. As you pull back from Rainier, the likelihood that businesses will survive goes down. We don't want to build retail that goes dark. We may also look at transitional spaces, like live-work. The first floor will be concrete, allowing for bigger spans and more flexibility with partitions. That could result in a large retail space. As things change, we could expand. We really want to do the retail."
  • "Parking. What brought our attention to the area is light rail. We propose a 1:1 ratio for parking, and we think they might not all be used. We'd incorporate Flexcar/zipcar. We want to encourage the walkability, we'll provide ample parking, but we're encouraging alternate forms of transportation."

Mr Onslow welcomed Councilmember Sally Clark.

Neighbor questions and comments

• Has the six story design structure been confirmed, or is it still under debate?
  • Our plan is six stories, though not in all places: there will be some stepdowns. There will be open spaces and parking underneath. That's our intent.

• What are the rents going to be like? There are so many condos going up, and they're either too expensive or you've got to be dirt poor to live here.
  • They won't be condos, and we're not building to the low end. We're aiming for the broad middle, with rents from <$1000 to $2000, depending on the size of the unit, views, decks, etc. I was talking to Ray about rents. At some point, we can't build it because it won't finance. We have to be market competitive. Harbor is a focused company that goes into neighborhoods trying the same approach. Some units are smaller to help address affordability. Emi tries to understand the lifestyle questions, such as health clubs and parking.

• My understanding is that St Gobain owns a parking lot on the north side of Hudson. Right now there's street parking on the both sides of Hudson. What will happen to street parking on Hudson? I run SEYFS, and parking along there is important. There's nowhere to park. What about during construction?
  • St Gobain doesn't own the property, they lease it. A family partnership has owned the site for the past 50-60 years.
  • Will some parking be affected? Yes, during street improvements. You're our neighbor, we try not to make you unhappy, and you have our phone number. Our construction workers and equipment can park on the portion of the site slated for phase II.
  • The City doesn't let us idly take the sidewalk and parking away. We're careful about blocking things off.
  • What do you want to see? We'll be improving and adding to the street parking along the periphery. Our buildings will all sit on top of a gigantic garage, with parking for residents and visitors in there.

• Columbia City is fairly unique in how its businesses are interwoven into the community. Who is the decisionmaker about what retail goes into that space? We don't want it to be payday loans. Will the community have an opportunity to weigh in?
  • Let's not steal tenants, compete and put people out of business. If we can do complimentary businesses, bring in new businesses. What's missing?
  • With the Halcyon project, we met with the neighborhood group in South Lake Union. Neighbors told us "We want a place where we can have a brewski", so we did an irish pub. It fit the bill perfectly. They embraced it, outdoor dining, doors that pull back. Art for dogs. Places to tie up.
  • Who makes the decision? Steve, Emi, Denny. We're also interested in what the neighbors want. An environment that's conducive to new businesses.
  • The CCBA did an inventory of the things that were missing in CC. Harbor has a real interest in finding a unique provider of the services.

• Would you consider a boutique hotel as part of the development?
  • Sure.

• How about a grocery store, like a Trader Joes?
  • We've talked to them — this location isn't on their radar. The same thing can be heard in W Seattle. They say this isn't a location that makes sense for them. We'll continue to look for those kinds of services.
  • We wove a hotel into Harbor Steps. 24 units, today it continues to operate after ten years. It's a lot of effort, but the visitors animate the place, they frequent the restaurants.

• Please clarify how the 65' height is measured, since the site is on a slope. Is it 65' at the top and the bottom?
  • You raise the ground plane. It'll be higher on the upside than on the downside.
  • We'll add one-two stories to the St Gobain building.

• I went to the very first meeting, is there a difference between what you're showing now and what you showed originally?
  • There will continue to be tweaks and pushes and pulls throughout the process.
  • We present to the Design Review Board and the Landmarks Board and respond to their input. We respond to market forces, our own designs and the input that we hear. We'll work on drawings for the next year.

• I'd like to hear about any affordable home ownership component. What are the total number of units?
  • At the end of the day, 400 units. 200 in the first, 200 in the second phase. It's not the maxiumum density for the site. In terms of affordability, we're probably pushing downward toward the 70-80% of median income for some units, 150-200% of median income for most of the renters. Single and double incomes, couples that rent.

• Will there be a home ownership component?
  • All rentals.

• Please clarify where the driveways are proposed.
  • A secondary access is proposed on S Hudson. Primary access to parking is on 37th, leading into the site to garage entrances on either side of the driveway. A temporary access on 37th and on Dawson.
  • The "alley" space would serve as a softer open space on the south side. On the north, it would be a harder European multifunction space. The idea is to orient to the alley across the street, and to continue that network.

• I know you're building something similar to the South Lake Union neighborhood, 3 stories, then step back. I don't see that being respectful of the people who live on the other side of the street. At Early Design Guidance, the Board suggested perhaps you should cap it at a 5 story max on the sides that front the residences. Please keep that seriously in mind. We have a small veneer of retail and residential.
  • It's a hard answer — we'll strive for balance. Residential is the best answer to the existing residences. It's a variety of things. Density is part of the evolution.

• I'm not comfortable with the parking provisions. 400 parking spaces, but lots of those people will have second cars. I don't know that many people who will hike up to MLK.
  • We're subject to Code requirements, but we also want to hit the right answer.
  • There are 750 apartments in Harbor Steps. They're higher end, and parking ratios there are farr less: 0.8 there. People learn to share the spaces. There's a lifestyle change in multifamily.

• Now this isn't the heart of downtown. This is the route to Renton. I worry about the restaurants and their suffering as people can't find parking.
  • Different neighborhoods are different. We don't assign tenants their own parking stalls. That means it's a real high efficiency of parking. There's always people moving.

Date: Tuesday, March 4th, 6:30 PM, at the Columbia City Theatre, 4916 Rainier Ave. South.

I am still at work as I write this post.
How did it go tonight?

Date: Tuesday, March 4th, 6:30 PM, at the Columbia City Theatre, 4916 Rainier Ave. South.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks
Emiko Baldowin

Further details coming soon-

Emiko Baldowin
ebaldowin@harborproperties.com

As noted on the Columbia Citizens posts, a portion of the proposed Harbor Properties development (the Northeast corner) falls within the boundaries of the Columbia City Landmark District. As a result, the developers are required to go through the Design Review process, as well as receive approval from Columbia City Review Committee and Landmarks Preservation Board (for the portion of the project that falls within the Landmark District.

For those of you unfamiliar with the regulatory requirements of the Columbia City Landmark District, I encourage you to visit our website, http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/columbiacity.htm. Answers to many questions can be found on the page.

To date, there have been two briefings related to the portion of the project that falls within the historic district:

• March 2, 2007 - Representatives from Harbor Properties and GGLO conducted a preliminary briefing before members of the Landmarks Preservation Board's Architectural Review Committee and Columbia City Review Committee on the proposed development.
• November 5, 2007 - Harbor and GGLO conducted a second briefing before members of the Columbia City Review Committee, with a focus on the St. Gobain headquarters building.

No actions were taken or decisions made at either meeting.

I have received questions about availability of minutes or notes from these meetings. There are no recorded minutes for Landmarks Preservation Board Committee meetings. Staff prepares a Staff Report for Committee members, which become part of the public record, as does the project file itself. There are minutes issued following meetings of the full Landmarks Preservation Board. This project has not gone before the full Board.

Landmarks Preservation Board, Architectural Review Committee, and Columbia City Review Committee meetings are open to the public. Schedules and meeting locations are listed on our website. Columbia City Review Committee meetings, for example, take place at the Columbia Branch Library, 4721 Rainier Ave. S., on the 3rd Fridays of every month at 4 PM. Agendas for each meeting are issued approximately one week in advance.

If you would like to be notified about the meetings, please contact me and I can add you to the mailing list (email or hard copy). If you have questions about the Harbor Properties development or any other proposed developments or alterations within the boundaries of the Landmark District, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at vog.elttaes|tdetserf.acceber#vog.elttaes|tdetserf.acceber or 206-684-0226.

Regards,
Rebecca Frestedt, Coordinator
Columbia City Review Committee

it'd be great to have pages like this for each new development proposal, to make sure we get developments that really improve the neighborhood.

Thanks for doing this!

What are your ideas?

I'm a Columbia City neighbor (I actually live on Hudson St.), and I've been hearing a lot of buzz, some quite critical, about your Hudson St. development at the old plastics factory. As you probably know, there's even some talk of "fighting" the project as a whole.

On the other hand, I've also been listening to what people have been saying they want, and most of it makes at least some sense to me, so (since we're still early in the process) I thought I'd share it with you and your colleagues, since I would really like to see a good project go in there. I represent no group and am speaking for no one but myself, but I think there's a win, win, win here.

1) height: most people want the buildings to be lower. I don't think that's as important as some of the other aspects. How high is not as important to me as how well-designed (though a little sensitivity to the shadows the building casts on the building district might not be inappropriate). People are reacting, I think, to what they fear will be a huge looming block of poorly-built condos that won't add to the neighborhood, just overshadow it and make it feel more crowded.

2) parking: some people seem to want more parking, and that's where I most disagree. I'd like less. In fact, I'd be really glad if you emphasized car-sharing to the residents, built extra bike racks and volunteered to chip in on a fund (perhaps with Sound Transit??) for a neighborhood shuttle bus to the light rail station. I would love to see our neighborhood become more transit- and pedestrian-oriented. I don't think I'm alone.

3) greening the building: I have no idea what your plans are here, so I don't know what people are reacting to, but it seems that people think the project ought to be more green-building focused. This might be a place where you could make some gains in public perception, by embracing some of the more cutting-edge, yet often long-run cost-effective, green building strategies. Is there a LEED rating that would cover this project?

A green roof and green walls in particular could be a bold statement, increasing, effectively, the green space in the neighborhood, and helping to deal with stormwater (a problem in the Valley)… I think lots of greenery might help soften such a large development.

4) People seem to think that Hitt's Creek is somehow involved. I'm not sure, but they mention daylighting the creek. That seems difficult to plan in, to me, but it also seems like a cool idea. But I honestly am poorly informed on this question. Perhaps an opportunity to reach out?

5) Historic district. There seem to be questions here. I don't know fully what they are.

6) Street orientation. This seems to be the big worry. People seem very concerned that the development is somehow going to have "it's back to the neighborhood" (actually words I heard someone use). Given that there's a project underway to link Columbia City and Hillman City (done by the Pomegranate Center (?) ), and lots of work being done to make sure the neighborhood is more walkable, perhaps you could not only join in on that process but take extra bold steps at street level to encourage walkability, including wide sidewalks, awnings, street trees, and more outside dining for summer-time. Some good public art wouldn't hurt, I'd bet, or a plan for adding to the vitality of BeatWalk.

I think lots of people will welcome this project if it's well-designed, if it's green, and most of all, if it makes our little downtown feel more welcoming and alive.

Well, I hope this input is helpful. You guys have done great projects elsewhere. I really would love to see you do as well for our neighborhood.

If you have any questions or would like to suggest an alternate workshop time please contact:

Emi Baldowin(ebaldowin@harborproperties.com, 812-6727)
or
Steve Orser(sorser@harborproperties.com, 812-6714).

Thank you,
Harbor Development

Thursday, November 15th
6:15 pm
Rainier Community Center: 4600 38th Ave S

The Workshop will be open to all neighbors in Columbia City to help provide ideas, input and comments on the project in this early design process.

If you have any questions please contact:

Emi Baldowin(ebaldowin@harborproperties.com, 812-6727)
or
Steve Orser(sorser@harborproperties.com, 812-6714).

The meeting, open to the public, will take place at 6:30pm at the Neighborhood House (Rainier Vista) at 4410 29th Ave S, Rm 101. GGLO is the architect for the master planning process.

Harbor Properties is community-based full-service real estate firm based in Seattle which focuses on creating market-rate urban housing for the “workforce” population in buildings that are both efficient and friendly to the environment. The company works to engage neighborhood stakeholders in the areas where it develops projects, especially during the early design stages of the developments.

As such, we are also taking this opportunity to create a Community Workshop for the proposed project. The Workshop will be open to all neighbors in Columbia City to help provide ideas, input and comments on the project in this early design process. We are anticipating that this Workshop will take place in November. Specifics on time and place will be announced in the next month.

Because a portion of the site is in the Columbia City Landmark District, Harbor will also have a Landmarks Review Board meeting in the future. Harbor hopes to save and restore the brick building along Hudson that currently serves as the St. Gobain headquarters building. We are also working with the Rainier Valley Historical Society to provide additional historical contexts for the site specifically, and Columbia City more generally, within the new development.

Construction work on the property is not expected to begin before St. Gobain moves to a new facility in September 2009.

We are excited to have an opportunity to work on this project in a special neighborhood. We look forward to seeing all of you at the Community Workshop. Should you have any questions about that meeting, please contact:
Emi Baldowin(mailto:ebaldowin@harborproperties.com, 812-6727)
or
Steve Orser(mailto:sorser@harborproperties.com, 812-6714).

It's also posted in this Wikli.

The comments keep coming.

http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/luib/Notice.aspx?BID=246&NID=6496

It looks like there is plan to take down the plastics wherehouse on the corner of Ranier and Hudson (that's caddy-corner to Tutta Bella) and put up a 6-story mixed-use building complete with 375 units and 400 parking spaces.

There is a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 9th at 6:30 PM at the Neighborhood House Paul Allen, 4410 29th Ave S. Room 101

Thoughts?