28 Feb Pioneer Square in the News

IMAGE OF THE WEEK:

From a recent Pioneer Square photoshoot by C2 photography:

NEWS

Pioneer Square buildings reborn after earthquake (Seattle Times)
The Cadillac Hotel, one of the oldest buildings in Pioneer Square, owes its new life to the earthquake that nearly destroyed it 10 years ago Monday.

Tales of Two Earthquakes Offer Lessons for the Future (Emergency Management)
Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square was one of the hardest hit areas during the Feb. 28, 2001, Nisqually earthquake.

After Nisqually quake, need to shore up buildings persists (Seattle Times)
Ten years after the Nisqually earthquake delivered a gut punch to the Seattle area, thousands of homes, offices, apartments, shops and hospitals have yet to be bolstered, and for many emergency planners, progress has been agonizingly slow.

New Zealand earthquake has parallels with Seattle (King5)
In Christchurch (New Zealand), old masonry buildings fell apart as soon as the aftershocks hit. Pioneer Square also has unreinforced, masonry buildings. While buildings like that are regarded as dangerous now, they used to express safety in a different way a century ago.

Over 100 on hand as city honors slain woodcarver (Komo News)
The songs and ceremonies in PSq were part of a three-hour dedication of John T. Williams Day in Seattle. Mayor Mike McGinn proclaimed the day – Feb. 27 – in honor of the woodcarver, who was gunned down by a Seattle police officer in August. Sunday would’ve been Williams’ 51st birthday.

New Urban Art Project exhibit features work from nine artists focused on light; opening reception is Monday (Great Falls Tribune)
Artists inspired by a trip to Pioneer Square.

Can’t Miss It: Monday (Seattlest)
If you haven’t already, today is your last chance to check out Storefronts, an interactive exhibition at various vacant retail spaces around town.

Seattle’s solution to empty convention center? Expand (News Tribune)
“But why does Pioneer Square and the International District need a special boost of $1 million a year? Haven’t those neighborhoods benefited from all those fans going to and from Safeco and Qwest? Apparently not. The stadiums are designed to capture as much fan money as possible. The neighborhoods settle for a trickle in return for enduring crowds, noise, parking problems and litter.”

Legislature should let King County’s stadium taxes expire (Seattle Times)
Remember the promise to retire the Safeco Field taxes once the stadium was paid for? A bill in the Legislature aims to continue some of those taxes to pay for arts, culture, work-force housing, tourism projects and expanding the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. The right thing to do is to let the taxes expire, as promised.

BLOGS

Taxes on Development (Seattle Transit Blog)
“Charles Royer has a thoughtful essay on the future of Pioneer Square, which is worth reading” (as are the 73 comments on this post)

His Name Is David M, and He’s a Burger-Holic (Voracious)
And if you try his burgers, you will become one, too!

Art Primo/Weirdo in Pioneer Square (Left Coast Letters).
Great video of the huge mural in Pioneer Square — worth checking out.

Meet Lou Graham, Seattle’s most notorious madam (Big Blog)
Contrary to what your eighth grade history text book may have implied, the past is full of contradictions, misinformation — and loose women. So, when MOHAI’s Phyllis Franklin set out to write about Lou Graham, Seattle’s most notorious madam, she found a veil of inconsistencies.