September News + Updates
Business News and Updates
A warm welcome to our newest businesses and attractions in the neighborhood!

  • Foundry Vineyards + fruitsuper: 524 1st Ave S.– a wine tasting room dedicated to finely crafted low intervention wines that express a unique terrior + design studio made up of creators, thinkers, makers, teachers, solvers, and seekers.

We bid farewell to these neighbors this month!

  • Estates Wine Room: 307 Occidental Ave S.- serving an urban wine experience, this tasting room offered tastings of estate-grown wines from wineries such as Double Canon and Archery Summit.

  • Prographica: 313 Occidental Ave S.- this contemporary gallery devoted to art on paper: paintings, drawings, photography, and prints has closed after nine years in Pioneer Square.

A message from the Good Arts building...

In late August, a plumbing leak in the Good Arts building caused damage to several floors of the building. The damage impacted several artist studios in ’57 Biscayne and the businesses below, including H. Bailey Curated Resale , Sew Generously Bespoke , Cherry Street Coffee House , Bad Bishop , and Beneath the Streets . All of the businesses have either remained open or will open this week, except Bad Bishop which is temporarily closed to mitigate the flood damage. Bad Bishop will provide updates on their Instagram page as soon as they know more about the situation
Pioneer Square, In Lists!
Grab + Go Near Occidental Square

We make life easier by compiling easily digestible lists highlighting neighborhood essentials. Last month, we covered hair care in the Square and local lunches for the office. This month, we are featuring grab and go lunches + dinners near Occidental Square - for when your next meal needs to be quick. Find all the spots in our 2019 Neighborhood Map and Guide .
Looking For Something to Do In Pioneer Square?

Summer is nearly over but there are plenty of fun performances, concerts, art exhibits, sporting events, and more happening in the neighborhood!  Whether you are looking for must-see art galleries, reading and talks, or the next Sounders game, there is plenty to see and do in Pioneer Square all month long. Browse our  calendar  of September events in the neighborhood to plan your next adventure.
Mark Your Calendars: First Thursday Art Walk
September 5, 5-10 PM

Every First Thursday of the month, Pioneer Square welcomes you to join us in the venerated tradition of Art Walk with exceptional artists, innovative works, and creative kinship.

During Art Walk, parking is FREE from 5-10 PM! Make sure to grab your voucher from a participating gallery or studio to park for free at one of three neighborhood garages.

( Ann Leda Shapiro ; "Heart Lung" 2019; Watercolor on cut paper; 30 x 22 in.; Gallery 4Culture)
Artist Feature: Richard Graham
Richard Graham , who operates in the Good Arts building '57 Biscayne space, has an architecture background and an education from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Only after retiring did Graham start to paint, leveraging his design and color experience to create 2D works. Graham, a recent addition to the Seattle art scene, found a positive energy working in Pioneer Square and '57 Biscayne. In his studio, Graham thins acrylics with water and pours the mixture around his canvas only to let gravity do the remaining work- taking cues from Jackson Pollock. For a great conversation on music or the state of the world, you can find Richard in his studio, with the door always open.
Temporary Link Light Rail Closures Coming
During three weekends this fall, Link light rail will not run between SODO and Capitol Hill while construction crews build a temporary center platform at Pioneer Square Station as Sound Transit prepares to expand light rail service to the Eastside.  The construction will affect service on the weekends of Oct. 12-13, Oct. 26-27, and Nov. 9-10. During those weekends, trains will run between Angle Lake and SODO and between Capitol Hill and University of Washington, with shuttle buses bridging the gap between Capitol Hill and SODO. Learn more about the Link light rail closures.
From the Public Realm
New Passenger Ferry Terminal at Pier 50

The region celebrated the opening of a new regional passenger ferry terminal at Pier 50 in Seattle last month. The covered facility has space for 500 people and serves King County Water Taxi and Kitsap Fast Ferry routes. The new facility is covered, with more space and ADA features, including an elevator, tactile path and tactile signs for the visually impaired, and an ADA assistance station. This project is one part of a larger effort to renovate Colman Dock , which is expected to be complete in 2023.
Re-imagine Fortson Square

Chief Seattle Club is embarking on a project to redevelop the site at 108 2nd Ave Ext S. This project will create affordable housing and a ground floor health clinic and native arts café/gallery to support the physical, spiritual and cultural needs of the native community. As the front door to this project, Fortson Square will also be recreated as a welcoming place for everyone.

The Alliance for Pioneer Square, Chief Seattle Club, and SDOT will host an open house on Wednesday, September 18th from 4-6pm at Fortson Square (SE corner of Yesler and 2nd Ave Ext S) where the community will have the opportunity to learn about the culturally rich background of the site, provide feedback on how the space could potentially be used, and learn about the findings from SDOT’s Public Life Study for Yesler Crescent. RSVP for the open house .
Occidental Square Park Projects Update

Two projects are planned for Occidental Square Park- a play area and a pavilion. Last month, Seattle Parks and Recreation announced updates on the projects including a tentative start date for the installation of the play area. The play area project will begin early September and will conclude at the end of October. That area will also be fenced off during construction. The pavilion project will take place during the upcoming fall and winter, when park use is lowest, and is expected to take about four months. Park programming and operations will continue during construction, with temporary fencing around the site to keep it secure and keep park visitors safe. Learn more about the projects.
Southbound SR99 Corridor Buses Routed to 4th Ave

After careful planning and evaluation of options, King County Metro and SDOT announced that West Seattle and Burien-area bus routes heading south will move off First Avenue and instead use Second Avenue to connect to Fourth Avenue beginning Monday, September 9, 2019.

Metro will establish a long-term stop on Second Avenue Extension South between South Washington Street and South Main Street to replace the southbound stop at First Avenue South and South King Street. Learn more about the upcoming bus route change.
SR 99 Tolling Starts November

Drivers using the State Route 99 tunnel will begin paying tolls on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. State law requires that toll revenues from the SR 99 tunnel be used to pay back construction bonds as well as pay to operate and maintain the nation’s largest double-decked road tunnel. The two-mile-long SR 99 tunnel runs underneath downtown Seattle and opened in February 2019. Learn more about the time-of-day toll rates and how to get a free Good to Go! sticker pass .
Neighborhood Construction Updates
Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program

WSDOT continues to remove the Alaskan Way Viaduct from Seattle's waterfront to make way for the City of Seattle's   Waterfront Seattle Program .

The Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition is in full swing on the edge of Pioneer Square. Demolition has been completed in several areas and site restorations are in progress. View WSDOT's fact sheet for more information regarding what to expect from the construction project over the summer.

Click here  to see real time demolition progress and  join the email list to receive weekly updates.

Questions? Visit the website, email to viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov, or call 1-888-AWV-LINE (298-5463).

Check out our walking tour video , led by representatives from WSDOT and Kiewit.
Alaskan Way Viaduct under construction, 1951
Courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives, item No. 43505
Pioneer Square
Areaways Program
SDOT recently implemented a strict vehicle weight limitation, increased commercial vehicle enforcement, and modified commercial vehicle load zone locations beyond the 1st Ave corridor.

Throughout 2019-2020, SDOT will install a monitoring system and conduct a complete assessment of the areaways to determine a long-term plan of action to repair necessary areas. In the meantime, our goal is to provide adjacent businesses and residents with accurate and timely information as we move forward to improve safety.

Visit the project page for more information.
Columbia Street Corridor

With the viaduct ramp now gone, Waterfront Seattle construction began on Columbia Street in early August. Columbia Street will be transformed into a two-way corridor with transit lanes and improved sidewalks. Other activities include installation of new underground utilities. Don’t miss out on watching the future waterfront take shape, head to waterfrontseattle.org to sign up for email updates!  
Press Highlights
What Are We Up To This Week?
Each month, we highlight members of the our staff and what that staff member is focusing on.
  • Read about Karen's dream to convert our community into neighborhood insiders.
  • Read about Chris' excitement for telling the story of Pioneer Square through videos.
  • Read about Nikki's master management of the Alliance for Pioneer Square's data.
Monthly Resource
The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) has offered to provide free training to small businesses and non-profit organizations to help make sure that they are up-to-date on the 2019 Seattle Labor ordinances - including OLS Workplace Poster requirements, Minimum Wage, Wage Theft, Employee Paid/Sick Time, and the Fair Chance Employment Ordinance.

If your small business or nonprofit interested in meeting with a Business Training Specialist to receive this free training, please reach out to Chris Woodward , our Marketing Manager.
Stay Engaged!
Find us on Facebook

Are you a resident or business owner in the neighborhood? The Alliance for Pioneer Square recently created a Facebook page. This page will communicate resident and business owner specific news/information that to compliment our more general Pioneer Square Facebook page.
Alliance For Pioneer Square | 206.667.0687