Washington Xxxxxxx

A man told police he was robbed at knifepoint in the 700 block of Bellevue Ave E early Tuesday morning.

Arriving officers found a man at Bellevue Ave E and Bellevue Ct E who told them he had been held up by two black males in their 20s. One of the suspects brandished a small pocket knife, the man said. We do not have details of what was taken from the victim.

SPD searched the area after the 1:30 AM robbery and a K-9 unit also checked the bike trail along I-5 near Melrose and Roy but did not turn up the suspects.

We'll watch for more details when the full SPD incident report is released.

It's been five years since a March Saturday in 2006 when six people were killed and two wounded in a shooting rampage at a home in the 2000 block of East Republican. The Stranger, who led the city's coverage of the tragedy, is marking the anniversary here. We've included a report on the incident commissioned by SPD and images from a summer 2006 tribute to those who died, below.

Photographs by Michael Holden

Ah, what a little paint will do. Or is it Photoshop? No bother. Online Cafe is logged on and open for business. We talked to proud new business owner Nick Woell about his venture that, he hopes, will be mostly familiar to Capitol Hill coffee drinkers.

"Honestly, we just tried to freshen up the place," Woell told CHS in a conversation Thursday night. "Tried to make it non-1999. We just tried to update it."

The "it" Woell refers to is one of the three Online Coffee Company locations that went out of business suddenly earlier this month as owner Ken Fox shut down his chain amid financial difficulties.

But it was so suddenly for Woell. "I had pretty close relationship with owner. He kind of let me know things were looking bad," Woell said. "I got a head start." The early warning allowed Woell to put in motion his plan to take over the space and give running his own business a try. "This is my first business since mowing the lawn as a kid," he said.

The early lessons, of course, are the hardest. Woell had intended to...

The Seattle Fire and SPD response to 12th and Pike late Wednesday night was spurred by a report of a man in his 20s with what were believed to be self-inflicted injuries.

CHS received multiple reports and questions from readers about the incident and this picture of the scene from @bigbadboston.

We do not yet have an update on the man's condition.

While suicide attempts are not typically reported by the mainstream media, CHS believes it is an important community issue to include in our coverage. Here are two resources to help: National suicide-prevention hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE. Local Crisis Clinic: (206) 461-3222.

Thanks to a tip from a neighbor, CHS has learned that change is coming for the "biohazard house" block of Belmont Ave E that has been bogged down by a financially troubled landowner and a failed development project. We also have information on the expanded use of an ordinance in the city that will help Seattle neighborhoods deal with "chronic nuisance" properties -- and the two Hill-area properties being looked at next for intervention.

According to King County Records, one of the three Belmont Ave E houses owned by Kyle Clark has been foreclosed and will go to auction late this spring. Calhoun, well known in CHS comments for his unique take on life in the city, said that neighbors have been told that all three parcels owned by Clark are part of the process:

The next step is for the bank to sell the 3 lots to someone who will then develop them into, hopefully, something nice for the neighborhood.  It will be important for Capitol Hill-ites to be involved in the process and to ensure that something ugly/intrusive...

On Capitol Hill, our "Elevated" will be underground -- and not ready for service until 2016. But Tommy Gun, envisioned as the Broadway station's neighborhood watering hole, is ready for business starting today with a Wednesday 5 PM opening.

We reported back in December that the BottleNeck's Erin Nestor was helping to extend the growing party on East Olive Way by taking over the old Shinka Tea space for her new bar project. She predicted a spring debut. The industry veteran nailed it.

When we talked to her in December, Nestor told us part of the inspiration for Tommy Gun was the coming Broadway light rail station.  "I lived in Chicago during my 'roaring twenties' and loved the city’s unabashed embrace of neighborhood bars and taverns – particularly those located steps from the entrance to the El," Nestor wrote. "One of the primary reasons I’ve chosen this location is its close proximity to the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station."

Tommy Gun's location at 1703 E Olive Way is a block away from the future Broadway light rail station's northern entrance. The bar will be open every day from 5 PM to 2 AM and, while the bartenders can serve up a "Prohibition era" cocktail if you like, Tommy Gun should also a good place for a beer or three and a Columbia City Bakery pretzel. The food menu is simple and short but the offerings designed by Skillet Diner's now-head chef Brian O'Connor look like bar food elevated a notch. Nestor says the model is a simple neighborhood joint. The awesome bamboo-topped bar makes it clear that part of keeping things simple is starting with quality material.

Tommy Gun's opening brings yet another of our 2011 food and drink prophecies to fruition. Meanwhile, another big part of the new scene on East Olive Way is still a work in progress. After taking the space formerly home to Cafe Metropolitain, next-door neighbor CC Seattle's has predicted a series of opening dates that have already come and gone showing just how difficult it can be to pull together the various pieces required to open a new food and drink establishment.

For Tommy Gun, it seems, getting it done was just part of working in the big city.

You can learn more at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tommy-Gun-Seattle/169863049723827

Thanks to Doug for the tip!

(Images: CHS)

Are you 'living life out loud' on Capitol Hill? Better fill in those empty spots in your schedule. Here's our latest look at upcoming good times on and around Capitol Hill. Have something to add? Our CHS Calendar is open to everybody or you can send us mail at chs@capitolhillseattle.com. We're also proud to be sponsoring one of this week's events. We hope you'll consider a special "bring your date" deal to seeAmbient Intimacy at 12th Ave's Northwest Film Forum on Friday night. We're talking *live* Facebook and Chat Roulette on the big screen here, folks. Details on this and events from the rest of the week, below.

Ambient Intimacy
Special deal: Admission is Buy One, Get One Free!

Sponsored by CapitolHillSeattle.com

Friday, Mar 25 at 08:00PM

After the Hollywood film and its numerous awards, the words "the social network" are firmly in our vocabulary. Almost weekly news stories herald the loss of privacy due to the proliferation of such social networks. Even US government secrets went public in the form of WikiLeaks! All this raises the question: have we as a culture become ambiently intimate with each other?

This program will explore ways in which those intimate moments make their way into the public sphere.  Ambient Intimacy presents a selection of the web's most notoriously intimate moments; blogger moms,  live interactive Facebook profile construction game, chat roulette on the big screen,  and generally a show-and-tell unlike anything you’ve experienced in a theater before. Be a part of it!

Bring a friend for free! All tickets (purchased in advance or at the door) will be honored as admission for two people.

• Thursday: Kiddie concert at East Olive Way Starbucks
• Friday through Sunday: Yoni Ki Baat at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park 

Inspired by Vagina Monologues, Aaina’s spotlight event Yoni Ki Baat (YKB), is a collection of authentic, bold, and powerful stories that are sourced, written, and narrated by local South Asian women, through extensive story-building workshops, and also told on stage by local South Asian women.

This year there are tales of courage, spunk, pain, fortitude, survival, coming of age, motherhood, daughter-hood, confusion, naughtiness, humor, imagination, sensuality and sexuality. All of them original, all of them untold, all of them bold, all of them local. And all of them transcending gender, class and cultures in appeal and relevance.

This year our stories also connect the dots to form a master narrative, which asks important questions about gender, patriarchy, abuse and oppression, and also paints a bold vision for exercising choice and celebrating body, sexuality and love. Our narratives are as much daring questions and challenges posed to the world, as they are baring reflections of ourselves in the mirror, in the true spirit of AAINA. Yoni Ki Baat will showcase 16 narratives written by local South Asian women!! A portion of the proceeds from YKB will be given to Chaya.

• Saturday: Cupcake Party and Bake Sale with Bake it in a Cake at CakeSpy Shop

There will be dozens and dozens (and dozens!) of cupcakes! Filled with delicious things! Available for your purchase (bring cash, sweeties!) and eating! At a shop full of adorable cards, art and gifts! What other information could you possibly need?

Date/Time: Saturday, March 26, 12pm - 5pm

Location: CakeSpy Shop, 415 E Pine Street, Seattle WA

• Saturday: Artist Trust 2011 EDGE Professional Development Program for Writers at Elliott Bay Book Company (plus info on readings from across the city) from The SunBreak.
• Monday: Humble Feast at Patty Pan

Fire damaged the second floor of the building that is home to the Capitol Hill Alano Club at the corner of 19th Ave and Madison early Tuesday morning.

According to the incident commander at the scene, the fire was limited to a room on the second floor of the commercial building. He said an investigation to determine the cause was underway. UPDATE: SPD says this was a break-in and an an arson. Details below.

A police officer at the scene told CHS that the fire was first spotted just after 2:30 AM when an SPD officer on patrol noticed smoke rising from the multi-story building at 19th and Madison.

Streets around the area were closed during the multiple-unit SFD response that quickly brought the fire quickly under control.

The Alano Club struggled with its finances last summer and turned to the community in a last-minute effort to raise $15,000 to continue operating. The group's organizers told CHS the successful fundraising effort would allow them to support more than 60 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings around the Hill...

The resurgence in six-story, mixed-use development construction around Capitol Hill also has a planning wave. One of those rather large, early ripples is starting at Madison and 19th's Mt. Zion Baptist Church. CHS has learned that the spiritual organization -- and holder of a significant amount of area property -- has begun work on a new master plan for the "Mount Zion Campus" along 19th Ave.

Plans for the re-development Mt. Zion are moving along, and developers tell us they plan to hold a public meeting in April. Plans for the new campus at Madison and 19th Ave are "not quite ready for public consumption," said Sam Cameron from Rolluda Architects, which is working with the Church on its plans.

A project model from a 2001 study (pictured on this post) shows plans for two new buildings in addition to the two currently on the grounds as well as the construction of structured parking. Cameron was formerly with Streeter & Associates, a partner with DKA on the 2001 project. The new Master Plan for the...

As we were reporting on the opening of a furniture shop on Madison Tuesday, tipster Residual alerted us that vintage shop That's Atomic at E Olive Way and E Howell is closing. Owner Pam Garl confirmed that the shop would be shuttering it's doors April 14.

Hand-painted signs have been hung in the windows announcing the impending closure. Garl declined to speak at the time about the shop's reasons for closing.

Things are a little noisy over at Analog Coffee right now.

The cafe, located on the corner of Summit Avenue East and East Thomas Street, is just a walk-up shop right now, open in the mornings. Owners Tim Hayden and Danny Hanlon are busy behind the fake walls getting ready for the main event: when they’ll be able to open a sit-down coffee shop. Tim and Danny have been talking about opening a coffee shop in Seattle for a while now, but until they found the empty old gym on Summit Avenue, it had not been a reality. "People weren't sure we were going to do it, actually open our own coffee shop," says Hanlon.

I sat down with them on a Sunday afternoon when they were taking a break from putting up drywall ceilings.  “We wanted to build our personal vision of the best coffee shop we could imagine. A neighborhood shop that has the best coffee in Seattle,” said Hayden. “This is the only coffee shop we will ever own, and we want to get it right,” Hanlon told me.

Getting it right definitely appears to be keeping it simple....

Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again

Thursday is drunk people amateur hour but we're guessing you can find a watering hole where you can enjoy the extra pint or three. With some changes with our pals over at TheSunBreak, we're shifting our weekly On the List to a more Hill-centric compilation of get-out-and-do. Have something to add? Put your events on the CHS Calendar (yeah, we're fixing the weird March date bug soon -- entries are right, calendar view is showing dates on wrong day of week!) or send a note to chs@capitolhillseattle.com.

Wednesday, March 16

• 1650 East Olive Way Design Review Meeting, 8 PM at Seattle U
• Lenten Worship at 11th Ave's Central Lutheran Church

Thursday, March 17
Non-drinking first:

• March Community Council meeting, 7-9 PM at Cal Anderson Shelter House

Drinking!

• Elysian Brewing

St. Paddy's Day food and drink specials at Tangletown and Capitol Hill food specials starting Thurs. ... we recommend accompanying with some creamy nitrogen-poured Daedalus Irish Stout.

• The BottleNeck

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at The O'BottleNeck! Thursday, March 17 Join us this Thursday as we celebrate one of our very favorite holidays! We've got a truckload of Guinness chilling and Ireland's own Harp Lager on draft. Sure we'll be serving corned beef on rye with the traditional cabbage but this year (hey veggie pals) we'll also be featuring The Dubliner: a delicious hot pretzel smothered in Irish Cheddar and served with two types of mustard. Doors at 4 PM No Cover Get here early and get a table!!

• Vermillion

FFOK presents ST. PATTY'S DAY FFOK hosted by LUCKY, THE LEPRECHAUN MESSIAH

Well, HOY TA-TOY TA-TOY! The next FRANCES FARMER ORGAN KARAOKE falls square on the drunken head of ST. PATTY’S DAY – this Thursday, March 17th (9pm – 1am at Vermillion Gallery and Bar, 1508 11th Ave). Please: BE CAREFUL. Every FFOK feels like St. Patty’s Day, so combining them like this is like lighting up a big fat Cuban cigar at the Fireworks Factory. Seattle Fire, Police, and Sanitation crews have been notified about this upcoming event, so your safety is insured.

• Lobby Seattle

The Lobby is hosting the Gaelic Gays for St. Patrick's Day.  Below is a link to their invite.
 
http://www.facebook.com/thelobbyseattle/posts/201647406525536?ref=notif¬if_t=like#!/event.php?eid=199145690098018
 
Expect drink specials, DJ Joy spinning into the night, new t-shirts for purchase and, of course, the annual Limerick Contest!

Your suggested donation* at the door gets you a new SLAP koozy and a gold coin for a FREE green beer to get your night started right.

The Lobby will be serving a special St. Patty's menu of corned beef, mashed potatoes, as well as their usual fare.

* All proceeds from the door will benefit the local documentary and training film reteaching gender & sexuality: PUT THIS ON THE {MAP}

We look forward to seeing you there!

• Other Coast

We've got some tasty housecooked corned beef lined up for St. Patrick's Day...and be sure to save room for our St. Patty's Day Next Day Hangover Sandwich...

• Twilight Exit

Any plans for St Patty's day? Well come on down to Twilight for St Patrick's day! $5 Car Bombs! $5 Jameson! $8 Jameson and Guinness!

• Century Ballroom

Looking for a great way to spend St. Paddy's day? Join us for Urban Square Dance this Thursday for a special St. Paddy's Day Dance!

Irish Ceili & Set Dances called by Alicia Guinn

Old-Time Square Dances called by Charmaine Slaven

All dances taught, no experience needed! Live Dance Music by The Tallboys. 8:30PM, 21+

• Roanoke Park Place

In honor of St. Paddy's Day on Thursday, we'll have Jameson, Bushmills, Guinness and Harp specials AND delicious Ruebens til they're gone!

• Rain Shadow Meats

Our House Cured Corned Beef Briskets are finally ready and delicous. Cooked one earlier this week and I am very happy with it. We have about 350lb. all ready to go. Hopefully this will get us through St. Paddy's day. $6.99/LB.

• Captain Blacks

Oh yeah and we are having our annual St Pattys Day party. I wanna know where the gold at part 2. Come do the damn Irish Thing. Specials on Jameson and Guiness plus other Irish type things

• Faire Gallery turns 5

We are officially 5 years old on the 17th. Come celebrate with us. We have Whitney Monge' performing and and $5 Guinesss or $5 Shots of Jameson and $5 Boiler Makers.

• Silver Cloud Broadway Hotel

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Tomorrow, Jimmy's on Broadway will be serving traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. Add a Guinness to your order and enjoy a celebration of Irish/American heritage! Don't forget to wear green!

• Miss Oblivious release of Teflon Sister Zine at the Comet

Friday, March 18

• Womans' Century Club monthly luncheon

Saturday March 19

• Washington Stands with Planned Parenthood at Cal Anderson Park
• Seattle Type-In
• BOYlesque 101 Winter Graduation Recital
• STIFF Annual Pub Crawl on Capitol Hill

The 7th annual Seattle's True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) is right around the corner. This is shaping up to be another great festival. We've received lots of great films and we are starting to lock down the details on our bands and comedians as well. Please come join us for our annual pub crawl to celebrate and support the arts. Your $20 donation will get you into the pub crawl, a 2011 STIFF T-Shirt, the warm feeling of... knowing that you have given to the local art scene here in Seattle and you'll also receive a wristband which will give you access to all the great drink specials. Starts at the Unicorn at 3pm, before hitting up Vermillion, Barca, The Cha Cha, Linda's, R Place, and ending at the Capitol Club from 10pm to close.

Sunday, March 20

• Dr. Sketchy's Figure Drawing Aerialist Quynbi

Monday, March 21

• CHS neighbor night at Monsoon (RSVP today :) )
• UNICEF TAP PROJECT Launch Event at Cafe Presse

It's getting late in the game to influence the design of the development destined to create a new home for B&O Espresso and 78 units of housing at 1650 East Olive Way but there's still time to have your say Wednesday night as the Capitol Hill Design Review Board holds its second session providing feedback and guidance on the project.

We've included the notes from the first review board session, below, as well as the original project packet provided by architects Nicholson Kovalchick. The 6-story project has been on a multi-year odyssey through the city's development process as neighbors rallied to contain a massive development in their midst. Still, opposition exists.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposal is for a six-story, 78-unit residential building with 3,600 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant and two live-work units at ground floor (totaling 5,600 sq. ft.).  Review includes 11,190 sq. ft. demolition of existing structures.  Parking for 52 vehicles will be located below grade.

PROCESS

The applicant has applied for Design Review related to development of this site.  At the Design Review Board meeting the applicant will present information about the proposed design and how it responds to the Design Guideline priorities established at the Early Design Guidance Board meeting on April 19, 2006, January 21, 2009 and March 4, 2009 and Recommendation meeting on January 19, 2011, regarding this site.  The public may offer comments regarding the proposed design; and the Design Review Board members will offer to the Director of the Department of Planning and Development their recommendations regarding the design.

MEETING

Date:             Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Time:             08:00 p.m.

Location:       Seattle University Alumni Relations and Admissions Building

                      824 12th Ave

                      Meeting Room

In a recent comment posted to CHS, architect Veleta Witcraft posted an appeal for the design of the building to, among other things, do more to protect views from Capitol Hill:

...it has been pointed out to me that the building going up at the old B&O property will block the water view down to about 20% of what you can see now from Broadway. Goodbye Space Needle, goodbye mountains. The "view corridor" rules seem to have been overlooked until the last minute and are now being ignored.

You used to be able to see Lake Union as you moved along Westlake; now it's hidden behind condos so only a few get the lovely view. This is happening all over the City. If you want to comment on Broadway losing it's views you can chime in with others who sent this to the Mayor:

Dear Mayor McGinn,

We are writing to inform you of an upcoming Department of Planning and Development Master Use Permit Decision that will allow a new mixed-use development (apartments over commercial and parking) to block most of a SEPA-protected public view of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and the downtown skyline along the designated East Olive Way Scenic Route.

The Seattle Municipal Code (25.05.675 P., Public View Protection) states:

· “Seattle has a magnificent natural setting of greenery, mountains, and water; visual amenities and opportunities are an integral part of the City’s environmental quality.”

· “It is the City’s policy to protect public views of significant natural and human-made features:...the Olympic… Mountains, the downtown skyline, and major bodies of water including Puget Sound…from public places consisting of the specified viewpoints, parks, scenic routes and view corridors, identified in Attachment 1.” (Olive Way is shown in Attachment 1 as a designated “protected view right-of-way”.) (Non-relevant text has been omitted here.)

· “The decisionmaker may condition or deny a proposal to eliminate or reduce its adverse impacts on designated public views…”

· “Mitigation measures may include, but are not limited to: requiring a change in the height of the development; requiring a change in the bulk of the development; requiring a redesign of the profile of the development; requiring on-site view corridors or requiring enhancements to off-site view corridors; relocating the project on the site…”

The proposed development is shown in the attached “Before & After Views” images. These images were prepared by the developer’s architect and submitted to DPD as part of a required analysis of impacts to the existing scenic view. The hand-written notes in red are from our public comments submitted to DPD. The current proposed build-out to be approved by DPD is shown in the lower left corner, noted “View reduced to 30% of current view.” (The build-out to be approved would chamfer the southwest corner of the building, instead of removing 5 feet along East Olive Way as noted, but the resulting amount of view blocked/preserved is the same. The chamfer is the proposed mitigation that DPD intends to approve.)

We feel that DPD’s decision to allow this proposed project to block 70% of the existing public view is:

· An inappropriate and highly unfortunate loss of a legislated community asset

· The privatization of a public amenity protected through legislation

· Very shortsighted, sacrificing the long-term benefit to the city’s residents, visitors and tourists for the short-term benefit of the developer and a handful of apartment dwellers fortunate enough to live in one of the west facing apartments.

· Most importantly, not complying with the legislated intent of this SEPA regulation: to preserve the public view that is “an integral part of the City’s environmental quality” (per SEPA 25.05.675 P.)

Consider how many people now use this heavily-trafficked public right-of-way and how many more will use this right-of-way once the new Light Rail station is completed at Broadway and East Olive Way/East John Street, and how wonderful it would be for all who will enter/exit the new light rail station to see the magnificent view of Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound instead of an apartment building that is blocking nearly all of this spectacular western view.

We strongly encourage you to take the time to visit this location on a clear day and walk west on E. Olive Way from Broadway near the current light rail construction site at Broadway and E. John to experience first hand what the loss of this beautiful legislated, protected view would mean to the neighborhood, the Capitol Hill community and the entire city when the development is built as proposed and as DPD currently intends to approve. There are only 2 designated, protected scenic routes looking west from Capitol Hill. This building, if built as proposed, would eliminate virtually half of those views.

We are also attaching two zoomed-in photos of the view, taken by us, which better show the mountains. In ‘Current View 1’ the new building would block all of the view on the right side of the photo, and extend approximately as far left as the short sign in the pedestrian island (next to the red parked car) in the middle of the street.

Thank you for your consideration on this issue and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We would also appreciate knowing if you intend to take any action on this matter.

This is an incredible, magnificent view, especially when the mountains are visible and we want to be sure you know about this upcoming DPD decision to allow a legally protected public View Corridor to be blocked by a new building.

The report from the first Capitol Hill Design Review session is below. It outlines the changes in the 1650 East Olive Way project design recommended by the board -- including specific guidance related to preserving the Olive Way view:

The Board requested that the setbacks relate to material changes. The Belmont Ave setback in the MR zone did not appear to be meaningful. It should be greater and in keeping with the residential quality of the street. The MR zone should be acknowledged. In addition, the Board asked the architect to revisit the setback at the northeast corner which comprises a clearstory. The Board also discussed whether setbacks should occur at significant material changes.

DRReport3002133AgendaID3134 1650_E_Olive_Way_Design

Meanwhile, a South Lake Union community group is reaching out to Capitol Hill residents to get involved in the discussions about new zoning heights in the neighborhood and their impact on views from our neighborhood. This CHS community post details the situation for our neighbors to the west. A public hearing on the changes is slated for Marc 28th.

There are signs that a hookah lounge, Dominic Holden's favorite walk-up curry window and people living in 11 apartment units will soon be looking for new homes. There are no approved demolition or construction permits yet but the first physical manifestations of the 1111 East Union redevelopment project are appearing in the peculiar triangle lot at the intersection of Union, Madison and 12th Ave.

We reported back in August on the re-birth of the project that will replace the legendary but dilapidated Undre Arms Apartments building, the former paint store-turned smoking clubCobra Lounge and the Thai Curry Simple walk-up that filled in the shuttered coffee hutch on the lot last fall.

Tuesday morning, a crew began drilling bores at the site for soil samples as part of the process for determining if construction of the 6-story, 105-unit mixed-used development including two levels of underground parking can move forward, according to one of the workers. The underground parking, by the way, is the biggest change in the construction permit application from the design process when the developer was only talking fewer than 20 parking spots. The new plan calls for nearly 80.

Meanwhile, last week, a memorial to a slain SPD officer was removed from the site. In 1984, officer Nick Davis was killed on duty and a memorial was created near the spot where he died. The East Precinct command tells us the 1000-pound memorial is safely stored away and will be on display at the SPD museum and that Davis's son was on hand to help with the move. According to a representative from Washington State Concerns of Police Survivors, a group for families of slain Washington law enforcement officers, the Davis family decided to have the memorial moved due to uncertainty about returning the stones and placard to the site after construction.

For residents of the Undre Arms, 11 of the 14 apartment units are currently inhabited according to filings with the city. The permits to move the tenants and begin demolition have not yet been approved.

Erin Cobb of the Cobra Lounge says the buildings are slated to be torn down "in a few months." We asked him what he plans to do with the Cobra with the impending demolition approaching. "Just trying to move somewhere on the hill," Cobb wrote.

Also no word on where the Stranger's Dominic Holden will get his lunch once work on the site begins.

Seattle Police received multiple reports from people who believed they heard gunshots early Tuesday morning in the vicinity of Cal Anderson Park including one report of 20 bangs that rang out in the night. But the explosions had a more pedestrian explanation. According to police radio, an officer found the remains of exploded fireworks in the area of Seven Hills Park at 16th and Howell and could still smell the sulfur in the air when she found the culprits and sent them home.

CHS received several notes from readers about the sounds. Thanks for the notes, Now you know.

We don't know as much about the broken window and police at the scene later Tuesday morning at 15th and Pine's Anchovies & Olives. We're looking into the situation to find out if there's any connection to the fireworks or if is merely a coincidence of geography.

So far, 2011 has been a year of shovels and dirt when it comes to Capitol Hill redevelopment plans. CHS has reported on a roster of projects that are beginning or about to begin demolition that seems to grow nearly every week. Here is news of a project in a different phase in the heart of Pike/Pine -- an early phase that might never lead to digging. The Winston Apartments building, home to the Wildrose, the Hot House spa and 20 residential units is for sale. The price for nearly 6,000 square feet of Pike/Pine? $4.65 million.

Winston owner Anne Michelson tells CHS she's hoping to sell to a like-minded owner -- presumably, not somebody who thinks with their shovel.

"I am hoping to find a buyer for the Winston who is sympathetic to this Artsy/alternative oriented neighborhood and who is preservation minded," Michelson writes. "There are people like that out there and if I don't find one, I will keep the Winston and that is good too."

Michelson bought the wood-frame building in 1999 for just under $2 million. According...

Exterior Corridor North (Images: John Feit)

Architecture comes in all shapes and sizes, and from all periods of history. Capitol Hill is fortunate to have a fairly good representation of many historic and contemporary designs. Although most of the buildings in our neighborhood  can be loosely grouped together into any number of ‘styles’, there are subsets within these larger categories that may have only a few, or perhaps only one representative. The novelty of singularity may at first draw one’s attention, but good design is what sustains interest after the initial infatuation has passed.

Good design is indeed the case with a modest little building on 231 Summit Avenue East, mid-block between John and Thomas Streets, a building which combines an unusual design approach (for our Capitol Hill) with good design, a design more likely being found on that other Capitol Hill, the one on the Potomac.

Oblique Elevation

My education as an architect and that of the majority of my colleagues did not delve into historical ‘styles’ or the vernacular. The history of architecture I was taught presented a building within the cultural context and time within which it was conceived, as well the underlying environmental and technological forces key to its formation.  The teaching of ‘styles’ and a formal-based approach to design — and by formal I mean divorcing a building’s execution from the above mentioned narratives and emphasizing form (geometry, scale, and proportion) — was largely dismissed. Older generations of architects, however, received an education that was style based, resulting in buildings being designed with an emphasis on principles that had been vetted through many centuries of practice; however, while oftentimes visually pleasing, such form-based design was not always grounded within its cultural-time. The teaching of styles had its roots in the European academies, especially in France at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and exercised a tremendous impact on early American architecture that continued through the beginnings of the twentieth century, where its force was greatest on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and was slowly diluted as one headed west.

Exterior Corridor South

Two-hundred thirty-one East Summit falls within the Beaux-Arts approach. The composition of its street elevation — and a composition indeed it is — has a formality and understanding of proportion and decorative motifs that indicate an aesthetic rooted in the cultural influences of the East Coast, rather than in the ‘pioneer’ aesthetic of the Pacific Northwest. Its materials and details are further revealing, including fair-faced (and very red) brick, instead of the more rustic materials common to NW design (think of Anhalt’s clinker bricks), as well as terra-cotta trim with thematic elements derived not from nature, but from a pedagogy emphasizing  geometric purity and crispness. The openings if horizontal are sub-divided by windows that have a human (vertical) proportion, or are simply vertical themselves. The exterior corridor/colonnade harkens to east coast cities such as (the other) Georgetown or colonial Boston, cities whose original densities are similar to our Capitol Hill but were built of brick instead of wood (as a means to suppress fire) in a proximity close enough to each other to lead to the development of colonnades, allowing light to penetrate deeper into the building and giving merchants greater venue within which to display their wares.

Exterior Corridor North

Built in 1925, the architects who designed this handsome little building were not doubt educated and well versed in these older traditions. The faithful and skilled execution of 231 to its guiding design principles makes it a welcomed contributor to the built quality of our neighborhood, and holds many a lesson for architects today, in a tidy, easily digestible package. And though I have both feet firmly planted in the modernist tradition, that tradition’s emphasis on continual re-invention and emphasis on originality often comes at the expense of the good for the interesting. Irrespective of one’s particular design preferences, we can all learn from buildings such as 231 that are first good, with a little interest added for zest. That so much thought was spent on a very small building makes it even more precious, for similar to the cottages I wrote of several weeks ago, one would be hard pressed to find such a small (or even large), well-crafted building constructed today, ranking it amongst my favorite little anomalies on our Hill.

John Feit is an architect on Capitol Hill, and works at Schemata Workshop. He blogs frequently on design and urbanism, with a focus on how they relate to and effect the Capitol Hill community.

Despite ongoing budget challenges on the operations side of things, thanks to the Parks and Green Space Levy, the city still has money to acquire and develop new park land. After Thursday's meeting of the City Council's parks committee, Capitol Hill and the Central District might have five new green spaces in motion including a new park at 19th and Madison and an injection of cash to boost an effort to build Jimi Hendrix Park next to the Northwest African American Museum.

5. C.B.117122
Relating to the Opportunity Fund category of the 2008 Parks and
Green Spaces Levy; accepting the recommendations of the 2008 Parks
and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee; authorizing the
acquisition of real property commonly known as 18th Ave. SW & SW
Brandon St. (Puget Ridge Edible Park) and 19th and Madison
Neighborhood Park; authorizing acceptance of the deeds for open
space, park, and recreation purposes; amending the 2011 Adopted
Budget and 2011-2016 Capital Improvement Program; and increasing
appropriations in connection thereto; and ratifying and confirming
certain prior acts, all by a three-fourths vote of the City
Council.
BRIEFING, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE

Presenters: Christopher Williams, Acting Superintendent, and Kevin
Stoops, Director, Planning and Development Division, Seattle Parks
and Recreation;
Pete Spalding, Levy Oversight Committee; Norm Schwab, Council
Central Staff

More than $2 million in new park space across Capitol Hill and the Central District will be on the table Thursday afternoon as the City Council committee considers recommendations for the latest round of Opportunity Fund projects.

John Street

Here are details and previous coverage of some of the recommended projects that made the final list of 15:

• John Street Enhancement project -- $260,000: "This proposal enhances the new park and P-patch by adding a bioswale, planting area and providing better pedestrian connections." CHS wrote about the plan here.
• McGilvra Place Green Infrastructure -- $364,000: "The project proposes closure of 15th Ave between E Madison St and E Pike St and modifications to the existing park for the creation of bioretention cells and rain gardens to accept runoff from the Cascadia Center’s new building to the east." We wrote about a study of the existing pocket park here.

Seattle Parks Foundation is backing the project:

In 2010, Seattle Parks Foundation entered into a fiscal sponsorship for the creation of the McGilvra Place Park Green Infrastructure Project.  This project will restore an underutilized .06 acre park as part of the Bullitt Foundation’s Cascadia Center Green Infrastructure Project.  The proposed restoration of McGilvra Park will create pedestrian-friendly neighborhood space, activate an existing neighborhood park, and advance urban sustainability goals.  The project will complement the Cascadia Center project as a demonstration site for green stormwater infrastructure, natural drainage systems and permeable pavement.  It could potentially become the first landscape project to meet the The Living Building Challenge, the highest benchmark in sustainability.

Meanwhile, this is our first opportunity to describe the concept for a new space to be acquired at 19th and Madison:

• 19th & Madison Neighborhood Park -- $473,000: "The intent of this project is to create a beautiful, tranquil green oasis in an urban setting, including a sensory garden and a community gathering space on what is currently a vacant lot." At one point, a group was trying to build a parkour park at that location. Central District News wrote about the project here.

Farther into the Central District, two projects are up for a portion of the $7 million in funding.

• Jimi Hendrix Park Development -- $500,000: "The goal of this project is to complete the development of the park, bringing to life an open green space that is welcoming and provides an unique experience which clearly defines its namesake. CONDITIONAL: A comprehensive design plan must be developed and approved by Parks before any elements are constructed." Central District News wrote about the project here.
• James Court Woonerf -- $500,000: "The goal is to convert an existing street and sidewalk into a green, pervious [sic] space which invites and accommodates uses by people on foot instead of only cars. It would be adjacent to the newly acquired 12th Ave Park which is in the planning stage."

One interesting aspect for the five central Seattle projects that made the list is that two of them weren't going to make the Opportunity Fund cut before a public hearing on the recommendation list last October. Prior to October's session the McGilvra project ranked in the middle of the pack when the projects were considered by the fund's selection committee. Same goes for the Hendrix park development proposal. But both projects brought out a crowd of supporters to Miller Community Center for the October meeting. On Thursday, the City Council is likely to move both forward toward reality.

Below we've embedded the Council's memo on the Opportunity Fund roster which includes details of the selection criteria. We've also included a full list of recommended projects across the entire city.

parks20110310_5 1st_round_final_list

No, this is not a sad attempt by CHS to secure an ad campaign from a local security company. Instead, file this under lessons learned and actions taken. You might recall this January incident in which a burglar made off with booze and cash after busting into a restaurant near 14th and Union fitting the description of recent transplant Marjorie. Well, early last Friday morning in the dark of night, it sounds like the same bad guy tried it again. Only this time

On 3/4/11, at about 0105hrs, I was working uniformed patrol as 3E24 when I was dispatched to 14   E Union St to investigate a Burglary.  I arrived on scene with additional Officers and spoke with C/   who reported the following: he is the manager of "  " a bar/restaurant.  He stated that the alarm company called about a motion sensor.  He showed me a window on the west side of the building that had been shattered.  He had not searched the building.

Officers searched the building but did not locate anyone inside.  I did not observe any items disturbed within the building.  C/   also looked throughout the building and did not notice anything missing.  A similar Burglary occurred a few months prior in which a subject broke the window  and stole alcohol.  They did not have an audible alarm during that burglary.  C/   hypothesized that the same Burglar probably returned and heard the audible alarm so he fled without stealing anything.

I did not locate any usable latent prints on site.

Josh Henderson, king of the skillet (Images: Suzi Pratt)

It's been one hell of a road trip for the leader of Seattle's street food revolution and, if his plans for Skillet Diner are any indication, Josh Henderson is ready to pull the rig over for the night and put down some neighborhood roots.

"This is about having a stable environment for our brand and our offerings," Henderson said as he gave CHS a tour of the in-progress creation of Skillet's new diner in the southwest corner of the Chloe building's retail space.

"We want to be part of the neighborhood -- in the morning, in the afternoon and at night."

The new Skillet space is nowhere near complete but the first fixed-place restaurant created by Henderson's high-flying company is coming together quickly. Opening day should come sometime in April. Or maybe it will be opening morning.

"We'll have a stand-up espresso bar for people to start their day with," Henderson said. Skillet will open every morning at 7 AM and Henderson would like nothing more than a busy crowd of locals standing at the bar, getting their caffeine and morning news fix before heading into the neighborhood to begin their workdays.

Or maybe it will be an opening night. Henderson plans to keep Skillet open to midnight most nights and 2 AM on the weekends. After last call, he hopes the Pike/Pine party crowd will make a tradition of the short hike over to 14th and Union to visit Skillet's poutinery walk-up.

Inside the under-construction diner, between conversations about important things like drink tray placement, Henderson shows off pieces of the materials that will be used on the restaurant's immense counter and comfy booths. 1979 Frigidaire green dominates. It's a good color for Skillet -- familiar, traditional but in a new place and in a new way. Skillet's street menu has been built the same way. Henderson says the only difference in the diner will be scale -- "The menu is going to be big!" -- and technical ambition. Outside the confines of the Airstream, Skillet's crew will have more room to roam. Seattle foodies got a preview last fall as Henderson alpha tested his expanded menu at the Mt. Baker Community Club.

Henderson, though, hopes to keep things close to home. "I'd love for us to be a neighborhood place and filled with people who live here," he said. He picked up two of the skillets given to him in a drive being promoted in Skillet's newsletter. Give Skillet your pan and you'll get a $40 gift certificate. The donations, Henderson says, will be displayed on the east wall of the diner by the dozens -- a wall of skillets.

There are still weeks of work before that wall is unveiled, however. Skillet's street crew is still on the road -- across the street from the construction every Wednesday for lunch, by the way. And even when the permanent space is open, Skillet's road trip won't really end. "A lot of this will be a nod to our past," Henderson said. "We just needed space."

This might be the perfect project for a not-so-spring-y March weekend. Monday at 5 PM is the deadline for entries for the first ever Pie Slam event to be held at the first ever sweets, cakes and cookies-inspired art and gift shop in the world, East Pine's CakeSpy.

We don't know what the Venn diagram of people skilled in the art of baking and the art of word looks like but we're assuming that, if that sweet spot exists, it exists on Capitol Hill.

Also, by the way, if you're making big plans for the official intergalactic pie day of March 14th, remember that CHS advertiser High 5 Pie will have its pocket "flipside" pies selling like hotcakes for $3.14 on that happy Monday.

Details from 'Spy's Jessie Oleson on the big contest inside the little shop, below. You can RSVP here via Facebook.

Cake and Pie Peace Talks Result in Seattle’s First Pie Slam

Seattle, WA – While the media has been heralding the demise of the cupcake and the ascension of pie – two Seattle bakers have come together in peace to hold Seattle’s first writing and baking contest – the Seattle Pie Slam.

Jessie Oleson, artist and blogger of CakeSpy fame, and Wendy Sykes, owner of the baking business Four and 20 Blackbirds decided there was no room for malice in the world of dessert and came up with the concept of a Pie Slam.

“It’s a writing contest and a pie contest, all baked into one,” said Sykes. “The concept is loosely based on a poetry slam, but in this contest the plot must contain pie. And the writer/baker is judged not only on the content and quality of the story -– but also on the quality of the pie.”

The Details

While entry is free, space is LIMITED! So whether you'd like to perform or just attend, be sure to RSVP via email to jessieoleson@gmail.com.

When: Monday, March 14th, 6:30pm

Where: CakeSpy, 415 E Pine St., Seattle WA 98122 (space is limited)

What: Be prepared to eat their words!

It’s Seattle’s first Pie Slam, where judges decide who has the best story, and the best recipe – all baked into one contest.

Pie Slam Rules, based on rules from Poetryslam.com

Each story must be of the writer's own construction;

Each writer gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one

story. If the writer goes over time, points will be deducted from the total score.

Of the scores the writer received from the five judges, the high and low scores

are dropped and the middle three are added together, giving the writer a total

score of 0-30.

Recipes:

Recipe does not have to original, but must be made from scratch.

Contest Rules

Pie must be mentioned in a way that is intrinsic to the story, not peripheral (as in, “…and then he had a piece of pie.”

Writing submissions must be acceptable for a mixed-age, family event. Keep it clean folks!

Submissions must be entered in digital form, including recipe, by 5pm Monday, March 7th, or will not be considered.

Pies/desserts must be dropped off at CakeSpy on Monday, March 14th between 4pm to 6pm

Plates/desserts must be clearly marked with entrants name and phone number.

Please bring knife/serving tools if needed.

For more details on entry rules, prizes and judges, email jessieoleson@gmail.com!

The Seattle Police Department is investigating the circumstance surrounding this week's home invasion robbery on East Madison where an armed robber and two accomplices made off with "a large amount" of illegal drugs.

According to SPD, responding officers to the Monday night robbery in a home near Madison and 23rd found narcotics at the scene including marijuana and cocaine. Because of the ongoing investigation, SPD will not say how much coke was ripped off by the gunman and his helpers but we have been told that the heist involved a significant amount of narcotics.

There have been no arrests related to the case involving the robbery suspects or the people living in the home.

One of the residents was pistol whipped during the robbery. Another was missing for a short time but turned up later Monday night.

A witness saw three black males running southbound on 24th Ave from Madison around 9:45 PM Monday night -- one was wearing a red hoodie, one a dark jacket and one a white "winter" jacket with a blue stripe. The suspect...

Two people were injured and police say a "large amount of drugs" were stolen in a Monday night home invasion robbery near 23rd Ave and Madison. The SPD brief on the incident is below. We're continuing to gather information on the hold-up and will update if we learn more:

On February 28th, at approximately 9:45 PM, East Precinct officers responded to a call of an armed robbery in a residence in the 2300 Block of East Madison Street.  Officers contacted the victims who told them that at about 9:15 PM, three black males wearing masks had forced their way into the residence.  At least one of the suspects was armed with a handgun. 

The suspects demanded to know where the drugs were kept and began ransacking the residence.  The suspect with the gun used it to hit two of the occupants of the residence.  The suspects then fled  after taking a large amount of drugs from the victims.  Seattle Fire responded to the scene to treat the two victims for their superficial head injuries, but none of the victims required any further treatment.  It is believed that this particular residence was targeted for the drugs kept inside.  Detectives will follow up on this case.

Who's hungry? If you have a bit to share, send us mail at chs@capitolhillseattle.com

• The legal storm clouds over the displaced Grey Gallery have finally cleared and Grey owner Erik Guttridge sounds relieved to be moving on. In September, CHS reported on a $80,000 lawsuit filed against Guttridge by Matt Basta, the owner of the 11th Ave building Grey used to call home. According to court documents, the lawsuit was settled in late January with Basta agreeing to drop the suit. Guttridge tells CHS he has no interest in taking any legal action against Basta and is ready to move on to finding a new home for Grey Gallery now that the legal wrangling is behind him. "I'm committed to making this a positive experience, for me and for Grey, in the long run," he writes. In the meantime, Grim's has settled in on 11th Ave.
• Congratulation, again, to Lobby Bar for their selection as the Greater Seattle Business Association's new business of the year. Owners Curtis Bigelow and Paul Villa received their award from 2009 winner Poppy's Jerry Traunfeld at Saturday night's awards dinner.
• One of the most important addresses in Seattle speakeasy and African American history is about to become an Irish pub. Seattle Met has the details on The Chieftain destined for 908 12th Ave across from Seattle University. In its prohibition era heyday, Doc Hamilton's became a Seattle legend at that address. Last we heard, the space had been planned as a Middle Eastern restaurant.
• What else is brewing on 12th Ave? Ginger beer, says Seattle Times.
• Seattle Weekly says CHS advertiser Big Mario's has the best restaurant mascot in the city. Take that, Kidd Valley girl.
• You ever hear the rumor of who the Kidd Valley girl model was? Or is, really.
• Puget Sound Business Journal finds city's next food trends including the settling down of street food as embodied by Skillet's diner under construction on 14th Ave.

• Want to be a head cook at a busy Capitol Hill gay bar? Craigslist is hiring.
• More Craigslist. Do you know this "Capitol Hill Turn-Key Restaurant and Bar?"

  Unique opportunity to purchase turn-key restaurant in Capitol Hill. Ideal for chef/owner, bring your own ideas! Approx 2,450 SF of restaurant space + 322 office. Seating capacity for 98 + additional patio seating. Full bar and kitchen with class I hood. Operable windows and high ceilings. Dinerware POS system with (2) terminals. Cutting edge 100% digital video distribution system includes (5) plasma displays fed by high definition 1080p digital matrix.

  
  Ignore the listing photo -- pretty sure it's a bogus prop shot. We've talked to a few potential candidates but nobody is owning up to the "for sale" post. $225,000 if you are interested. Give Laura Miller at Catalyst a call.
• Thundering Hooves isn't really on the CHS beat but we might have to dig in find out what's up. Here's yet another Hill-related note about issues with the natural meat provider.
• Want Thai delivered on Hill? Here's a tip.
• Capitol Hill inspires Los Angeles "coffee row."
• Capitol Hill Preparedness People are holding their first ever Disaster Cocktails event Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at Rosebud. Learn about emergency preparedness, have a drink.
• Speaking of Rosebud, CHS found a live jazz trio playing for their brunch crowd Saturday morning.
• Alarm scares off East Pine bar burglar.
• Pike Street Beer has a buyer.
• CHS advertiser High 5 Pie celebrates Pi Day on March 14, with $3.14 Flipsides.
• Join us for a CHS happy hour at Bimbos Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM (you can swing by the Disaster Cocktail event too).

A group of around 30 people clad in black, most with masks and bandanas over their faces burst onto Broadway in anger Saturday night, blocking traffic, throwing flares, rocks and traffic cones, tagging with spray-paint, attempting to break windows and even setting off a fire extinguisher in a 10-minute melee that ended as quickly as it began.

A group was seen marching up Pine around 9:20 PM Saturday, according to Seattle Police Department radio reports. Responding police units drove behind the group as it turned north up Broadway and continued throwing objects at the cruisers. Cap to the Hill blog has posted pictures of damage in the area.

Just after 9:30 PM as the group continued its march on Broadway leaving traffic cones strewn about and minor damage to buildings and walls, the crowd suddenly dispersed in a cloud of fire extinguisher smoke.

As people ran from the scene, SPD made three arrests, according to police radio.

February has been a month of protest for Capitol Hill as the Ian Birk situation has inspired...

A reminder to join the rally for women's rights -- or at least wear orange -- Saturday as the Walk for Choice rally and march gathers starting at noon in Seattle Central's plaza at Pine and Broadway. The group plans to march on the clear, crisp freezing! day to Westlake Center where the rally will continue through 3 PM. More details here http://walk4choicesea.tumblr.com/

Those looking for more to do this weekend can check out our latest CHS On the List from our friends at TheSunBreak.com -- free 14th anniversary bash at Century Ballroom and a Capitol Hill health and wellness fair are part of the fun. You can also be in a music video. Busy weekend!

UPDATE: Expect snowflakes. National Weather Service says chance of snow through the day increasing tonight before 10 PM. Current temperatures are in the mid-20s so bundle up. Predictions are for very light snow so hopefully the precipitation only adds charm to the setting. Stay warm.

The last time we did this, it turned out pretty well. Local rockers Viper Creek Club are looking for people to appear in their music video on Saturday -- cool CHS people like you, especially. Here's the note from Mat:

Viper Creek Club "Eliza" from Thomas Price on Vimeo.

This is just a quick email to announce the video shoot for the music video for our second single off "Letters" for the song "Soft Spots In The Dark". Our last music video for "Eliza" we had the pleasure of throwing an open party where we met a lot of new friends who were included as extras in the video. We were hoping to do the same for this video.

This is 100% storyline video, and we could use, and would welcome, extras at the following locations:

Saturday, 2/26

7am - 11am  Victrola Coffee  (411 15th Ave E)

11am - 3pm  Sonic Boom   (1525 Melrose Ave)

Monday, 2/28

7pm - 11pm  Fado Irish Pub   (801 1st Ave)

We are hoping to release prior to SXSW, but it all depends on editing :) If you'd like any more info,...

Pike/Pine's poster wall is going to be a busy place this summer. A flurry of activity involving city paperwork this week and an expected invitation from the Feds has the development project that will engulf and incorporate a 1916 brick building at the corner of 11th and Pine on track for the first walls to come down and the first shovels to dig in sometime this spring or summer.

This week, the city's Department of Planning and Development conditionally approved the master use permit for the Sunset Electric project, an ambitious mixed-use development powered by new zoning rules in Pike/Pine and, it is planned, the federal HUD 221d program, which guarantees mortgage loans on rental and cooperative housing projects. Meanwhile, the project has also applied for permission to subdivide the land to ease the way with the HUD program and maintain the private alley behind East Precinct headquarters as a service area for garbage and fire access.

According to Jeff Reibman, senior associate for architect Weber Thompson, the burst of activity around the Sunset Electric project this week is a coincidence of the multiple process going on behind the scenes to bring the more-than-$9 million project to reality. "The project is going forward on a fairly normal process," Reibman said. Even so, it's been a busy week. As we were reporting this story Friday morning, Reibman contacted us to let us know they had also received a key invitation to submit their application in HUD loan guarantee process.

If there are no appeals regarding the master use permit, it could be issued as early as the end of March putting the start of construction on course for sometime "this building season," Reibman said. First, however, the team lead by developers Pryde + Johnson must work out solutions to the conditions placed on the permit and manage their way through the federal loan guarantee program.

The Sunset Electric project will include 95 residential units above the restored auto row building with two-floor tall commercial spaces at ground level. The name refers to a manufacturing company that called the 1916 building home for a time. It is also known as the Spray King building and was once home to Winton Motor Co., according to neighborhood activist Dennis Saxman. The project is going for LEED Gold and Built Green 5 Star certifications and is participating in the city's new Priority Green Pilot Program. You can read more about the features planned for the new project in this June 2010 CHS report on the development. We also published this series of images of realistic artist renderings of the project here.

When completed sometime in 2013, the project will bring a large injection of residents into a part of the Pike/Pine neighborhood known for its nightlife and live music. How the neighborhood continues to evolve to support both "daylife" and nightlife will also be part of Sunset Electric's story. The 11th Ave poster wall will be part of the new project as rendered in the artist drawings but whether it will still be used is another question. Across the street, the longtime offices of the Stranger look out on the building front that will become a facade in the new retail space. Value Village is across the street as is Velo Bikes. Sunset Electric's neighbors to the south will be The Crypt, Purr and Grim's.

It's an ambitious project and part of the continuing change in the Pike/Pine neighborhood. "We're very very proud of it," Reibman said, "and looking forward to bringing it into the physical world."

Meanwhile, as a reminder of just how tricky it can be forecasting the start of work on large projects of this scale, demolition to make way for the 230 Broadway project continues to be held up as information is still being collected and DPD has yet to approve tearing down the old Bank of America building and the building currently home to Noah's Bagels. We'll let you know when that approval finally comes in.

Warm up with capitolhillseattle.com next week as we celebrate a CHS Happy Hour at site advertiser Bimbos Cantina .

Time: Wednesday, March 2 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Location: Bimbos Cantina, 1013 E. Pike

More Info: We recently wrote that Pike/Pine is a hyrbrid of Cha Cha and cupcakes. Eat it. Come say hi as the news geeks mix with hipsters. I'm buying the first treinta y dos CHS happy hour margaritas. The rest is up to you.

Facebook invite is here. Displaced hipsters, we apologize in advance. Come say hi.

In the spirit of celebrating all things Pike/Pine that we tried to capture in our coverage of the realities of the Capitol Hill Block Party and its impact in the neighborhood, when CHS received an invite to a fancy pants fashion show at the local Ferrari dealership, we just couldn't say no. Here is what we saw.

Tuesday night despite the cold, the corner of 12th and Union was sporting stilettos and suits with attitudes as sharp and fashionable as the Ferraris and Maseratis behind the glass. Built for Man is a local men's fashion line designed by Francisco Hernandez, whose studio is in Capitol Hill. The Fall/Winter 2011-12 collection of Built for Man was debuted at the ritzy venue among a packed house of stylish ladies and gents and this CHS reporter. Many were friends, supporters, and regular clients of the business so there was a fair amount of chatter throughout the fashion show. These people knew each other.

The whole event wrapped up in under an hour and, soon, this corner of Pike/Pine was back to normal. Except for now we know ritzy fashion shows are, at least for an hour or so, part of that normal.

Friday's second night of anti-police protests was a more heated, rowdier march but Seattle Police tell us there were no arrests associated with the crowd that chanted its way around Pike/Pine and up and down Broadway disrupting traffic and making an angry show against SPD brutality. We covered the night's events here.

Friday night's march got off to a decidedly more violent start when the crowd marched through downtown and busted out the window of a police cruiser. At one point, pepper spray had to be deployed near Cherry and 1st Ave. When the groups marched to Capitol Hill, there were some minor incidents requiring citations, but SPD says the most significant report on the Hill involved an attempt by a masked marcher to hurl a brick or rock at an officer standing near his car on 12th Ave. The hard object missed both the officer and the cruiser but the masked would-be assailant was able to slip back into the crowd and march away. SPD also reports no injuries in the night's activities.

Tuesday night, the Hill will see more focus on police brutality -- but this event, one hopes, should be a bit calmer. Here's the info on a community forum being organized by Revolution Books and a group called the Revolutionary Student Club:

Community Forum: An Epidemic of Police Brutality and Murder

Come if you are serious about stopping police brutality and demanding that Ian Birk be prosecuted for murder!

Seattle Central Community College

Revolution Books and the Revolutionary Student Club present:

An Epidemic of Police Brutality and Murder:

Why Is It happening? How Can We Stop It?

February 22, Tuesday

Doors open 6:00 pm, program starts at 6:30pm

Seattle Central Community College, Room BE 1110 (Auditorium)

.A Panel Discussion with:

Lynn Domingo, October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality and LELO

Orpheus Reed, writer for Revolution Newspaper

Ophelia Ealy, Chairperson, Michael Randall Ealy Social Justice Foundation, founded after her son was killed by Seattle police in 1998.

James Bible, Seattle King County NAACP

Free Admission. Suggested donation: $5-$10

Info: rbsea@yahoo.com , revolutionarystudentclubsccc@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179633045413462

more about the event below:

Native carver John T. Williams—shot within 4 seconds by SPD cop Ian Birk. Birk claims he was threatened, but John T Williams didn’t even have time to turn toward Birk before he was shot 4 times. David Young, shot in his car as it was pinned into a fence by police in Federal Way. Chris Harris, body slammed into a wall head first and put into a coma after being wrongly targeted and chased by a King county police officer. Police beatings of young girls in jail cells and on the street are recorded on videotape and the cops walk. In Detroit, 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley Jones is shot by police in a raid of the wrong apartment. In Oakland, Oscar Grant is shot in the back as he lay on a train platform by BART police, and the officer who shot him is only convicted on involuntary manslaughter. In Seattle and around the country, a horrifying epidemic of police murder and brutality continues and even intensifies. No end, and no justice in sight.

Many people are rightly outraged at these actions by police. But why is this happening? What is the cause of it, and most importantly, how can it be stopped? At a time when these injustices happen time after time, when the police repeatedly get off after committing these horrible acts, and when a decision by the King County prosecutor on whether to charge Ian Birk is imminent, finding answers to these questions that many people from different backgrounds are agonizing over, is crucially important.

Are these problems the cause of “bad apples” on the police force? Can they be solved by firing the “bad” police, changing police training or community building? Or do we face a systemic problem requiring mass protest, resistance, revolution? What will it take to win justice in the Williams case and to finally end police brutality? How can people act to make this happen? Members of the forum panel will speak to these urgent questions from different viewpoints but from a common desire to end this brutality for good. We invite the audience to join in this urgent conversation and participate in finding avenues to act and solutions.

Capitol Hill's not just getting a couple distilleries this summer -- it's getting an entire craft spirits community. CHS has learned details of Black Label Spirits, a third craft distillery being planned for the Pike/Pine area. Owner Cory Duffy tells us he is targeting an early summer opening for a distillery and tasting room in the converted warehouse that is also home to a capoeira studio and the 5-month-old Cork House:

We are a very small distillery and will be focusing on local ingredients and hand crafted batches of Vodka and Apple Brandies. We will have a small tasting room at the distillery and will offer tours anytime.

By summer, the Hill should also be enjoying locally crafted gin at East Pike's Sun Liquor Distillery -- slated to possibly open this coming weekend -- and more local spirits from Oola Distillery at 14th and Union. UPDATE: Seattle Met says March 4th for Sun Liquor Distillery.

Duffy says to expect community, not competition with this crowd of newcomers. "You get into because it's a passion,...