Jan

21

Stalled Central District Development Site in Play, Neighboring Post Office to Close, “Neighbor Lady” Staying Put

Filed Under Development, Land Use 

The corner of 23rd and Union has been a focal point of neighborhood hopes for the Central Area for many years. In 2008, this project looked likely to play a major role in the crossroads’ revitalization, but was stalled by the recession.

Design for planned but stalled building on southwest corner

A temporary art installation filled the vacant development site for a time, as seen in this image:

Image

DANIEL HOUGHTON / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The corner has since reverted back to the dirt it has been for most of the past decade, after the original building suffered irreparable damage in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake.

Today, that intersection remains a big target for a community seeking a critical mass to revitalize one of the central areas key neighborhood connections. The quickening of the economy’s pulse seems to be pumping life into properties there, with several recently in play and efforts to rethink zoning for one that is on the brink of a major vacancy of its own as the Post Office announces plans to move on from the single-story shopping center it anchors on the Southeast corner.

Central District News has the story on 23rd/Union.

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Nathan Daum

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Nate was born and raised at the intersection of Seattle’s Central District and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. He earned his BA in History from Western Washington University but it was a summer in New York City that sparked a passion for urban planning, livability, development and transportation issues. He volunteered with the Downtown Renaissance Network in Bellingham and Futurewise (back when it was still 1000 Friends of Washington) in Seattle. He has worked for Downtown Seattle’s Metropolitan Improvement District (MID), the Seattle Monorail Project and since 2004, as a consultant for housing and health care non-profits, mortgage and commercial real estate companies, hospitality and aviation brands as well as government and consumer technology businesses. He is a former member of the Uptown Alliance where he briefly served as the Co-Chair of the Transportation Committee (in reality, more of an understudy to D. John Coney). An employee of Great City Nate is also a former board member and one of the organizations earliest volunteers. He has also served on the executive committee of the Leschi Community Council. He is a cycle commuter, occasional bus rider and resident of Eastlake.


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