15 Mar Pioneer Square in the News

IMAGE OF THE WEEK:

From “The view from right there:”

NEWS

Pioneer Square: Historic character vs. height (Seattle Times)
Developers and preservationists are facing off over how to revitalize Seattle’s oldest neighborhood without destroying its historic character.

Man Shot By Mugger Near Pioneer Square (Q13 Fox)
It happened at about 9 PM Sunday in a parking garage near Pioneer Square at 1st and Yesler. Police say the shooting started as a robbery. The suspect approached a man demanding money then shot him.

Mardi Gras returns to Pioneer Square (Seattle Times)
On Fat Tuesday, photojournalist Jim Bates returned to Pioneer Square, where ten years ago (Feb. 28, 2001), he was on the scene of a riot that claimed the life of a Kris Kime and injured numerous revelers and police officers.

Spiraling parking rates worry Pioneer Square businesses (Komo News)
Business owners in Seattle’s Pioneer Square say they’re worried about the hit they’ll take because of spiraling street parking rate hikes.

Romantic Bridal Gowns and Modern Groomswear in Pioneer Square (Seattle Bride Magazine)
The historic streetscapes of Pioneer Square inspire bride and groom wedding fashion that marries romantic, flirty gowns with modern looks for the groom.

‘Shadows of a Fleeting World’ reveals a hidden chapter in Seattle’s cultural history (Seattle Times)
Featuring Yukio Morinaga, whose street scenes, especially of Pioneer Square and Seattle’s waterfront, are a loving homage to the city.

Taxes may still be on deck after Safeco’s paid off (Seattle Times)
State lawmakers again are pushing to extend some of the taxes used to build Safeco Field. They want to use the money for other favored causes, including a $600 million convention-center expansion, low-income housing and the arts.

Seattle trolleys headed to Lake Washington (Seattle Times)
THE CITY’S Great Fire of 1889 ignited a new boomtown energy as businesses took out loans to begin the great labor of rebuilding more than 30 city blocks.

Seattle will choose 5 areas for potential district energy (DJC)
The city of Seattle has been talking about trying to build a district energy system for years. This summer, it will pick three to five neighborhoods where one could become a reality. (Pioneer Square is obviously a contender…)

PI.com: Cost to Save 619 Western Isn’t an “Overrun” (PubliCola)
Contrary to statements by the anti-tunnel referendum campaign, Protect Seattle Now, that the state department of transportation’s commitment to spend up to $20 million on seismic upgrades to the 619 Western artists’ building constitutes a “$17.5 million cost overrun,” the PI.com reports that, in fact, the money is coming out of the state’s budget for buying land and right-of-way along the path of the tunnel project.

BLOGS

Getting You Ready for the New Season: Complete 2011 Sounders Guide (The Offside)
Well, here we go. Follow the link as I preview the 2011 MLS season and everything else you need to know to be informed, up-to-date, and ready to support your Sounders in the biggest MLS season yet.

P-I archive: A historic Pioneer Square building being built (Big Blog)
Today from the seattlepi.com archive we have a photo of the Alaska Building in the 600 block of Second Avenue.

Viaduct: Is $20 million to save 619 Western building a cost overrun? (Seattle PI)
The 619 Western building in Pioneer Square — home to a colony of artists — caught a reprieve this month when state officials announced they would spent $15 million to $20 million to shore up the building instead of razing it to accommodate construction of the state Route 99 tunnel.

Police planning extra patrols for Seattle Mardi Gras (PI – 911)
This year, police are expecting nothing like what Seattle faced a decade ago – even though some anarchists have had continued small, violent protests in the past few weeks. But police are taking precautions and have planned extra patrols.

Does Pioneer Square need to get taller? (Seattle Times) (Big Blog)
The Seattle Times poses that question in a story Wednesday, previewing a Seattle City Council committee meeting where members will talk about proposed rezoning modifications that would allow for taller buildings.

Wonder What Mardi Gras in Pioneer Square Looked Like Last Night? (SLOG)
Yikes.

Sounders Kick Off the Season Tomorrow! (On the Move)
At 5:30 p. m., the ritual pre-match rally will be held at Occidental Park in Pioneer Square three blocks north of Qwest Field. Around 6 p.m. the Sounders FC official band, Sound Wave, will lead the traditional “March to the Match” procession from the Square. As many as 1000 fans will march out of the Square, cross King Street and head south down Occidental Avenue to Qwest Field.