One Saturday a few weeks in the past, I used to be sitting within the entrance window at DeLaurenti Meals & Wine with a slice of pizza in hand having fun with the sights and sounds alongside First Avenue. I by no means get uninterested in the ground present — the twinkling marquee of the Showbox, the drama of a younger couple making an attempt to squeeze right into a coveted First Avenue parking area, an ambulance racing down the road with sirens blaring, vacationers strolling hand in hand, locals dashing backward and forward.
I imagined how totally different this state of affairs could be if the “Tradition Connector” streetcar venture had been to be constructed. Designed to attach the South Lake Union streetcar to Pioneer Sq. through First Avenue, the proposed streetcar would scale back three site visitors lanes and get rid of all parking, multiple-passenger and industrial loading zones, in addition to left turns, alongside First Avenue.
Price estimates for the First Avenue streetcar have risen dramatically over the 10-plus years since its inception. In keeping with a Jan. 19 article in The Seattle Occasions, the “Tradition Connector” “would seemingly price $410 million in in the present day’s {dollars} and take seven years to finish.”
That’s some huge cash and a very long time! The fallout from seven years of building — the digging, the noise, the mud, the congestion, the road closures — may probably shut down dozens of companies alongside the First Avenue hall and would negatively influence the lives of hundreds of residents. However I particularly fear in regards to the retailers, farmers, craftspeople and restaurateurs in Pike Place Market who depend upon the ingress and egress of their very own automobiles and/or native deliveries for his or her livelihoods.
Does downtown Seattle really want any extra hits after the pandemic lockdown and the lack of downtown staff? I believe not. Sadly, there are already far too many blockslong useless zones and vacant storefronts, particularly alongside Third Avenue.
I nonetheless miss the IGA/Kress Grocery store that welcomed customers with its cool subterranean vibe and considerate product combine. And the Bartell Medication proper throughout the road, the place my husband and I bantered with “our” pharmacist, received our flu photographs and picked up Seattle-centric specialty meals and knickknacks.
I miss spending my vacation {dollars} at Macy’s and watching the classic practice show within the nook window, purchasing at Columbia Sportswear and Bergman Baggage, and poking round Aaron Brothers and Sally Magnificence Provide. My road — Union Avenue — was as soon as dwelling to Paper Hammer, Utz Hat Store, Specialty’s Café & Bakery, a number of financial institution branches and Caffe Ladro. Optical Illusions left downtown for Bellevue Sq. after 30 years.
I’m unhappy about downtown’s most up-to-date loss — the PCC in Rainier Sq. Tower, which closed completely on Jan. 31. I used to like to pop in on my approach dwelling from the fitness center for a loaf of Grand Central bread, a carton of Icelandic yogurt or tomato-y slices of turkey meatloaf.
Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle Metropolis Council members (significantly District 7 consultant Bob Kettle): Please cease any and all consideration of the “Tradition Connector” streetcar venture instantly. These funds may very well be so a lot better spent on cleansing up the streets, restoring public order and providing assist and shelter to the town’s unhoused and drug-dependent populations.
Downtown Seattle has already had too many losses. Do we actually want any extra?
