Business News and Updates
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A warm welcome to our newest businesses and attractions in the neighborhood!
- BAIZE: 165 South Jackson St.- this lounge hosts snooker tables, a cue-based sport similar to pool, plus drinks and snacks.
We bid farewell to these neighbors this month.
- Statix: 210 South Washington St.- the brain child of Seattle artist Ten Hundred, this store carried one of a kind products with vivid imagery and regularly hosted arts event.
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Recently Opened
- Fat Shack Underground: 88 Yesler Way- this growing fast food chain will dish out hedonistic menu items of the deep fried variety.
- The Stop: 616 1st Ave S.–this sandwich joint from the mind behind Voilà! Bistrot in Madison Park serves world class sandwiches.
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Coming Soon
- Two Doors Down: 200 South Jackson St.- a family joint serving natural burgers with creative toppings, local beers on tap & cheery decor.
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Pioneer Square Business Improvement Area Stakeholder Board Seeking New Members
The oldest Business Improvement Area (BIA) in the city, the businesses of the
Pioneer Square BIA
fund beautification, marketing and promotion, and support to the Alliance for neighborhood advocacy and activation.
The Pioneer Square BIA Stakeholder Board represents the businesses of Pioneer Square and guides the Alliance for Pioneer Square's management of the BIA Work Plan. The Pioneer Square BIA Stakeholder Board is seeking new members to join the board for a minimum three year length term of service. If you, or someone you know, are a ratepayer within the Pioneer Square BIA district and are interested in learning more about serving on the Stakeholder Board please contact our Marketing Manager,
Chris Woodward
.
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Beginning in March, the Alliance for Pioneer Square will begin holding monthly meetings at the Klondike National Gold Rush Museum every third Wednesday from 2:00-3:00p to provide the opportunity for the neighborhood to hear presentations from our staff and partners about ongoing and upcoming events, projects, and developments impacting Pioneer Square.
These meetings will be open to all, and we encourage you or a member of your business to attend when a topic of interest is being presented on. All meetings agendas will be made available one week prior to each Pioneer Square Monthly meeting, and can be found on our website
here
.
When
: Wednesday, March 18th from 2-3p
Where
: Klondike National Gold Rush Museum Auditorium (319 2nd Ave S)
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Things to Do in the Square
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Looking for Something to Do in Pioneer Square?
Winter is here and there is plenty of entertainment in the neighborhood- like fun performances, concerts, art exhibits, sporting events, and more!
Whether you are looking for must-see art galleries, reading and talks, or live music, there is plenty to see and do in Pioneer Square all month long. Browse our
calendar
of March events in the neighborhood to plan your next adventure in the heart of Seattle.
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Mark Your Calendars: First Thursday Art Walk
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March 5, 2020
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.
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Artist Feature:
Barbara Noonan
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Based out of the
Tashiro Kaplan Building
,
Barbara Noonan
paints in soft pastel to convey her personal interpretation in a painting. When not in her Pioneer Square studio, she’s off capturing light painting en plein aire. Working under Pastel Laureate Bob Gerbracht in San Francisco, Barbara studied portrait and figure painting and continues to attend workshops, critique groups and artist’s residencies. Influences include Diebenkorn, Thiebaud, Skip Lawrence and Alex Powers. You can find Barbara’s work in galleries in Western Washington. She is a Signature Member of the Northwest Pastel Society and the Pastel Society of the West Coast, a member of Women Painters of Washington and has juried art exhibitions in Washington and Oregon.
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Save the Date: Pioneer Square Residents' Council Art Outside the Box Project Public Comment
The Pioneer Square Residents’ Council has launched Phase II of their public art installation of Coast Salish art on four SDOT signal boxes in our neighborhood- titled
Art Outside the Box.
Phase I, completed in 2019, along 1st Avenue S was welcomed by residents, businesses and visitors alike who engage with this vibrant street. Supported by the Business Improvement Area (BIA) of the Alliance for Pioneer Square and Chief Seattle Club, this year's project is funded by the Pioneer Square Residents’ Council.
On Thursday April 2nd, from 5-8pm, the Pioneer Square Residents’ Council will hold a neighborhood public comment event at the Tashiro Kaplan Artist Lofts building at 115 Prefontaine Pl S. Consider stopping by to see the artists work, give your thoughts and share some bites.
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Link Light Rail Changes Continue This Month
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Link Light Rail Service Disruptions Continue Into March
Link Light rail users should continue planning for significant alterations to their normal trips this month.
Starting in January, construction to integrate new light rail to the Eastside into the existing system requires trains to operate less frequently for 10 weeks, at 14 minute intervals instead of 6 minutes. The construction, known as Connect 2020, is underway as of first weekend of January with a full closure of light rail through Downtown Seattle. From March
14-15 the Link light rail will be closed from Capitol Hill to SOSO
, and shuttle buses will make stops at the closed stations. Through March 13, Connect 2020 will require Link passengers traveling through downtown to make a center platform transfer at the Pioneer Square Station. For safety, bikes will not be allowed at the Pioneer Square station. Passengers with bikes must exit at University
Street or International District/Chinatown. Passengers should allow extra time, anticipate crowding, and pay attention to signage. Learn more about the Link light rail closures
here
.
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Occidental Square Park Projects Update
Following the completion of the play area project- a pavilion is scheduled to begin construction in early 2020.
The play area project construction began in early September and is now complete, following a ribbon cutting ceremony in late October. The pavilion project will take place during Spring 2020, 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 visitors safe.
Learn more about the projects.
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Alley Light Night Audit Recap
On Wednesday, February 19th, members of the Pioneer Square community, including residents and business owners, along with a Seattle Police Department Community Police Officer, convened to attend an audit of the neighborhood's alley lighting.
Attendees assessed current lighting levels in Pioneer Square's alleys. Beginning at Pioneer Park at sunset, community members evaluated eleven alleys for lighting quality. The information gathered during the alley light night audit will help our Public Realm team inform future lighting projects.
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RSVP Today: 12th Annual Pioneer Square Spring Clean
Join us on the morning of Saturday, April 27th from 9a-12p (check in begins at 8:30a) in Occidental Square Park to help make the neighborhood an even more beautiful and welcoming place.
Team up with community members, employees, and neighbors for this fun and free event. Stay tuned for more information regarding registering you and your all star team.
RSVP here
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You're Invited: Q1 Pioneer Square Clean Walk
You are invited to join the Alliance for Pioneer Square and representatives from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU - Solid Waste) and the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) for the first Pioneer Square Clean Walk of 2020!
These quarterly events are intended to create a stronger connection between the community and those working to keep the neighborhood clean every day. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the roles of the MID, SPU, and the Alliance for Pioneer Square. It will also give each of these entities a chance to meet community members and learn which areas in Pioneer Square could use more attention. For Quarter 1, we will be traveling up and down Yesler Way. Please meet Pioneer Square Park at 9:00 am. The walk is expected to last about an hour.
RSVP here.
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Neighborhood Construction Updates
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Construction Roundup
Best Western Annex
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Waterfront Seattle Construction Ongoing on New Alaskan Way
Waterfront Seattle has begun building a new Alaskan Way.
Waterfront Seattle's initial work zones will span from S King to Marion streets. Activities include establishing work zones, mobilizing equipment, potholing work, breaking pavement and excavation for utility installation. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM with occasional overnight and weekend work.
Here's how you can stay up to date on Waterfront Seattle construction:
Head to
Waterfront Seattle's website
for more information and to sign up for email updates. Text "WFSCN" to 474747 to receive text updates. You may also contact Waterfront Seattle
via email
or by phone at (206) 499-8040.
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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.
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citizenM Breaks Ground
The construction of Pioneer Square's latest hotel, citizenM is underway.
This new 232-key hotel, located at 60 Yesler Way, will consist of 9 floors and over 82,000 gross square feet. A large mosaic art installation will be featured on the facade of the building, incorporating aspects of the Seattle and Pioneer Square’s history, bringing the look of indigenous bead-work and story-telling to a large scale through the use of over 5,000 6x6-inch porcelain tiles. Learn more about citizenM Pioneer Square
here
.
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Seattle City Light 4th Avenue Duct Bank Installation
Seattle City Light
crews will be installing an underground duct bank (groups of conduits used to protect electrical cables) on 4th Avenue, near Jefferson street.
Construction will start in early March 2020 and is anticipated to last approximately four months. Construction will occur Monday through Friday from 9a-3p and Saturday and Sunday from 9a-6p.
Click here for Seattle City Light's project website.
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Chief Seattle Club Construction In Progress
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. Construction on this project has begun as of February 3, 2020.
Watch
Chief Seattle Club Executive Director, Colleen Echohawk's statement on the importance of the project for the organization and Seattle's 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 is working in partnership with Chief Seattle Club on community outreach in this redesign effort. Design efforts for the new building and public space are led by Jones & Jones in coordination with SDOT. Learn more about the Chief Seattle Club redevelopment and the re-imagination of Forston Square
here
.
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Two-Way Columbia Street Pathway Now Open
With the Alaskan Way Viaduct out of the way, Waterfront Seattle is putting the finishing touches on Columbia Street, transforming the street to connect buses between Alaskan Way and Third Avenue – one of the nation’s busiest busways.
As of Feb. 22, the new bus connection will be smoother and more reliable, bypassing previous freight train delays in SODO. New bus stops also will be within a block of Washington State Ferries at Colman Dock and the Metro Water Taxi at Pier 50, and buses will now carry riders from the waterfront to the regional public transit network and Link light rail stations in the heart of Downtown Seattle. Twelve bus routes will have revised routing and stops, including the 21 express, 37, 55, 56, 57, 113, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, and the RapidRide C Line. Learn more about the two-way Columbia Street pathway
here
.
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Highlights:
Restaurant & Retail News:
Arts & Culture News:
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Staffing Changes: Hellos and Goodbyes
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The Alliance for Pioneer Square says goodbye to our Deputy Director, Liz Stenning, and says hello to our newest staff member Jessa Timmer who will be taking over for Liz.
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As of Friday, February 21st Liz Stenning will be stepping down from her role as the Alliance for Pioneer Square’s Deputy Director.
Liz will be joining the
Downtown Everett Association
as the Executive Director. The Alliance for Pioneer Square is elated for Liz’s new opportunity and are we are grateful for all that she has done for Pioneer Square.
The Alliance for Pioneer Square is excited to announce that Jessa Timmer has joined the organization as Deputy Director. Please join us in welcoming Jessa to the Alliance team.
As Deputy Director, Jessa is looking forward to building neighborhood relationships and complementing the skills and experience of the Alliance team. She has an extensive background in community engagement, capacity building, and organizational leadership and has worked for over ten years with property owners, businesses, and community members to build successful and thriving commercial districts. Both here in Seattle and in her home state of Michigan, Jessa has been firmly rooted in place-based work, even leading a group of property and business owners to create the very first business improvement area in the city of Grand Rapids. She is a lover of old buildings and passionate about authentic community relationships and excited to support the Alliance in any way she can.
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Each month, we highlight members of the our staff and what those staff members are focusing on.
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Read
about Chris perspective on his first year with the Alliance for Pioneer Square.
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Read
about Liz's reflection on her time at the Alliance for Pioneer Square.
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Waste Management Free Waste-free Workshops
Do you ever wonder what happens when you throw something “away”?
Do you often waiver over the waste sorting station, unsure if your items are recyclable, compostable or garbage? Do you want to learn more about how you can reduce your waste and be a more sustainable consumer?
If you said yes to any of these questions, look no further than Waste Management’s guest speaker series! WM’s Education and Outreach team will work with your group to schedule a recycling industry specialist to dive deep on recycling and composting topics at your organization. Contact Waste Management at
recyclenw@wm.com
to arrange a waste-free workshop. Presentations are available in English or Chinese.
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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.
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Alliance For Pioneer Square | 206.667.0687
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