31 Jan Pioneer Square in the News

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Beautiful Photo of our Pioneer Square coffee house by Rain City Girl (Twitter: CherryStreet)

NEWS

City backs away from $4-an-hour parking in Pioneer Sq. (Seattle PI)
Pioneer Square and several other neighborhoods got a reprieve of sorts from higher parking rates as Seattle officials on Thursday announced changes to previously-announced increases.

City of Seattle gives in on some parking rates, but not in downtown core (Seattle Times)
Pioneer Square got a small break. Instead of $4 an hour, the rate was reset to $3.50. But that may not satisfy some merchants who worry the neighborhood, already suffering from the sour economy, will lose customers.

No Take-Backs!: Downtown Parking Still Increasing to $4 an Hour, Other Neighborhoods Spared (Seattlest)
[repeat of what we all know]

State to revisit whether tunnel project needs to oust artists colony (Seattle Times)
Reacting to public outcry, the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday it will look for a “Plan C” that might spare a Pioneer Square artists’ colony from being evicted by the Highway 99 tunnel project.

How 619 Western escaped tunnel planners’ wrecking ball (Crosscut)
The state Department of Transportation was all set to tear down the historic Pioneer Square building to make way for the waterfront tunnel.

National Trust Alarmed at Deep-Bore Tunnel’s Impact On Pioneer Square, 619 Western (PubliCola)
WSDOT, western National Trust director Anthea Hartig writes, has “refused to acknowledge that the loss of this building and other [tunnel] impacts would cause an adverse impact on… the [Pioneer Square-Skid Road National Historic] District as a whole.”

A trail not a tunnel (Crosscut)
While Pioneer Square is being buffeted by big projects and tough economic times, work is proceeding on an urban trail network to make the historic district more connected and foot-friendly.

First Hill streetcar project gets under way (King5 News)
SDOT is building a light rail that will run from Pioneer Square to Broadway via First Hill. The streetcar will make stops in the International District, Central District, First Hill and Capitol Hill.

Life: Gritty history is Seattle cop’s other beat (HeraldNet)
Snohomish murder-mystery writer Neil Low and Tigress Publishing recently began offering walking tours through the crooked streets of Seattle’s oldest district, Pioneer Square. During the hour-long walk, Low shares interesting tidbits of what he’s unearthed about the city’s colorful and gruesome past.

Sip Sake in Seattle (iStopOver Magazine)
When you’ve had enough of Seattle’s coffee, beer, and wine offerings, head to Sake Nomi in Pioneer Square to learn about and taste premium Japanese sake.

BLOGS

Council Consultant: Tunnel Tolls Will Cause “Significant Diversion of Traffic” and Risk to “Vulnerable Roadway Users” (SLOG)
“The issues, left unaddressed, will impact accessibility to and the character of the Center City, particularly in the vicinity of Pioneer Square and the Seattle Center/South Lake Union areas,” says a briefing paper that will be presented to council members this afternoon.

Is there a Seattle police museum? (Seattle PI – 911)
The Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum is located at 317 Third Ave. S. in Pioneer Square. It’s open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and costs $3 for adults and $1 for children under 12.

Pioneer Square (Self Portrait Friday) (Priscilla Rathbone)

Pioneer Square Fun (Priscilla Rathbone)

Bride Groom in Pioneer Square (Red Box Pictures)
The bride and groom, Tom & Michele, sit on a bench in Pioneer Square prior to their wedding at the King County Courthouse in Seattle.

From James Fike Photography