As many of you know, Ballard is experiencing accelerated development--commercial as well as residential. On a fine winter's day last weekend, I walked the streets taking random photos of which I submit a few herein. (I know it is not officially winter, but last Saturday felt like a winter's day). Enjoy!


The extension of the Burke Gilman Trail to Golden Gardens Park, which will be its final destination ever, is under construction north of NW 60 Street. Seen here, it parallels the tracks of the Ballard Terminal Railroad (ex BNSF). Just before the spur joins the mail line of the BNSF, the trail crosses the tracks and descends to Seaview Avenue on its way north to the park

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/7531/img0604wc8.jpg

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/9043/img0605cm6.jpg

Right where the Ballard Terminal track crosses Seaview Avenue NW at NW 60th Street lies this small condo project, the Maris, whose units are now being offered for sale. Sunlight, anyone?:
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7784/img0606jw0.jpg

On Leary Avenue, on opposite sides of the street, are two different projects. Canal Street Phase I is now being occupied, with Phase II still under construction. Across the street the Ballard Landmark, a senior citizens' residence, is rising. Of interest is that the latter will also front on Ballard Avenue NW. The facade on Ballard Avenue will have to conform to the Ballard Avenue Historical District rules, while that on Leary Avenue, outside the district, need not. It will be interesting to see if the two facades will be different or if the Leary Way exterior will mock the Ballard Avenue one, which, I assume will be clad in brick.

Canal Street Phase One--I especially like the roof treatment and the curved facade at the odd-angled junction of Leary and 20th Avenues. As in many projects, the ground floor retail openings lag the upstairs residential occupation.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/9691/img0613nq8.jpg

Canal Street Phase Two:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5661/img0615pn3.jpg

Ballard Landmark, Leary Avenue side:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7497/img0614iz6.jpg

And, partly in the shadows, the Ballard Avenue side:
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/9389/img0611un8.jpg

Farther east along NW Market Street, the Hjarta, going for, I believe, LEED silver certification. For months it has been wrapped in plastic. The front side, along Market Street has just recently been unwrapped:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/3574/img0620tz8.jpg

Right across the street from the Hjarta, where the China Star Buffet once stood (and before that the Royal Fork) a new building is rising--I think another condo, but I don't know the details. Then across from that on the south side (NW 54th Street) is the Gallagher project. It specializes in "affordable rental housing":
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/7128/img0621oj4.jpg

Looking back north from the Gallagher site, across the China Star site looking at the Hjarta:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7237/img0623ux0.jpg

In the grittier industrial section of town, closer to the canal, big doings. One large commercial developent is under way with two others, across the street (NW 46th) have sign posted. This large project is bounded by the Ballard Bridge and 14th Avenue NW and by NW Ballard Way and NW 46 Street. As seen from the bridge:
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/181/img0624be2.jpg

From south side of NW 46 Street. This corner at 14th and 46th is being built in a different manner from the western section:
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/2447/img0628lk0.jpg

The elderly lady who owns this house was offered serious cabbage--a million leaves, I understand, to vacate. She wouldn't budge, which is too bad, because she could have lived out her life in luxury and still donated big bucks to charity. Too bad also because she has had to endure--and continues to do so--years of construction activity, noise, grit, dust and grime. If you drive by you will see how the house is truly hemmed in on all sides but NW 46th Street, and that streetscape is nothing to write home about. To each his or her own, I suppose....:
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/4663/img0626eq5.jpg

And if that's not enough here are two posted project signs, right across NW 46th Street:
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/3240/img0630sb4.jpg

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/4761/img0627xr4.jpg

Back toward Market Street here is a project that opened a couple of years ago, but still looks brand new, very handsome and clean. For years, in Ballard's fifties and sixties, that is the stretch from Market up to NW 65th Street, and mainly east of 24th Avenue NW, some very ugly, IMHO, mostly stucco two, three or four-storey apartments were constructed. Many were built on stilts to allow for partially covered front side sunken parking lots and in all too many cases, the green parking strips were pulled out and paved over in concrete. It's a wasteland and I'm so pleased that these new projects are going in with pleasant and thoughtful landscaping. The Ballard Plaza, across the street from the post office and north of the former Denny's restaurant, now shuttered and awaiting a condo development:
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/66/img0634fl1.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9418/img0633fr1.jpg

The still-new Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library, with its distinctive green roof:
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2546/img0618iu8.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9325/img0616bv7.jpg

And a new project announced next to the library:
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/290/img0635ge7.jpg

After several delays, the NOMA on NW 24th Street and NW 56th Street, is now being occupied:
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2302/img0636pk3.jpg

The Metropole, across the street from the NOMA, in the late afternoon shadows:
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9297/img0641kr7.jpg

And finally, after many false starts, the QFC, across NW 57th Street from the NOMA, will be closing in December, to be replaced by a six-storey residential project, the supermarket occupying the street level and doubling in size:
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2831/img0637pf7.jpg

Just a sampling of the goings on in Ballard!

Great pics!

The title threw me off a bit so I renamed it.

I say: the old lady ROCKS!

Never really knew Ballard had that much development going on. Will the city consider streetscape improvements? From the pictures the old, ugly power line streets look out of place from Ballard's new urban look.

ballard is beautiful! love it there. it's really going to need better mass transit soon though with all those 6 stories.

I say: the old lady ROCKS!

Never really knew Ballard had that much development going on. Will the city consider streetscape improvements? From the pictures the old, ugly power line streets look out of place from Ballard's new urban look.
Maybe she'll start doing shows in the evening for her new residents (ala The Lusty Lady for 4 Seasons guests!).

That's my neighborhood and I must say, all the condos popping up all over the place is getting a little annoying. Once something closes, and if there's enough land, a condo will be in its place.

Denny's closed: Condo
QFC closed: Condo

It's taking away what initially drew me to the neighborhood. Don't get me wrong. I have no intentions of leaving, but it's taking a toll. Also, some of the condos are just plain ol' ugly.

And I commend the old woman for not leaving her home.

Yeah, but these will be seattle's affordable units 20 years from now. That seems to be a priority of many on this board

Thanks for the pictures. It is nice to see so much infill.

Although I'm not crazy about the old lady keeping her house, it will certainly be an interesting feature of the neighborhood...The house completely surrounded by a big condo project. It is unique and interesting.

I'm thrilled about all this stuff, as a former Ballard resident but mostly as a fan of urbanizing centers in Seattle.

The QFC replacement would be the embodiment of a dream... Going by on the 18 and wondering why in the HELL something didn't happen there, then spending the past few years hoping the project would actually start... Silence, fyi, I believe it will include a new QFC if that helps.

Look at the cover of today's DJC. Swedish/Ballard plans a new building.

Any news about the Silver Cloud hotel site just south of the 24th & Market intersection, in the parking lot near the water?

Any news about the Silver Cloud hotel site just south of the 24th & Market intersection, in the parking lot near the water?

I want to know also. It would be a great asset, but I think the usual industial naysayers and nimby types are against it. I have an e-mail into Silver Cloud. And yes, the QFC is closing for demo. When the new complex is built the QFC will be back--only double the size of the current one.

Silence, fyi, I believe it will include a new QFC if that helps.


I don't even shop at that QFC. I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood. I don't mind the expansion of downtown, though. As long as they leave some of the old buildings alone.

Another thing, as a renter, it is getting harder and harder to find decent apartments within my price range in Seattle. I have no desire to purchase a condo and couldn't afford to even if I did.

I don't even shop at that QFC. I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood. I don't mind the expansion of downtown, though. As long as they leave some of the old buildings alone.

Another thing, as a renter, it is getting harder and harder to find decent apartments within my price range in Seattle. I have no desire to purchase a condo and couldn't afford to even if I did.
I really like Canal Station. I think they did a nice period-style building that brings foot traffic to what was a car dealership if memory serves. I think the charm is there and well maintained if not improved.

So what happens when the old lady croaks/movies? Will they fill in the area where her house once was, or will the building always have a little notch in it?

"I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood"

I hear you but the vast majority of sites they tear down and rebuild are eyesores, like an ugly QFC with a large front parking lot. Density needs to happen asap, I just hope they make the buildings attractive. I would also like to see many more 3 bedroom units, right now it seems like 99% of the new condos are 2 bdrm or smaller. Some of us want to live close to our jobs and have a kid or two.

I really like Canal Station. I think they did a nice period-style building that brings foot traffic to what was a car dealership if memory serves. I think the charm is there and well maintained if not improved.

I don't mind Noma. I'm not sure what was there before. I just don't like the design of Canal Station and I especially can't stand the design of Hjarta. Also, canal station is huge and looks so sterile. It doesn't have any personality.

I didn't know there was a car dealership in that lot before. I suppose I'd prefer the condo, but I would like is to have some more retail, restaurants, bars, etc. These things add character to Ballard, while these mammoth condos take it away, in my opinion. I just don't want the streets to resemble Dexter in Queen Anne, which is the most lifeless street that I know of in Seattle.

"I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood"

I hear you but the vast majority of sites they tear down and rebuild are eyesores, like an ugly QFC with a large front parking lot. Density needs to happen asap, I just hope they make the buildings attractive. I would also like to see many more 3 bedroom units, right now it seems like 99% of the new condos are 2 bdrm or smaller. Some of us want to live close to our jobs and have a kid or two.

That's the thing, I don't think they are.

"I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood"

I hear you but the vast majority of sites they tear down and rebuild are eyesores, like an ugly QFC with a large front parking lot. Density needs to happen asap, I just hope they make the buildings attractive. I would also like to see many more 3 bedroom units, right now it seems like 99% of the new condos are 2 bdrm or smaller. Some of us want to live close to our jobs and have a kid or two.

Agreed! The lack of 3 bedrooms is kind of alarming...

I don't mind Noma. I'm not sure what was there before. I just don't like the design of Canal Station and I especially can't stand the design of Hjarta. Also, canal station is huge and looks so sterile. It doesn't have any personality.

I didn't know there was a car dealership in that lot before. I suppose I'd prefer the condo, but I would like is to have some more retail, restaurants, bars, etc. These things add character to Ballard, while these mammoth condos take it away, in my opinion. I just don't want the streets to resemble Dexter in Queen Anne, which is the most lifeless street that I know of in Seattle.
HEY! I live on Dexter! :)

Point well taken. Little by little, we are getting some life. Four years ago a Starbucks. Last year, finally a bank. Dexter will indeed take some time, though. Too many office buildings without enough residential, but it's coming.

Developers need to think more "Vancouver" with a "Seattle-touch". Maris and Canal Station are byfar the best looking condos in Ballard; all the other ones have the same basic feature: one rectangular building with windows and walls. So '50s suburban...

HEY! I live on Dexter! :)


:)

I don't mind Noma. I'm not sure what was there before. I just don't like the design of Canal Station and I especially can't stand the design of Hjarta. Also, canal station is huge and looks so sterile. It doesn't have any personality.

I didn't know there was a car dealership in that lot before. I suppose I'd prefer the condo, but I would like is to have some more retail, restaurants, bars, etc. These things add character to Ballard, while these mammoth condos take it away, in my opinion. I just don't want the streets to resemble Dexter in Queen Anne, which is the most lifeless street that I know of in Seattle.

We're not going to agree on every building. They are all somewhat different and that's a plus. Ballard is awash in retail, restaurants and bars already and almost all of the larger projects have retail space on the street level. That's a lot more retail than the parking lots or single businesses that many of these new developments are replacing.

I don't even shop at that QFC. I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood. I don't mind the expansion of downtown, though. As long as they leave some of the old buildings alone.

Another thing, as a renter, it is getting harder and harder to find decent apartments within my price range in Seattle. I have no desire to purchase a condo and couldn't afford to even if I did.

Then you'll hate what I heard at a presentation this morning. One of the speakers was Mike Scott from Dupree & Scott, which deals in the apartment market. He said that rents are lower than they ought to be compared to incomes in this region...by how much I don't remember, but it was a substantial difference. We've had large income growth since 2000, say, but rents were stable for years and only recently started rising. I think his projections were around 7% for each of the next two years, moderating a little at the end of that period. Vacancies are near a historic low at 3.8% today, and are projected to get down to 3.2% next year, before rising a bit in 2009 due to a potential large amount of new inventory.

That new inventory will get built but only if rents are high enough to pay construction costs. Rents were too low for much of this decade, and groundbreakings are only now starting in earnest because rents have risen and are expected to keep rising quickly. What counts, of course, is what rents will be when a building is complete.

The new units will generally be expensive, but 2009 is still good news for moderate-income renters, because the new units will allow the people with money to vacate the old units, allowing the old units to remain more affordable.

Regarding the QFC, to me, the current store and parking lot are blight, and serious underuse of a key block.

"I just don't like all the condos taking away from the charm of the neighborhood"

I hear you but the vast majority of sites they tear down and rebuild are eyesores, like an ugly QFC with a large front parking lot. Density needs to happen asap, I just hope they make the buildings attractive. I would also like to see many more 3 bedroom units, right now it seems like 99% of the new condos are 2 bdrm or smaller. Some of us want to live close to our jobs and have a kid or two.


Three bedrooms would be great, but they'd have to charge a huge amount. Apparently the market is thin for large units due to the price.

Regarding retail: I'd rather keep retail focused on a few successful streets (especially a short stretch of Market), instead of dispersing it on more streets but never reaching a critical mass. In other words, the Broadway model rather than the Belltown model.

These projects aren't dense enough to support retail everywhere. Basically what I'm describing is the London "high street" model, which also applies to many of the other great cities.

Regarding retail: I'd rather keep retail focused on a few successful streets (especially a short stretch of Market), instead of dispersing it on more streets but never reaching a critical mass. In other words, the Broadway model rather than the Belltown model.

As long as the sidewalks are big enough on the successful streets... (IMHO, they're too narrow on Broadway -- when I lived on Capitol Hill, I typically walked north-south along Harvard because dodging crowds of meandering teens made Broadway too painful. I wasn't the only one, either.)

Saw this happy little guy in the DPD notices today:

http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/luib/Notice.aspx?BID=265&NID=6961

Land Use Application to allow a five story building with 25,000 sq. ft. of retail at ground level and 100,000 sq. ft. of office above. Parking for 262 vehicles to be located below grade. Review includes demolition of 14,000 sq. ft. existing structure.

25,000 sqf is enough to to quite a bit. Maybe another grocer?

We're not going to agree on every building. They are all somewhat different and that's a plus. Ballard is awash in retail, restaurants and bars already and almost all of the larger projects have retail space on the street level. That's a lot more retail than the parking lots or single businesses that many of these new developments are replacing.

I wouldn't say ballard has that many bars, but there are plenty of restaurants.

And the retail space you speak of is ugly. It's so plastic and drab. Like I mentioned before, this is why I think Dexter is void of personality. It seems that most of the shops, restaurants, and whatnot are at the bottom of condos.

The reason why I like Ballard ave so much is because the street is teaming with life. The stores, bars, and restaurants look welcoming.

Regarding retail: I'd rather keep retail focused on a few successful streets (especially a short stretch of Market), instead of dispersing it on more streets but never reaching a critical mass. In other words, the Broadway model rather than the Belltown model.



Agreed. Most of the condos that bother me are right there on Market or close to Ballard Ave. The ones located North of Market don't bother me nearly as much, including the one that will be built on the grave site of the QFC.

new inventory will get built but only if rents are high enough to pay construction costs.

People are financing projects on faith that they will be high enough because right now rents by and large can't pay for new construction. So by the time we find out if rents do jump as much as expected, product will already be coming on the market. Should be interesting.

And the retail space you speak of is ugly. It's so plastic and drab. Like I mentioned before, this is why I think Dexter is void of personality. It seems that most of the shops, restaurants, and whatnot are at the bottom of condos.


Off-topic for Ballard, but I'd love to have a discussion of why Dexter is dead.

Personally, I'd claim it has more to do with topography limiting neighborhood access (Queen Anne is too high and blocked by Aurora, Westlake is too steeply downhill) than with bland condo-oriented retail space. Also, there's not a ton of connected retail space -- most of the office buildings have blank walls or office windows.

Off-topic for Ballard, but I'd love to have a discussion of why Dexter is dead.

Personally, I'd claim it has more to do with topography limiting neighborhood access (Queen Anne is too high and blocked by Aurora, Westlake is too steeply downhill) than with bland condo-oriented retail space. Also, there's not a ton of connected retail space -- most of the office buildings have blank walls or office windows.

I can't really speak on your proposed cause because I'm simply not educated enough on the topography of Seattle. I've only lived here and a year and a half. You may be right. Topography may be the cause. I'm only speaking about the current appearance of Dexter.

However, there definitely isn't a lack of population. It seems that if a business chose to open there, it would do well.

Another possibility is how accessible downtown is from Dexter. I have a friend who lives on the street and she goes to downtown for everything.

I'm glad that Ballard finally have ours attentions. I know that they're building many new condos lately. I think their condos are little nicer than most of the condos I looked at so far. Their prices are very reasonable.

I can't imagine to be being that woman who refused to sell her property to the developer. I don't want to live in the house with huge buildings surrounding my house. That would be too weird. That remind me of Disney cartoon that I saw when I was little when a small house being trapped by skyscrapers at the end of the story. I forgot the name of this Disney cartoon. I rather to sell the house to the developer and take that million dollar so can move on with life.

Dexter's steep hillside location is a big factor, plus the Aurora barrier and even the proximity to Lake Union, which means no customers more than a block to the east. Even if it were lined with six-story buildings there still wouldn't be enough people for continuous good retail...though in that scenario some good clustered retail would work.

I can't really speak on your proposed cause because I'm simply not educated enough on the topography of Seattle. I've only lived here and a year and a half. You may be right. Topography may be the cause. I'm only speaking about the current appearance of Dexter.

However, there definitely isn't a lack of population. It seems that if a business chose to open there, it would do well.

Another possibility is how accessible downtown is from Dexter. I have a friend who lives on the street and she goes to downtown for everything.

Just from a basic standpoint, i'm guessing that Dexter is "empty" is either because:

- Lack of car traffic. Vheicles would most likely use Aurora or Westlake. However, I have found Dexter to be a good, quiet route out of downtown (shhh, don't tell anyone).
- There doesn't seem to be enough commercial activity. The redevopment of SLU and Seattle Center should help.
- Topography probably is a problem. Dexter is on a secluded hill, what do you expect?

Maybe adding a streetcar on Dexter would help, but there might not be much demand though :)

Believe me, as a Dexter residence. There is PLENTY of traffic during commute hours as many avoid the Aurora backups by sneaking down this way. And I've never seen more bicyclists (commuters) than along Dexter in the evening.

The small corridor that it is, is much bigger than Belltown which thrives in a fairly skinny market. The difference is that people will actually commute TO Belltown and not THROUGH it. Another Dexter problem is that the only feeder markets are Fremont to the North and SLU from the South. You can only cross Aurora by either going under at the north end or Broad or going over at Denny so Queen Anne is not a feeder neighborhood.

From the Seattle Times:


Preservation on the menu for Ballard's shuttered Denny's

By Sanjay Bhatt
Seattle Times staff reporter

It looks like a cross between a barn and a ski chalet with a little Jetsons thrown in.

But the tired old Denny's diner in the Ballard neighborhood, where more and more condos are going up, could be preserved as one of Seattle's few remaining roadside landmarks.

Earlier this week, the city's Landmarks Preservation Board voted 8-1 to nominate the property for landmark status.

It did so after Benaroya Companies, which owns the site and wants to sell it to a condo developer, said the 1960s-era structure no longer fits the character of the increasingly upscale neighborhood.

In a pre-emptive strike, Benaroya had asked the Landmarks Board to look at the Denny's building, expecting the board would decide it didn't deserve to be nominated for landmark status.

"Developers want to make sure they can go ahead unencumbered," said Benaroya spokesman Louie Richmond. Plans call for a 260-condo tower with ground-floor retail to be built at the site.

But the board, which also heard from architects and preservationists concerned with the loss of Seattle's roadside architecture, surprised Benaroya.

The old diner, now boarded up, may not be grand, "but it's part of our daily life and documenting that is important," said Alan Michelson, head of the University of Washington's architecture and urban-planning library. He urged the board to nominate the Denny's for preservation. The board will make the final decision.

"It's not a throwaway McDonald's," he said.

Both sides are gearing up for what could be a heated public debate Feb. 6 about the value of old commercial buildings to Seattle neighborhoods.

The debate has a particular resonance in Ballard, whose business district in the past decade has lost places that served a working-class, industrial community to stores that cater to young professionals.

A gateway to the Ballard business district on the corner of Northwest Market Street and 15th Avenue Northwest, the distinctive building has been a familiar anchor since 1964, when it opened as a Manning's Cafeteria & Buffet.

Passing drivers couldn't help but notice its unusual parabolic roofline, evocative of the "Googie" architectural style that played on the futuristic optimism of the 1950s with lines suggestive of space travel and the atomic age.

This style got its name from a Sunset Strip coffee shop designed in 1949, according to a report submitted to the city, and featured upswept roofs, large plate-glass windows, boomerang shapes and starbursts.

Michelson said the Manning's chain started as a coffee shop in Pike Place Market in 1908, later expanding into meal service. At its peak, the chain had 45 restaurants in California, Oregon and Washington.

"It put Seattle's coffee business on the map," Michelson said. "It's a forerunner of important Seattle businesses like Starbucks."

But by 1983 the restaurant chain was ailing and the Denny's restaurant chain took over the Ballard property, operating there until recently. In spring 2006, Benaroya Companies bought the property from the Seattle Monorail Project, which had acquired the site for a future Green Line station but was forced by voters to cancel its plans.

Richmond said that Benaroya bought the property under the assumption the building could be torn down, then the site was sold to a developer. The Monorail Project had permission to demolish the Denny's structure, he said.

Benaroya expected its request for the landmark nomination would be rejected. It planned to sell the site to a developer, Rhapsody Partners in Kirkland.

"Ballard's changed dramatically in the last 10 years," Richmond said. "The restaurants people support are not the sort of Denny's restaurants."

Richmond said he's not sure what will happen if the building becomes a landmark. "It's very, very possible nobody will build on that site," he said.

The board's Feb. 6 meeting is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. on the 40th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave.

I read that too. Give me a break! Is there a sale on red tape??! Tear the piece of shit down. Better still, tell Gregoire!

lolol ^^ well said, even though I like it

Well, if it was originally supposed to be for the monorail, maybe they should save the space for maybe another couple of decades when mass transit reached Ballard; but since that's just crazy, tear it down. Old buildings with weird designs scare me (the Space Needle is an exception).

Personally I'm extremely happy about this decision. Its a style worth having examples of. Instead of having another bland condo building a creative developer will end up utilizing the property for something worthwhile.

Something worthwhile? An apartment building not only helps energize ballard, but promotes transit and takes some pressure off sprawl. That's VERY worthwhile.

I kind of like it. I also can't help but think tearing down buildings like this is what especially upsets neighborhood residents. They will feel like the character of their neighborhood is being destroyed by more bland condos and in turn be more opposed to development in general. Do we really want that?

Maybe it could be remodeled into something that would better fit the changing population.....a restaurant with real atmosphere. That corner imo needs to remain commercial. There are more than enough places for more condos. What makes a neighborhood a neighborhood is a mix of things, hell these cookie cutter 6 story condos are
killing any sense of what would draw people into a neighborhood. In this particular case that intersection is prime property for something commercial.

I live in Ballard and may be in the minority, but I like the new construction. It is not all bland--refer to the pictures on the first posting. I think many have character and are a great addition to the neighborhood--and in some cases a huge improvement over the rundown warehouses, tired commercial buildings and parking lot asphalt they replace. And we are talking downtown Ballard. Areas to the north which are heavily single family houses are not being overrun by condos and apartment buildings. Personally I think Denney's to be an eyesore and wouldn't mind it being razed. I will be sorry, though, to see Sunset Bowl [across the street from Denney's] close, as I enjoy going bowling there. But no one was holding a gun to the owner to sell to developers. He sold out for financial reasons, obviously. That's how it operates, for good or for ill.

I guess the question to ask yourselves is, "Is this the type of building that should welcome residents and visitors as the gateway to such an up-and-coming neighborhood?"

Then you'll hate what I heard at a presentation this morning. One of the speakers was Mike Scott from Dupree & Scott, which deals in the apartment market. He said that rents are lower than they ought to be compared to incomes in this region...by how much I don't remember, but it was a substantial difference. We've had large income growth since 2000, say, but rents were stable for years and only recently started rising. I think his projections were around 7% for each of the next two years, moderating a little at the end of that period. Vacancies are near a historic low at 3.8% today, and are projected to get down to 3.2% next year, before rising a bit in 2009 due to a potential large amount of new inventory.

That new inventory will get built but only if rents are high enough to pay construction costs. Rents were too low for much of this decade, and groundbreakings are only now starting in earnest because rents have risen and are expected to keep rising quickly. What counts, of course, is what rents will be when a building is complete.

The new units will generally be expensive, but 2009 is still good news for moderate-income renters, because the new units will allow the people with money to vacate the old units, allowing the old units to remain more affordable.

Regarding the QFC, to me, the current store and parking lot are blight, and serious underuse of a key block.

agreed...with the new and expensive inventory (both new construction and rehabs) coming online the demand will grow for b class apartments, unfortunatly that equates to rental increases for b class units...

same holds true for office space.....

these developers are banking on rental increases of 7% annually for the next 36 months to just to make their deals pencil...hope they are correct....as with every cycle, there is always someone that shows up last to the party, no need to mention names.....

I along with Mike Scot tend to belive that they apartment market winds will start to change in late 2009.....developers need to get their projects out of the ground immediately to avoid misfortune.....

People are financing projects on faith that they will be high enough because right now rents by and large can't pay for new construction. So by the time we find out if rents do jump as much as expected, product will already be coming on the market. Should be interesting.


I would personally be more interetsed in a rehab deal vs. ground up construction as a devloper right now because you can get your product to market much quicker with far less expertise and hassel.....I have seen alot of rehab deals lately and in the past 12 months, so far they have all worked out very well and fannie mae is still providing perm loans at VERY affordable rates and flexible terms...

there are still a few rehab deals out there in the market but devlopers need to move fast....typically, I see people come in and do very cosmetic work and they jack the rents 30%....not a bad model for a developer....

If only I had the money......

Something worthwhile? An apartment building not only helps energize ballard, but promotes transit and takes some pressure off sprawl. That's VERY worthwhile.

I'm sorry but I must have forgotten about Seattle's rich history of saving buildings/districts instead of allowing corporations to tear them down.

This is a small building and for a long time it was nothing more than a Denny's, which mystically closed down right before the nomination was looked at, but it is a historic part of a neighborhood that is being altered significantly. Also keeping this building alone will not stop the creation of yet more apartment/condo buildings in Ballard.


I guess the question to ask yourselves is, "Is this the type of building that should welcome residents and visitors as the gateway to such an up-and-coming neighborhood?"


Some would say it was a great neighborhood already. If someone local refurbished the building and put in a nice 24 hour cafe I think it would be a great gateway. What better for an up-and-coming neighborhood than a place you can mingle and eat good food at anytime of day?

Something of appropriate density how about. The Denny's is a waste of land. Ballard should be a dense urban subcenter, which it's becoming.

Seattle has a checkered history of saving old buildings...more should be saved. But we should focus on quality as well as appropriate density. Not roadside schlock.

Something of appropriate density how about. The Denny's is a waste of land. Ballard should be a dense urban subcenter, which it's becoming.

Seattle has a checkered history of saving old buildings...more should be saved. But we should focus on quality as well as appropriate density. Not roadside schlock.

Which is your opinion of the building. There are plenty of people who disagree with you as well as those who agree. Personally I think the arguments are said best on crosscut. Not sure if you kept reading after your comment but there is a decently fluid debate there.

There is still plenty of room on that lot to build. As well as the opportunity for a creative developer to build something that incorporates the "Googie" building into something just a dense as a 200+ room apartment building.

Is it possible to move the Denny's building to a park or something? I don't think saving that building if it's in that area is really good; Market Street and 15th Avenue NW is a high-traffic area, where high-density should be concentrated. If developers could move it, then I believe it would be much better.

Now there's a good idea. That would satisfy much of the architecture community's points.

The neighborhood anti-growth faction would hate it. They're in this primarily to stop growth (or to push it somewhere else if they think that far).

Is it possible to move the Denny's building to a park or something? I don't think saving that building if it's in that area is really good; Market Street and 15th Avenue NW is a high-traffic area, where high-density should be concentrated. If developers could move it, then I believe it would be much better.

that's a fantastic idea! move it out near golden gardens for rentable space or something similar.

I'm sure it would be so simple to just pick it up and move it (insert sarcastic tone!).

I'm sure it would be so simple to just pick it up and move it (insert sarcastic tone!).

If people want to keep the building that much, then i'm sure they would take the time and money to move it. I mean, look at the couple who bought some historical home in Kent for $1 and moved it to Seattle.

agreed...with the new and expensive inventory (both new construction and rehabs) coming online the demand will grow for b class apartments, unfortunatly that equates to rental increases for b class units...

same holds true for office space.....

these developers are banking on rental increases of 7% annually for the next 36 months to just to make their deals pencil...hope they are correct....as with every cycle, there is always someone that shows up last to the party, no need to mention names.....

I along with Mike Scot tend to belive that they apartment market winds will start to change in late 2009.....developers need to get their projects out of the ground immediately to avoid misfortune.....

I agree the QFC site is an underuse of space...I believe this is a Secured Properties project...I like their work!!

As for the office space market...most developers are projecting a 8% to 30% increase in rents annually over the next two years. 2010 is when we are expecting to see an oversupplied market. I will be curious how the residential market fairs at the same time.

Ohh and Denny's as a historical site? That just irks me...it is an eyesore (in my opinion)

Denny's needs to go whether it be on a flatbed or by demolition. More density good, Denny's bad.

^^ Am I wrong or is it not a Denny's anymore? The pictures in the paper made it look just boarded up and abandoned at the moment.

^^ Am I wrong or is it not a Denny's anymore? The pictures in the paper made it look just boarded up and abandoned at the moment.

Denny's closed; read the article.



I also read this opinion letter in the Seattle Times:

BALLARD DENNY'S

Reader not 'Googie' with the building

Regarding the Thursday article on the Landmarks Preservation Board voting 8-1 to consider nominating the Ballard Denny's building for preservation, I laughed out loud. I have never heard, or voiced, anything other than negative remarks about this ridiculous building from its Manning's Cafeteria days to now.

Of course, that was before I knew it was a fine example of "Googie" architecture. Well, maybe Google can be enticed into moving into the preserved space -- and it can then be treasured as "Googlie" architecture.

Kathy Frushour
Seattle

This just made me laugh, getting Google into a "Googie" building to make it "Googlie"! :lol:

I kind of like it. I also can't help but think tearing down buildings like this is what especially upsets neighborhood residents. They will feel like the character of their neighborhood is being destroyed by more bland condos and in turn be more opposed to development in general. Do we really want that?

Hear, hear!

It was the only Denny's I ever saw with a cocktail lounge. Anyway, I've already been vocal on this topic, but Ballard has enough condos as it is. That part of Market is already turning into a boring, condo infested strip. Why have another one? Maybe they can put another juice shop on the ground level. Or maybe a Coldstone? No thanks. That corner should be commercial. I'd love it if another Diner opened up. Not a Denny's, because they food's horrible, but a diner, and keep the cocktail lounge.

It's an eye-soar now, because it's boarded up, but it doesn't have to be. Frankly, I think the large overgrown, even weed-like, condos are more of an eye-soar than a building with actual character.

Ballard needs more condos to become a more vibrant urban center.

Are you saying "we've slowed sprawl enough, let's let 'er rip for a while"?

Ballard needs more condos to become a more vibrant urban center.

Are you saying "we've slowed sprawl enough, let's let 'er rip for a while"?
I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "lets let 'er rip for a while."

In my opinion, Ballard is fine. I think a condo on that corner would make the neighborhood worse. They're already building one directly across from it and right next to it. What's wrong with keeping that giving that corner personality?

Since the population is growing, we need constant infill to reduce the pressure that results in the sprawl we're constantly getting. We can't afford to "museum" one-story buildings with parking lots very often.

To me, an area dense with midrise condos can have way more personality than the same intersection with a Denny's on the corner. Look at the denser parts of Capitol Hill to see what central Ballard might become as it ages.

Since the population is growing, we need constant infill to reduce the pressure that results in the sprawl we're constantly getting. We can't afford to "museum" one-story buildings with parking lots very often.

To me, an area dense with midrise condos can have way more personality than the same intersection with a Denny's on the corner. Look at the denser parts of Capitol Hill to see what central Ballard might become as it ages.

We disagree. My thing with condos is that they lack any personality. They look sterile and bring rental costs up. At this point, I'd say Ballard has plenty of Condos.

New supply ought to help keep rental costs down. Anyone who moves there is moving out of somewhere else. They key to affordability in a growing, prosperous city is a good supply of those "somewhere elses", plus some housing at the bottom end from sources like Seattle's great array of non-profits.

New supply only hurts affordability if it eliminates old supply. On a very localized basis, sometimes a new building "ritzes" up an existing neighborhood, but when ritziness is caused by real estate it's usually a zero-sum effect -- when one area goes up, other areas go down.

New construction almost always looks sterile. That includes the construction of the 1910s, etc., when it was built. Though we might agree if you're saying new buildings were more attractive in certain eras. Personally I like the majority of the new midrises getting built.

Too bad Ballard is losing character of the city with booming of plain looking condo/apt buildings. I'm afraid it will happen to Fremont also. I would like Fremont to keep it that way it is.

Too bad Ballard is losing character of the city with booming of plain looking condo/apt buildings. I'm afraid it will happen to Fremont also. I would like Fremont to keep it that way it is.

Out of curiosity, which unique features of Ballard are you sad about losing? The old car dealership that Canal Station replaced? The "Googie" Denny's and its huge parking lot? The gigantic parking lot and relatively small QFC that is fenced off now? The drive-through Key Bank that Hjarta replaced?

Personally, I'm pissed about losing Sunset Bowl (because I believe it was/is a strong community meeting place/anchor), and feel that most of Ballard Avenue ought to stay as it is, but I don't see much of the other development hurting Ballard much, and I believe the new residents will bring uniqueness of their own as they create and support local businesses...

^^ seconded. ballard is one of my favorite neighborhoods in seattle and it gets better every time i go back.

Absolutely, better every year. The recent architecture ranges from ok to pretty good, such as the south end of Canal Station.

I'm also confused about what people are lamenting. Unless it's surface parking and the occasional building of questionable merit. Ballard's growth hasn't taken away much that I like. I like Ballard Avenue like it is (though the senior housing project tore something down) and Market is a great "core" for a couple long blocks, but otherwise there are scattered buildings of real merit. The Bay Theater, the old firehouse, the Carnegie Library, etc., actually mostly within the retail core.

Out of curiosity, which unique features of Ballard are you sad about losing? The old car dealership that Canal Station replaced? The "Googie" Denny's and its huge parking lot? The gigantic parking lot and relatively small QFC that is fenced off now? The drive-through Key Bank that Hjarta replaced?

Personally, I'm pissed about losing Sunset Bowl (because I believe it was/is a strong community meeting place/anchor), and feel that most of Ballard Avenue ought to stay as it is, but I don't see much of the other development hurting Ballard much, and I believe the new residents will bring uniqueness of their own as they create and support local businesses...

I didn't know Sunset Bowl is on its way out. That's awful. Also, in my opinion, it's not about the things we're losing, although I would like the Denny's to stay a diner, it's the fact that all the condos are ugly and look bad. They aren't adding anything positive.

Just curious. Is there any neighborhood in the area with new development that you find more pleasing, not ugly, and good?

Just curious. Is there any neighborhood in the area with new development that you find more pleasing, not ugly, and good?

Belltown isn't bad. The condos fit the neighborhood, something I don't think they do in Ballard. I feel they look out of place. Really, I'm fine with development in downtown as well.

I've just always thought that Upper Queen Anne and Ballard have done fine jobs producing condo projects of scale and design for their current neighborhoods. I know The Ballard is big, but has such a charming street scape it makes me wish more of Ballard was like that. I think Canal Station, too, blends well with the surrounds which quite frankly sucked (car dealership and light industrial).

I guess I'm just trying to nail down the ugly projects that have come in. Haven't been up there in a while.

I've just always thought that Upper Queen Anne and Ballard have done fine jobs producing condo projects of scale and design for their current neighborhoods. I know The Ballard is big, but has such a charming street scape it makes me wish more of Ballard was like that. I think Canal Station, too, blends well with the surrounds which quite frankly sucked (car dealership and light industrial).

I guess I'm just trying to nail down the ugly projects that have come in. Haven't been up there in a while.
Of course some will disagree with me, but I don't like Canal Station. I would definitely rather have that than car dealership, but I still don't care for it. It's just so damn big.

I don't mind Noma.

Hjarta is the biggest offender. It's absolutely hideous. The color scheme resembles vomit.

trust me, the colors on the helix and the ellipse in the u-district are 10X worse than ANYTHING in ballard.

The choices some builders/remodelers make. I used to live in a condo on Lower Queen Anne (corner of 5th and Aloha) that had to go through a siding retrofit. When they did so, the new color scheme was unique to say the least. I now call it the hot dog building as the colors are ketchup red, mustard yellow, and relish green.

I have since moved!

I now call it the hot dog building as the colors are ketchup red, mustard yellow, and relish green.

I have since moved!

Or you could call it a traffic light!

Ballard isn't that bad, but I do wonder why Fred Meyer built their store at such a lonely place. Was it because of land availability or what? And will there be any chance of a big waterfront development in Ballard (possibly displacing some industrial units)?

I use to work atthat fred meyer it might be in a lonely place but it does business like you wouldn't believe. Busiest in the chain actually. It sales have been up atleast 10% every year since it opened I like most of the Ballard developments they fit in fine in my opinion

Or you could call it a traffic light!

Ballard isn't that bad, but I do wonder why Fred Meyer built their store at such a lonely place. Was it because of land availability or what? And will there be any chance of a big waterfront development in Ballard (possibly displacing some industrial units)?

I love the location. It's only a ten minute walk from my apartment.

but I do wonder why Fred Meyer built their store at such a lonely place. Was it because of land availability or what?

There's a history behind that. You may or [probably] may not know that there used to be a steel mill at that location. Like most of the heavy industry in the city, it closed down and for years the site was nothing but a brownfield. A group called SOIL (Save Our Industrial Land) formed to try to get some other company to move in (versus commercial or residential). Alas, there were no takers, possible because the site was heavily polluted. But Fred Meyer saw opportunity where others dared not tread and in the end, they were the only viable alternative.

I took a walk through Ballard today (and Phinney, Greenlake, Ravenna ravine, U-Village, U-District, bus to SLU, walk to Belltown. Ballard is looking better and better. If community and vitality can be judged by the number of people in coffee shops, they have three full places in a one-block distance on Market. Counting the old QFC site that's been demo'd and has several backhoes parked, they have 800 units going up in an 80-acre area, plus maybe 600-700 recently completed plus what existed already -- it's already pretty vibrant, and it's going to be FANTASTIC in a couple years. Add the new MOB planned at the hospital and the Silver Cloud Hotel planned along the waterfront, and its daytime population will be stregthened also.

I was also happy to see the sheer volume of townhouses outside the Ballard core, not to mention Phinney, Ravenna, etc. While I don't like how driveway-focused many are, they're doing great things in terms of densifying streets near business districts, along minor arterials, etc. Apparently numbers aren't tracked, but these must represent a few thousand new units in the past few years alone. Another thousand per year would make me very happy -- densification, keeping housing supply ahead of demand to keep prices reasonable, and housing that adresses people's desire for "family-sized" units.

I was also happy to see the sheer volume of townhouses outside the Ballard core, not to mention Phinney, Ravenna, etc. While I don't like how driveway-focused many are, they're doing great things in terms of densifying streets near business districts, along minor arterials, etc. Apparently numbers aren't tracked, but these must represent a few thousand new units in the past few years alone. Another thousand per year would make me very happy -- densification, keeping housing supply ahead of demand to keep prices reasonable, and housing that adresses people's desire for "family-sized" units.

I believe the multi-family zoning update doc had a bunch of details about what was getting built in each of the lowrise zones. I don't recall the numbers off the top of my head, but I believe somewhere around 1000-1500 units of townhouses are getting built in Seattle each year. Most (though not all) of those are replacing single-family housing, so the net housing increase is a little lower than that. But yeah, it's a big density increase and, hopefully, a product that fills the "family-sized" need.

On the topic of Ballard, I've heard there are folks trying to lobby to get a bowling alley as the ground floor of the Sunset Bowl replacement. I don't know how much success they'll have, but it's an interesting development...

Hmmm. Living above a bowling alley - sounds tranquil!

Thanks SteveM for those numbers. That jibes with the numbers going through the MUP process.

If the bowling alley replacement plans a big box store and lots of related parking, a new alley would work in theory. Otherwise I'd be shocked if the bowling alley idea was even feasible. First the ground floor of anything will generall have lots of columns. Second they're probably planning a much narrower retail frontage. Third, regardless, they would want a tenant to pay a rent that justifies the construction cost, which has so far only worked in downtown spaces. Could a new alley in Ballard charge the same as the place in Bellevue, or the same as The Garage for that matter? Certainly not with the middle-class clientele it had in the past. And yes, noise is always an issue in a residential project...noise from the alley, and noise when customers leave.

Denny's announced they wanted to buy back their former restaurant on Market.

Ugh. A crappy chain to go with a crappy building, and they'd definitely want the god damn surface parking.

Ugh. A crappy chain to go with a crappy building, and they'd definitely want the god damn surface parking.

I will admit that I was hoping something other than Denny's would buy back the building. There's too many other great places to get breakfast. I'm not sure why anyone would go to Denny's.

that's easy man- 24 hours!

that's easy man- 24 hours!

Forgot about that.

that's easy man- 24 hours!
Hunger is a great option.

Last time I went to Dennys (and yes, it was 2 in the morning), I had eggs. I broke into my over-easies and blood came out!!!! I almost threw up. Denny's solution was to give me $3 off my meal.

Its no wonder they keep closing all over the place!

I'd prefer IHOP. I just went this past Monday (first time in several years since i've been mainly going to Denny's). Man, I forgot how amazing their pancakes taste!

I'm totally going back this Saturday...

By the way, what's the status of that piece of shit?

I'd prefer IHOP. I just went this past Monday (first time in several years since i've been mainly going to Denny's). Man, I forgot how amazing their pancakes taste!

I'm totally going back this Saturday...

By the way, what's the status of that piece of shit?

Bah, no chains. How bout a locally owned place? I'd prefer an independant place that only has that one location. Something like the Sunlight Cafe in Roosevelt, or Beths. Something uniquely Seattle. Make it a landmark to be proud of, not some chain restaurant defiling an historic building.

Hunger is a great option.

Last time I went to Dennys (and yes, it was 2 in the morning), I had eggs. I broke into my over-easies and blood came out!!!! I almost threw up. Denny's solution was to give me $3 off my meal.

Its no wonder they keep closing all over the place!

That's very disgusting and as a result, I don't think I'll ever eat at a Denny's again.

While heading up the Stevens Pass I stopped at The Sultan Bakery. That is the Bomb! They need something like that on that site. HUGE portions and Cheap! And Home made.

http://crosscut.com/mossback/11182/%27Googie+versus+Goliath%27/

I thought I'd post this link since we had such a good discussion about the Ballard Manning's/Denny's. The title comes from a PBS show that is supposed to run on Friday, the 8th, at 7:30 pm.


There was also discussion about how the diner might be incorporated into a high-density, mixed-use development on the site. One architect presented some rough sketches of how this might work, a win-win for everyone, if feasible. Many of the diner's most ardent advocates are architects who voice strong support for developing the site. Most want to see heritage preserved and top-notch development. They would love to see Benaroya come up with a creative plan B.


That was from near the end of the article/essay. The idea which seemed missed earlier in this thread would be to keep the building and use the parking lot for the type of high density development we all want.

EDITED.

umm also groups of friends that are out at 3 in the morning and get hungry. And fat people shouldn't go in public?

I think it's a great idea to keep the building and build around it. It really is a fun and unique building, and we need to keep as many of those as possible, lest we lose that which makes Seattle fun and unique.

If it were kept as it was built originally, it would be a no-brainer. However, I just recently saw what it looks like inside, and they really did gut the heck out of it. While it may have to be torn down, I'm glad to see people are considering keeping it up.

umm also groups of friends that are out at 3 in the morning and get hungry.

We have some fast food restaurants here that opens 24 hours a day.

[QUOTE=seapug;18244121]
And fat people shouldn't go in public?

I didn't say that. We don't see many of them in the city only in the suburbs or rural areas.

Get rid of that place! IHOP, Denny's, and Sharis are for rednecks and overweighted people. Seattle is too fit city to have these restaurants. Get that place demolished and make way for a new condo building!

If you truly mean this, I wish you'd move because your presence is making Seattle worse.

Get rid of that place! IHOP, Denny's, and Sharis are for rednecks and overweighted people. Seattle is too fit city to have these restaurants. Get that place demolished and make way for a new condo building!

What about 13 Coins? Denny's already left the building so don't worry about them. And there is still a whole parking lot that can be turned into a condo building if they want.

And I know this is a forum about skyscrapers but it is a bit ridiculous how often people attack stereotypes here simply because not everyone wants to live in the inner city and walk to work.

It's funny that Crazy criticizes others for stereotypes and prejudice (real or not real) while committing the same offenses himself.

What about 13 Coins? Denny's already left the building so don't worry about them. And there is still a whole parking lot that can be turned into a condo building if they want.

And I know this is a forum about skyscrapers but it is a bit ridiculous how often people attack stereotypes here simply because not everyone wants to live in the inner city and walk to work.

There used to be Denny's near Aurora Ave. N close to Space Needle, now it's gone. Is that the one you're talking about?

EDITED.

EDITED.

What about 13 Coins? Denny's already left the building so don't worry about them. And there is still a whole parking lot that can be turned into a condo building if they want.

And I know this is a forum about skyscrapers but it is a bit ridiculous how often people attack stereotypes here simply because not everyone wants to live in the inner city and walk to work.

I never try 13 Coins before. I thought Denny's still there. Never mind then.

That's funny I heard many Seattleites said about these restaurant chains too.

Point being?

Nuance is lost on this guy. Others have probably said they don't like places like Denny's (I sure don't). But nobody other than Crazy called all their customers fat people and rednecks. He really doesn't get how incredibly rude and hypocritical he is.

And thats why there is an ignore feature :)

I apologize for what I said. I had bad week. I know that is no excuse for what I said about them. I do have an issues with them but I should keep it to myself. I will regret what I said about them. I'm sorry.

Look at everyone hate on Hjarta!

I'm no architect, but knowing the complications (and expense) that follows making something architecturally ornate, what would those of you who dislike the looks of Hjarta, NoMa and the other mixed use midrises do to make them more attractive? What have they done wrong? What makes them so hideous?

One thing to admire about Hjarta is that Pryde+Johnson really went out of their way to create a building that is environmentally friendly. There aren't that many mid-rises that will achieve LEED Silver (although Ashworth Cottages might make platinum!). They did wo while building one of the tallest buildings in Ballard, and the looks and lines of it may not please everyone, but at least it isn't a plain old box.

What bothers me is that there are so many people who are against development because it drives prices up, and no one makes allowances for affordable housing. There are a host of people too that discourage development because of environmental concerns. Then there are those that think that new buildings are boring--but if a developer takes a risk and does something extreme then those are the same people that blast them for building something ugly--see Experience Music Project, or that God-awful "googie" Denny's building.

But if the development didn't happen, we wouldn't be complaining about ugly new buildings, we'd be complaining about dilapidated ugly old buildings (and poverty and crime and other bad things that follow in under-developed neighborhoods).

Personally I'm a big fan of midrise development in places like Ballard.

Generally speaking, I like exteriors the most when they're have some darker solid colors, or they have some brick.

As I've said before, we are never going to agree on every style or building. As a Ballard resident, I like the current mid-risers being constructed in the commercial core adding housing among the businesses. My only problem with some of the (mostly) mid-rise stuff is that they are too busy. One new apartment on Pontius Avenue that I can think of has something like three different colors and at least that many building materials. Some single buildings use stucco, wood, concrete, stone and brick, not to mention my pet peeve--that industrial corrugated metal that is so commonly used nowadays. Many like different styles, shapes and materials in one building. For me the simpler the better and the more brick better still--brick still looks classy.

^^ I agree. I rather to see Ballard to have high diversity of architecture than just stucco or craftman style developments. Ballard is an unique neighborhood and should keep its own character instead another "Belltown" or "South Lake Union". In my opinion, each neighborhood should have its own style. I welcome big changes to the neighborhoods. I know not everyone like the changes but that is something we have to live with whether we like it or not.

Okay, that's a pretty fair reply, Ginkgo. I too hate that corrugated metal paneling. I'm not really crazy about the looks of stucco either, but understand that it has it's place as being a better material than plain siding in terms of material usage, and environmental concerns. It is pretty water tight, and once it's up, it just needs to be repainted now and then. (Whereas with siding, there are companies that make an entire business out of strip-and-reclad). The kind of nice thing about combinations of building materials is that it takes a big building and breaks it up into smaller chunks. Painting in garish colors kind of has that effect to--darker colors to make it look small, lighter colors to make areas look bigger than they are. The net effect, I believe, is to make the box look less like a box while cramming as much money generating capacity as possible onto the parcel.

One more opinion: for me to be happy with a new midrise, the key is keeping the old street trees. With only new saplings along the street, it's hard to make a building look like it fits in with its neighbors. Walk along 57th NW between NW 17th and NW 15th in Ballard to see a new development (Ballard Place?) whose tree preservation makes the whole thing much more attractive.

That said, materials matter too: I'm also a fan of brick at the base and some material variation (ideally with shape variation, too) above. The new building at 65th & Roosevelt (the name escapes me) does a good job with this, IMHO.

Please no gray or beige. The only gray buildings I like are tall and have white railings and big windows -- Continental Place and Concord are the two I'm thinking of. Dark gray should be used very sparingly.

Please no gray or beige. The only gray buildings I like are tall and have white railings and big windows -- Continental Place and Concord are the two I'm thinking of. Dark gray should be used very sparingly.

You meant same concept as many residential towers in downtown Vancouver BC?

I don't remember much in Vancouver that's exactly like Continental Place. But I do like their prevalance of white, gray, and beige towers (especially the white ones) because they have more window than gray, because many have interesting shapes, and because many have other colors.

This was posted on Crosscut:

http://crosscut.com/images/managed/Story+Image_flickr_2287175967.jpg
http://crosscut.com/real-estate/11966/Progress+in+Ballard/

I love it, haha.

LMAO.

Ballard certainly does dance to the beat of a different drum. And what roofline are we immortalizing here?!

That's an old lady that wouldn't sell.

I'm amazed that developer had the gut to do that. I would never want to live in the house with mega complex surrounding it with very little sunshine. I just showed this picture to my friend. He thinks that kinda mean to do that to the old lady who lives in that house.

She could have been rich and happy. Now she's comfortable in her familar surroundings with more shade than she ever envisioned. Maybe some ivy!

I'm amazed that developer had the gut to do that. I would never want to live in the house with mega complex surrounding it with very little sunshine. I just showed this picture to my friend. He thinks that kinda mean to do that to the old lady who lives in that house.

They had an article awhile ago about how the construction workers drove her to her doctor appointments and her cooking for them and such. She bought the house for her mom years ago and took over when her mom died. She seemed happy by the writing. Should be interesting what happens to it when she passes away.

I'm almost certain there is a plan. The developer probably has a signed agreement to purchase upon her death. That space will likely be incorporated into the (then) existing structure.

The tell will be if units above her back and side 'yards' have windows. If they do, her space may just be converted into a common area. If they don't, then they had plan for more units all along.

She could have been rich and happy. Now she's comfortable in her familar surroundings with more shade than she ever envisioned. Maybe some ivy!

For many elderly people, familiar surroundings are a major touchstone in their lives and change is unwanted and often terrifying. At 80-something years old, money can't buy happiness. Familiarity and comfort are worth far more than any amount of cash to someone like her.

I'm almost certain there is a plan. The developer probably has a signed agreement to purchase upon her death. That space will likely be incorporated into the (then) existing structure.

The tell will be if units above her back and side 'yards' have windows. If they do, her space may just be converted into a common area. If they don't, then they had plan for more units all along.

Units? This project has no "units".

Oops! I forgot what this project was.

Yeah! Common sense prevails!!

Landmarks Preservation Board gives owner OK to tear down Ballard Denny's
By Stuart Eskenazi

Seattle Times staff reporter

Three months after declaring the defunct Ballard Denny's building a landmark -- which, for some, put into question the very meaning of the word -- Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board unanimously said the owner may tear it down.

The change of tune Wednesday night came after the Benaroya Companies, which purchased the property in 2006 intending for condominiums to be built, convinced the board that it could not achieve a reasonable rate of return on its $12.5 million investment if the Denny's were left standing.

The landmark designation for the Denny's, which Benaroya shut down last year, sparked passions because it touched on property rights, historic preservation, growth and the continued evolution of once-quaint Seattle neighborhoods. Hundreds of Ballard residents banded together to try to save it.

Their efforts worked at first, but Wednesday the board was required to consider its decision's economic impact on Benaroya -- a factor that by law it could not take into account three months ago.

"I just don't see how I can not only hold their feet to the fire, but put them into the fire," said board member Thomas Veith, an architectural historian who voted for the landmark designation in February.

John McCullough, Benaroya's attorney, said the company looked at a dozen redevelopment alternatives that would have preserved the building, but no plan was feasible.

Even the rosiest option -- turning the Denny's into a high-end restaurant and building condos on the rest of the site -- posted a near 25 percent loss for Benaroya, he said. That's because the number of units built would have to have been reduced from the original redevelopment plan.

Board member Alyce Conti, a real-estate finance expert, agreed with McCullough's assessment.

"No lender is going to lend on this project, especially in today's environment," she said. "It's impossible."

Supporters who pushed to turn the Denny's into a landmark pleaded with the board to consider that the building could be preserved if the property were rezoned, thus giving the developer an opportunity to build higher and build enough condo units to financially satisfy the owner.

But Veith said a rezoning might not fly with Ballard residents: "If they are against having the condos, why would they support extra height?"

Benaroya officials had characterized building supporters as more interested in using the landmarks process to stop the proliferation of condos in Ballard than in the building's historic or architectural virtues. Alan Michelson told the board that was not the case, and said city officials were open to a rezoning.

Eugenia Woo, another Ballard resident, said all the money Benaroya has spent to fight the landmark designation could have gone toward restoring the restaurant and that by now "we all could be drinking martinis at a swank bar."

Benaroya purchased the property as part of a surplus auction of the failed Seattle Monorail Project. The building was to be demolished to make way for a monorail station but had not been vetted through the landmarks process.

The board's decision in February to designate the Denny's a landmark was criticized by those who believed the building had lost much of its original Googie-inspired architectural integrity. In the end, the board designated it a landmark not on the basis of architecture, but rather on its visual prominence at Northwest Market Street and 15th Avenue Northwest and its distinctive quality in Ballard.

The building was constructed in 1964 as a Manning's Cafeteria. It morphed into a Denny's but today stands boarded up behind a chain-link fence.

While the landmark ruling three months ago led some to poke fun at Seattle's sense of aesthetic, others used it to debate whether midcentury buildings merit landmark status. It also has shone light on the often-misunderstood city landmarks process.

Board chairman Stephen Lee, an architect who voted for the landmark status three months ago, said members having to vote to tear down a landmark was "a very sad situation for us to be in," but he and other design professionals on the board needed to defer to colleagues who are number-crunchers.

Board member Ronald Martinson, a structural engineer, said the process requiring the board to consider Benaroya's financial hardship had to be followed. "I think it's worth noting," he said, "that we're a board of rules."

So how soon do they start tearing the thing down?

So is that the final decision or is there a chance of an appeal?

So how soon do they start tearing the thing down?

If I were them I would turn that into rubble as fast as possible.

Yay, another condo... Too bad they couldn't turn that building into something worthwhile.

That Landmarks Preservation Board will have a black cloud hanging over their heads for a while after such a stupid mistake. More and more of these groups around the world are making asses of themselves trying to keep these old relics from being replaced. What a waste of money and time that was spent on this.

That Landmarks Preservation Board will have a black cloud hanging over their heads for a while after such a stupid mistake. More and more of these groups around the world are making asses of themselves trying to keep these old relics from being replaced. What a waste of money and time that was spent on this.

I was disappointed to see that the proposal for taller buildings that included the denny's didn't pencil out. But as long as something's going in, I'm satisfied.

Yes, common sense prevails.

I love the density coming to central Ballard.

Yes, common sense prevails.

I love the density coming to central Ballard.

Yeah, it's pretty remarkable how much denser Ballard is getting. It seems crazy that this project and the Sunset Bowl project and the apartment project south of Market at 14th could all go forward. But even if none of them happen, central Ballard will soon have about 1000 more housing units than it did 5 years ago. Wow.

Now if only there were a better way to get to and from Ballard on mass transit...

They'll be getting significant bus improvements by 2009. From Ballard Bridge service will be very good at that point.

Still stuck in traffic though. And I'm guessing most Ballardites won't give up their automobile for improved bus frequency.

Don't get me wrong, it's still an improvement but the difference between rail transit and bus transit will be the difference between Ballard being transit-oriented and being transit-passable.

^^ There is a proposed streetcar route from Fremont to Ballard. I am not sure when it will get built. That would be awesome to have streetcar system that go all the way to Fremont and Ballard. :)

I was disappointed to see that the proposal for taller buildings that included the denny's didn't pencil out. But as long as something's going in, I'm satisfied.

I very much like the idea of Denny's integrated into a larger building. If for no other reason, than it would be a funny site to see. Although there could be something to this, as it could be combined into a mixed use structure tying some of those apartments where they let alcoholics drink, perhaps a couple of bars too, and then the Denny's to go sober up...They might never have to leave the block...

I very much like the idea of Denny's integrated into a larger building. If for no other reason, than it would be a funny site to see. Although there could be something to this, as it could be combined into a mixed use structure tying some of those apartments where they let alcoholics drink, perhaps a couple of bars too, and then the Denny's to go sober up...They might never have to leave the block...

What are you talking about?

^^ There is a proposed streetcar route from Fremont to Ballard. I am not sure when it will get built. That would be awesome to have streetcar system that go all the way to Fremont and Ballard. :)

I'd love a quicker way to get to Fremont and Cap. Hill.

The lady that held out in the middle of Ballard Blocks passed into the next world today. May she rest in peace, with our condolences to her family and to the Ledcor crew that took care of her during the construction.

The lady that held out in the middle of Ballard Blocks passed into the next world today. May she rest in peace, with our condolences to her family and to the Ledcor crew that took care of her during the construction.

I hope they keep the house there.

What are you talking about?

There was proposal for a subsidized apartment where alcoholics are allowed to live in Seattle, ad they are allowed to continue to drink (under some restrictions). It may even actually already exist but it was featured on the news a while ago.

If you put a Denny's in that building, it would be very much like my time in college.

An apartment building like that opened near Eastlake and Denny maybe around early 2007. It's been successful in reducing aid calls vs. the constant in-out when the same people were on the street.

An apartment building like that opened near Eastlake and Denny maybe around early 2007. It's been successful in reducing aid calls vs. the constant in-out when the same people were on the street.

Yup, that one. It seems to be a strange concept to me, but what the heck. We are in North San Francisco...anything goes.

There was proposal for a subsidized apartment where alcoholics are allowed to live in Seattle, ad they are allowed to continue to drink (under some restrictions). It may even actually already exist but it was featured on the news a while ago.

If you put a Denny's in that building, it would be very much like my time in college.

I never heard about that. I suppose that's a good idea.

It's a very good idea, and it appears to be working. Yes it "rewards" bad behavior, but it gets the bad behavior out of the way (a HUGE positive), it probably saves money in the long run (project cost vs. emergency services), and anecdotally it might be helping some people turn around.

By the program's definition, they do not expect ANY turnaround. They just want these people out of the way. It's a home for those the city has given up on successfully treating.

By the program's definition, they do not expect ANY turnaround. They just want these people out of the way. It's a home for those the city has given up on successfully treating.

That's the part I don't like. How does that help? Do you seek to rehabilitate or to incarcerate? I guess it's funny that from a conservative point, my view of a program like that is that it's terrible, it's better to help those people, but when it comes to the criminal element--(where some of these people might well end up if they do not seek treatment or containment for their alcohol problem)--I think it better to lock them up and throw away the key. I'm certain someone on the opposite side of the spectrum would have a viewpoint that is directly flip-flopped to mine.

But I digress. That has nothing to do with development in Ballard.

Ballard Denny's to be demolished
By AUBREY COHEN
P-I REPORTER

Seattle officials issued a permit Friday morning to demolish the Ballard landmark that formerly housed a Manning's Cafeteria, then a Denny's restaurant.

Building owner BCC Mikie Ballard LLC, a partnership led by the Benaroya Co., has a deal to sell the site to developer Rhapsody Partners, which applied to replace it with an eight-story building containing retail space and more than 260 homes.

The city Landmarks Preservation Board gave the building a reprieve in February, when it declared the slope-roofed structure a city landmark. But the board decided last month that there was no economically viable way to save the building and declined to impose any controls that would block demolition.



Who wants to bet that it's gone by the end of the month?!

I always thought that a drunk driver would destroy the building....;)

I went to Ballard after work today.

Because I'm moving next week (to sell, so I'll qualify for my Gallery unit in September), I've been taking care of all my excess stuff. Part of this was getting my bike fixed up after not riding it for about five years. I got it back yesterday after work, and rode from the Market to Smith Cove and back. Then today after I ate my IGA salad and sushi, I went out again. Myrtle Edwards, Magnolia, the Locks, Ballard, Gas Works, University Bridge, Eastlake, Stewart, and back to Belltown. My god I've been missing out! I've been used to living in a small area, and being able to go to all of these places in a short time without taking a bus or walking for four hours is a bit of a relevation.

Anyway, the Ballard QFC site is nearing ground level. It's been so long since I heard anything that I wasn't sure it was even happening. No other particular news, but I sure did pass a lot of townhouses.

I took a look today at the lot just south of Market between 14th and 11th, which I believe is due for a 6-story building of 150 apartments or so. Demolition of the previous 1-story buildings had been underway over the last couple of weeks, so I was hoping this was a go, but it looks like they finished demolition and covered the ground with straw, which strikes me as a sign that the excavation isn't going to go ahead right away. We'll see.

On the plus side, even if this is on hold, there's still a ton of work going on in Ballard. It'll be interesting just to count the number of people walking along Market in the next few years.

Yes, about 800 units underway in a fairly compact area.

Anyway, the Ballard QFC site is nearing ground level. It's been so long since I heard anything that I wasn't sure it was even happening. No other particular news, but I sure did pass a lot of townhouses.

Ground level? As in the foundation is almost done? Any pictures?

This was posted on Crosscut:

http://crosscut.com/images/managed/Story+Image_flickr_2287175967.jpg
http://crosscut.com/real-estate/11966/Progress+in+Ballard/

I love it, haha.

Here's the follow up story. The owner just passed away.

Edith Macefield and her house were symbols of Old Ballard.

Last time I saw Edith Macefield, she threatened to sue me. Then she smiled and invited me in.

It was in 2006. I had written a column about how old Edith had refused to leave her tiny home in a filthy, industrial Ballard neighborhood, saying "no" to a nearly million-dollar buyout offer from a developer.

Her house was valued as a worthless tear-down by the government. But to her it was priceless.

When I stopped by later to check on her, she said she was angry that I had written about her. More than anything, she said, she wanted to be left alone.

But Edith, I said. You're a folk hero.

I showed her some of the 200 e-mail messages I'd gotten from readers, some from as far away as Seoul, South Korea. They hailed her for valuing something other than money. For being a lone holdout against relentless Seattle yuppification.

"She's about the last thing left with any soul around here," said a typical one.

That's when she invited me in. Turns out she had gotten 60 similar letters, some hand-delivered with flowers. As she showed them, she dismissed all the fuss as hooey.

"I'm no hero," she said. "I meant it. I just want to be left alone."

Edith died Sunday, at 86. She died in the tiny cottage she had refused to leave, not for a million bucks.

"She got what she wanted," said Charlie Peck, a longtime friend. "She wanted to die at home, in the same house, on the same couch, where her mother had died. That's what she was so stubborn about."

He said she was never trying to stick it to The Man. Or to make any larger statement against development or money or anything else.

Yet to look at her house today, it's hard not to be impressed by her iron will, no matter her motivation.

The tiny house in the industrial flats once was part of a row of picket-fence-lined cottages along a working-class street. That was old Ballard.

Today it sits walled in on three sides by what will be a five-story health club and a Trader Joe's. New Ballard.

The only reason the new hasn't completely obliterated the old — yet, anyway — is because of the principled lady who lived there. She stuck it out through years of garbage trucks rumbling by, a homeless car-camping colony out her front door, and now, for the past two years, the racket of construction mere feet from her windows.

"I don't care about money," Edith said. "What would I do with that kind of money anyway?

"This is my home. I wouldn't like it anywhere else."

Who says things like this anymore? Who so confidently ignores the tides of money and power?

Forget that frivolous Ballard Denny's. It didn't tell Ballard's story, old or new. Edith's house is the real Ballard landmark.

Not that it is likely to remain. The five-story structure going up around her home is being built so that Edith's lot can be easily absorbed into the development, said Kent Voter, a superintendent for Ledcor Construction at the site.

Voter described how spots have been left so steel beams could be inserted into the concrete to complete the upper floor, assuming Edith's home is sold and torn down.

She has no known relatives, but Voter said he believed she had left her property to Ledcor's senior construction superintendent, who had been taking care of her. I couldn't reach him for this story.

Peck said he doesn't know what Edith wanted done with her house. He'd love to see the spot preserved, as a reminder of Edith and old Ballard. She adored jazz, and years ago gave Peck her record collection, thousands of 78-rpm records featuring the big bands. Benny Goodman. Glenn Miller. Tommy Dorsey.

"I used to talk with her about opening a music club, so people could come to hear those old records and while away the time," Peck said. "I don't really know what she wanted. But she loved listening to music. I bet that would make her happy."

They could call it Edith's Place. It'd be an old hole in the wall of new Ballard, literally.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008003478_danny18.html

At 39, my brain doesn't recall such vivid details. However I think columns were around ground level. As for pictures, that's up to the more helpful folks on the board. (Even if I was a photographer, my bike doesn't have storage except my pockets!)

PS, yesterday I rode from Belltown to Cal Anderson Park (drinking fountain!), the north end of 19th, 23rd near the arboretum, a change of mind to go south rather than north, south on Lake Washington Boulevard to I-90, throught the tunnel, and through Downtown on 4th, then back to First & Broad. It's a party on two wheels I'm telling you.

http://crosscut.com/images/managed/Story+Image_flickr_2287175967.jpg

I think they should leave the house in the middle of the new development. You couldn't get any more Seattle than that.

I think they should leave the house in the middle of the new development. You couldn't get any more Seattle than that.

I was hoping for a small park or playground or something. But if she did leave the property to the site superintendent, I kinda hope he is able to cash in somehow. He was mowing her grass every week, cooking all of her meals and hauling her around to appointments. One of the nicest people I've ever worked with.

At 39, my brain doesn't recall such vivid details. However I think columns were around ground level. As for pictures, that's up to the more helpful folks on the board. (Even if I was a photographer, my bike doesn't have storage except my pockets!)

But the idea still remains. They are already building the foundation.

Well, they did the foundation long ago. Now they're building the below-grade parking.

Well, they did the foundation long ago. Now they're building the below-grade parking.

Well, they did the foundation long ago. Now they're building the below-grade parking.

haha, I mean to say: I thought they had only just recently vacated the old QFC, and digging/construction was still a while off. I'm happy to hear they've already dug a hole and have started filling it with stuff

Ballard Denny's to be demolished
By AUBREY COHEN
P-I REPORTER

Seattle officials issued a permit Friday morning to demolish the Ballard landmark that formerly housed a Manning's Cafeteria, then a Denny's restaurant.

Building owner BCC Mikie Ballard LLC, a partnership led by the Benaroya Co., has a deal to sell the site to developer Rhapsody Partners, which applied to replace it with an eight-story building containing retail space and more than 260 homes.

The city Landmarks Preservation Board gave the building a reprieve in February, when it declared the slope-roofed structure a city landmark. But the board decided last month that there was no economically viable way to save the building and declined to impose any controls that would block demolition.



Who wants to bet that it's gone by the end of the month?!
Bulldozers are on site as of this morning! It could go at any time.

Denny's was being torn down this morning...

It's rubble!

from the P-I
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/368206_dennys25.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20080624/450dennys25_demo.jpg

Man! When I first saw that picture, it scared me. I thought it was the little old lady's house! Too much Ballard news all of a sudden.

Oh well. I guess Ballard gets another condo.

I do like the design of the green and light wood one in between 15th and 17th on 54th, though. Granted, I don't think it's a condo, but it's actually visually appealing unlike most of the newer buildings in Ballard.

Sorry for the shameless plug:


I have a blog post today about Ballard in the PI Reader Blogs. Check it out and leave a comment if you like/hate/are offended by it!

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/urbanexile/

This newest reincarnation looks really good.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/realestatenews/archives/175905.asp

It'll be nice to get some height on 15th.

^^I count 8 stories on the western-most building, and only 1 pedestal level. Is this going to be steel and concrete?

I agree this incarnation looks much better than past renderings.

I like it!!!

^^I count 8 stories on the western-most building, and only 1 pedestal level. Is this going to be steel and concrete?

I agree this incarnation looks much better than past renderings.
I'm assuming a mix. The lower half on 15th looks to be frame with the larger tower may be either concrete g2s or steel frame on a concrete podium.

At first I thought the lower would be apartments, the taller condos. From the details it looks to be all one common structure - likely apartments.

I went to Ballard yesterday, I saw Sunset Bowling Alley (next to Burger King on Leary and W. 15th Ave) being demolished. I don't know what is the plan on that site but it looks big site to me. Anyone knows what they're going to build on that site?

http://ballard.komonews.com/content/apartments-approved-sunset-bowl-site
So sad... There are almost no places left to bowl in Seattle anymore, despite the fact that when Sunset and Leilani were open, I had to reserve weeks, if not months, in advance if I wanted a couple lanes. I think a bowling alley would be a great thing to incorporate into Seattle Center somewhere, and possibly as an addition to some community centers.

I didn't realize it will be huge apartment complex but thanks for the link. Only bowling alley I can think of in Seattle: Garage in Capitol Hill on Broadway. It is more like nightclub bowling alley. It is really nice place but you're right we don't have much bowling alleys here in Seattle. I enjoy bowling sometime but not play it much. I don't know if bowling popularity has been faded.

I think there's still bowling in Ranier Valley and West Seattle.

I understand that there are casualties of redevelopment, but it's still kind of sad that both Leilani and Sunset were shuttered for projects that are now on hold. With all the new apartments in Ballard, Sunset Bowl was/could have been a good mixing place for old and new Ballard.

I think there's still bowling in Ranier Valley and West Seattle.

I understand that there are casualties of redevelopment, but it's still kind of sad that both Leilani and Sunset were shuttered for projects that are now on hold. With all the new apartments in Ballard, Sunset Bowl was/could have been a good mixing place for old and new Ballard.

That is so true, people overlook the greatness of bowling alleys when it comes to areas to redevelop.

Yeah there's that bowling alley on Capitol Hill, one in Mount Baker/Beacon Hill, and one in West Seattle. Sunset Bowl, Leilani Lanes, and one down near the U Village where the Office Depot is now all closed in the last decade. They're renovating the HUB on UW campus, which also has a bowling alley, and I'm not sure if they bowling alley will reopen when the HUB reopens in a couple years.
I don't think popularity of bowling has faded, I think it must just be not very profitable, or at least not as profitable as a huge apartment complex. Like I said, it took weeks to reserve a couple lanes.

I just got home from Trader Joe's in Ballard... One part of Trader Joe's that I never noticed before... This hallway to backroom has Sunset Bowling Alley themed on the walls which I thought it is really cool but little sad at same time. I think this new apartment complex should included Sunset bowling alley too.

I never warmed to Trader Joe's, but the new QFC in downtown Ballard had its grand opening last week. (The Ballard Market is great, too.) The new QFC is not as large as the Holman Road store, but larger than the store it replaced (same site). Only difference now is that this one is on the bottom floor of the On the Park apartments, nearing completion. The apartments have a nice website:

http://ballardonthepark.com/

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/1253/ballardjanuary242010001.jpg

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/2791/ballardjanuary242010003.jpg

As seen from adjacent Ballard Commons Park:
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1096/ballardjanuary242010007.jpg

Ballard hops on Sundays with the picturesque farmers market when part of Ballard Avenue is closed off and filled with fun vendors:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4963/ballardjanuary242010009.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7808/ballardjanuary242010011.jpg

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/7936/ballardjanuary242010020.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8207/ballardjanuary242010017.jpg

Replete with entertainment:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3635/ballardjanuary242010019.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/119/ballardjanuary242010018.jpg

Ballard is becoming quite a dining destination, with restaurants opening weekly, or so it seems (though to be truthful, an occasional one does close). These two new eateries are "sandwiched" in between the long-time Other Coast Cafe and the newly opened Bastille French restaurant, right on Ballard Avenue:

Fresh Flours Bakery:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/8108/ballardjanuary242010013.jpg

Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai Restaurant. I don't generally care for Thai food, but I like to support vegetarian establishments and the menu is extensive enought that I'm sure I can find something to my liking:
http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/8793/ballardjanuary242010012.jpg

seattle just isn't blue collar enough to be a bowling city

i grew up in cleveland ohio, and near the auto plants there was a bowling alley every half mile....

I don't generally care for Thai food


What!!? You're crazy!


but I like to support vegetarian establishments


Or not :D

I'm glad I'm not the only one in Seattle who will admit publicly not to like Thai food. And I've been to Thailand many times. Regarding that big QFC/apartment development in Ballard. With the grey skies, the beige blecch color, I wish that all architects/developers would look at that and see why beige/grey may not be the best colors for our northern climate. Can we please have some color?

I'm glad I'm not the only one in Seattle who will admit publicly not to like Thai food. And I've been to Thailand many times. Regarding that big QFC/apartment development in Ballard. With the grey skies, the beige blecch color, I wish that all architects/developers would look at that and see why beige/grey may not be the best colors for our northern climate. Can we please have some color?

Yeah that building would look much better with some different colors... I have to wonder what they were thinking.

Are you envisioning brightly colored buildings ala Greenland? :D

Yeah that building would look much better with some different colors... I have to wonder what they were thinking.

Are you envisioning brightly colored buildings ala Greenland? :D

Well, I don't know if we can pull off greenland multi colored shacks, or South Beach pastels, but couldn't we get something with more of a pallette? The Broadway Building across from SCCC, while mostly beige, at least has red highlights to give it a bit of visual punch.

Maybe have some nooks that have a flash of a surprising color that would break up the large spaces, make them less monotonous.

Bowling alleys need cheap space per square foot, and/or high revenues per square foot. You're basically paying a huge amount of square feet on a per-minute basis plus services, drinks etc. Without a HUGE average bill, it's next to impossible to make them work in a high-rent city. We're seeing basic economics at work.

I guess we'll have to wait and see it this time development takes off at this derelict site. From the Seattle Times.

Ballard Denny's site sold to big builder of apartments
The site of the former Ballard Denny's — one of Seattle's most contentious properties — has been sold to the country's largest publicly traded apartment owner.

By Eric Pryne

Seattle Times business reporter

Related
The site of the former Ballard Denny's — one of Seattle's most contentious properties — has been sold to the country's largest publicly traded apartment owner.

Equity Residential of Chicago bought the property at 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street from Seattle's Benaroya Companies Monday for $12.5 million — the same price Benaroya paid for it four years ago, according to county records.

Equity's chairman, billionaire Sam Zell, is among the nation's wealthiest people. His holdings include Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Seattle's KCPQ-TV.

Like Benaroya, Equity plans to build a 288-unit residential building on the 1.38-acre site, according to a prepared statement. A start date was not available.

Benaroya demolished the boarded-up Denny's in 2008 after a fight that attracted national attention.

Hundreds argued the 1960s building, with its distinctive "Googie" architectural style, should be preserved and restored. They got a boost when the city's Landmarks Preservation Board designated it a landmark.

But the board later decided preservation would impose an unreasonable economic hardship on the owner. That paved the way for the restaurant's demolition.

Equity Residential's apartment portfolio includes more than three dozen complexes in the greater Seattle area, according to the company's website.

Eric Pryne: 206-464-2231 or epryne@seattletimes.com

Dear Equity Residential, please change the previous, hideous design.
Thank you.

Dear Equity Residential, please change the previous, hideous design.
Thank you.

We can only hope.

Wow okay everyone was complaining about that design but I think there's nothing wrong with it. There's some bad architecture in Seattle but this didn't look that bad, just completely normal, and you can't really expect anything more than that.

That design definitely belongs to the "bad architecture category", along with 50% of the rest newly built mid-rises in Seattle. One thing they're doing right most of the time is the street-scape. But the aesthetics, materials and overall bulkiness are horrendous.

Europe is so far ahead in terms of good design for infill and urban buildings it's not even funny.

We could definitely be more like a lot of European cities and add more bulkiness.

We could definitely be more like a lot of European cities and add more bulkiness.

Do you have any examples of bulky buildings in Europe that you like?

Any Hausmann boulevard. Solid 8(?) story buildings.

Possible new housing development at the old Ballard Library site. The schematic makes it look like Ballard is Manhattan, but regardless, that old library building does have to be replaced. Unless someone tries to have it "preserved" as the Denny restaurant building in the end wasn't.

http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2010/11/18/news/ballard-west-proposal-be-presented-design-review-

Looks pretty good! Downtown Ballard will just keep densifying.

It is not bad. Ballard has good number of mid-rises and will add few more within a several years from now. Do you guys think it is time for Ballard to raise its height limitation?

. Do you guys think it is time for Ballard to raise its height limitation?As a Ballard resident, I think that's a good idea. I know some disagree, but I like the split personality of Ballard--densifying core area with mid-rises in the Market Street area, and north of that, largely single-family homes. Now we need a streetcar extension.

As a Ballard resident, I think that's a good idea. I know some disagree, but I like the split personality of Ballard--densifying core area with mid-rises in the Market Street area, and north of that, largely single-family homes. Now we need a streetcar extension.

And a light rail stop

I'd leave the height limit where it is -- there are still a lot of buildable lots, and 5+1 woodframes are still the most affordable way for the city to get density. Not to mention the risk of further backlash.

Totally agreed that better mass transit is a necessity for Ballard, though. It's too bad that RapidRide isn't looking like it'll amount to much.

Is it same proposed hotel as someone mentioned few months ago?

http://www.myballard.com/2011/04/05/olympic-athletic-club-gets-green-light-for-hotel/

A bigger hotel was planned near the water.

Is the little house between huge apartment building still there? I was wondering abt that. That lady died few years ago.

^^ Yes It is still there. BTW, it is not huge apartment building. It is retail center.

http://www.mynorthwest.com/category/news_chick_blog/20100426/Edith-Macefield's-old-house/ Here's the plan for what they're going to do with that house.

http://www.mynorthwest.com/category/news_chick_blog/20100426/Edith-Macefield's-old-house/ Here's the plan for what they're going to do with that house.

Wow, that is an awful idea.

I actually like the house right where it is on the ground. I hope it stays there.

I had to click on the link after seeing your evaluation. Glad I did as it's one of the dumbest ideas I've seen in a while. The image of the elevated house is dumb enough but then the story about the owner being a convicted real estate scammer getting back into real estate after serving time is classic. He thought people would donate money so he could elevate this house?! If anything some people might donate money to leave the house right where it is to commemorate the former owner's commitment to staying put.

Wow. It's like it's the _Showgirls_ of ideas; it's such a bad idea it's almost a good idea. But only almost.

Eww I hate it. I agree it is dumbest idea. :ohno:

I was in Ballard recently... I saw new banners just installed on the fence on old Denny's site and says "Coming Soon" including new renderings which I never seen it before. Anyone know when the construction will start?

Chicago firm plans Ballard apartment complex

A Chicago apartment developer has filed preliminary paperwork with Seattle planners for a six-story, 307-unit complex on the former site of the Jacobsen's Marine boat store in Ballard.

The project, on Northwest Market Street west of 24th Avenue Northwest, also would have 15,000 square feet of retail space and parking for 453 cars.

The city's Northwest Design Review Board, an advisory group, is tentatively scheduled to consider the proposal May 23.

The developer is AMLI Residential, which owns 62 apartment projects around the country, including one in South Lake Union and one in Bellevue.

Seattle developer HAL Real Estate Investments, which also builds apartments, bought the property from the Jacobsen family in November for $7.3 million.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014894311_jacobsen28.html

Yeah, Ballard is going nuts. I'm going to love it a lot more in a few years. A project nearly that size was announced recently next to the hospital. Something like 1,300 or 1,400 units are planned within a block of Market between 13th and 25th, some of which could start soon.

Seems like Ballard is doing the density that we're talking about should also be around the Roosevelt Station.

Awesome! Is this the first major development proposed west of 24th in Ballard? Although I'm not liking the amount of parking... Does anyone know if that was required?
Yeah I think Downtown Ballard will always be bigger and denser than Roosevelt, but Roosevelt should be getting that kind of density, if just in a more localized area. I do think, though, that Downtown Ballard should be upgraded to an Urban Center rather than just a Hub Urban Village, and allow at least for 12 stories in the center of the neighborhood. It would probably take a grade-separated light rail line for that, though.

Ballard site may get 240 new apartments

Tallman Building LLC, headed by Lee Noble, plans an approximately 240-unit apartment complex near Swedish Medical Center/Ballard in Seattle, according to the project architect.

Concept rendering available at http://www.djc.com/news/re/12029055.html

Included in my 1,300 figure

Man so much going on in Ballard. And I guess in all sorts of other neighborhoods around the city too lol. Can't wait till we get a lot of these built out.

I was going through the upcoming design review documents and came across this one on 56th near 20th in Ballard: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/AppDocs/GroupMeetings/DRProposal3012205AgendaID3271.pdf (16 MB)

It's for a two-building combined office/apartment development with some space for urban agriculture. Oddly, they're not nearly planning to fill the zoning envelope. I think the last plans for the lot were in 2007 or so, when there was a pretty standard 150-ish unit 5+1-type building.

These plans say "Greenfire Campus" on them. Has anyone heard of Greenfire or have any idea why they'd choose to underbuild the lot? It seems like a pretty desirable location, so underbuilding seems weird.

Indeed, bizarre for such a prime location.

Huh, strange project. Although I'm intrigued to see how it turns out.

I wonder if it's being designed specifically for this company: http://www.greenfirecandles.com/. Seems like the kind of company that would consider itself so eco-friendly by not building real density... Although also it looks like a tiny company so it's weird that they would have enough money to anchor this project.

Finally some movement at the old Sunset Bowl site. BTW, portions of 14th Avenue NW south of Market Street, which were almost impassable due to pock marks, cracked concrete, and potholes have been repaved--in asphalt.

http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2011/09/08/news/avalonbay-breaks-ground-former-sunset-bowl-site

Plans for the new Ballard Library once called for a mixed-use development which would have incorporated the library and service center into a larger development that spanned both the library's current site, and the Greenfire development site.

During the planning phase, however, this deal fell through and the City of Seattle had to move forward with their own building plans without knowing what would go in next door. The city anticipated something much larger, and designed the library as such, minimizing the amount of glazing on that side of the building.

A new plan for an 8-storey mixed use development gained some traction, but was ultimately a victim of the Great Recession.

All that being said, I think that the Greenfire development will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, even if it doesn't build to the maximum extent possible. It looks like it was sensitively designed to allow sunlight into the library next door. The Ballard branch library was built as a showcase for sustainable construction, and this new development can only make it more so. I imagine office workers and residents will have a nice view of the green roof and Ballard Commons beyond.

The Greenfire project and the Bullitt Foundation building in Capitol Hill give me hope that Seattle can really push the envelope for green design and zoning. For example, we may soon see the need for more stringent codes regarding rights to sunlight and solar energy, etc. I can easily imagine that developers could be given incentives to build more sustainable structures in the near future.

"Right to sunlight" sounds like the opposite of sustainability. Density is far more important (lower material use, transportation proximity). Further, big windows have a tradeoff with heat gain/loss.

What I meant is that we are going to have to change some building codes to promote greener structures. For instance, the Cascadia Center building by Miller/Hull will rise one floor above what zoning allows for, as that extra height is required for the amount of solar energy the building needs to power itself. Additionally, the floor-to-ceiling height in the building is taller than average to allow sunlight to penetrate further into interior spaces.

"Right to sunlight" was probably the wrong way to put it; what I really want to talk about is how we are beginning to consider construction and design in entirely new ways. As we see with the evolution of the LEED program and the birth of the Living Building Challenge, designing for efficiency and sustainability is becoming a much more complicated endeavor. LEED is becoming the industry norm, but developers and designers aren't really given any incentives from the city to "push the envelope", so to speak. We need to think well beyond maximum allowable heights and bike racks. To create a sustainable building, you need to integrate elements of transit adjacency, natural lighting, materials, durability, adaptability, etc. None of this is reflected in current codes. Seattle could be a leader in this regard.

I absolutely agree that density and urbanization are the single most important factors for sustainability as well. Followed by transit. This is partly why the Bullitt Foundation selected its Capitol Hill site for the Cascadia Center- occupants can easily take the bus or a trolley there. Even though the Greenfire Project isn't building as big as it can, it is providing a considerable amount of office space that will allow more people in (mostly residential) Ballard to live close to work, or so the thinking goes. I like the concept, sort of like how Berlin requires a certain amount of housing in every development to ensure a lively pedestrian environment and "eyes on the street". And, personally, it's a nice break from some of the hideous full-block apartments we have here in Ballard.

About windows and energy loss...it doesn't have to be a tradeoff! Consider that windows are becoming more efficient every month (triple-glazed, Low-e, argon gas-filled, etc.) and are the easiest and cheapest way to ventilate a space. Windows don't even need to be "large", per se. A clerestory window, for example, can provide a great deal of light without a large amount of surface area. Consider also that high efficiency windows can be used in tandem with other design features to promote energy efficiency. The Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, built partly underground but still fully daylit, is one such example. Smart use of windows means you rarely have to turn on the lights, can ventilate the building in summer, and help heat the building in winter. In my eyes, this is not a tradeoff at all, far from it.

In Europe, double curtain walls are a common way to allow sunlight to enter a building while blocking excessive heat gain or loss. By building dual curtain walls about two feet apart, the space between the two curtain walls becomes a thermal buffer. Louvers and apertures within that space can direct heat inside in the winter and directly outside in the summer, deflect glare, etc. This technique is obviously more expensive, but efficient. You can see an example of a double curtain wall on the Seattle Justice Center's west facade.

UW's Integrated Design Lab has a great self-guided walking tour of South Lake Union that highlights integrated design techniques:http://www.integrateddesignlab.com/Seattle/Resources/Walking_Tours.html

Mhays just doesn't like the sun!!

LOL

True CityView_Jim! It's evil. And scorchy.

Seattlist...to cherrypick the first point...raising ceiling heights might let in more sun, but it's hugely wasteful for heating and cooling, and it uses more construction materials per square foot (not just longer dimensions, but possibly thicker columns etc.).

Sunlight is fetishized by many. Not saying you. But lighting is one of numerous factors in sustainability and many designers treat it like the be-all-end-all.

Another derelict Ballard lot "bites the dust".

http://www.myballard.com/2011/09/21/another-apartment-development-to-break-ground/

Some good news, some not so good. First the not so good. What is arguably the premier corner of downtown Ballard (Market and 22nd and Leary) is looking sketchy these days. The 5 Corner Market eatery (former Lombardi's location) went bust after only a few months and the place is still empty.
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/2194/ballardnov22011040.jpg

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7307/ballardnov22011041.jpg

To make matters worse, across the street is the shuttered Tully's. A note on the door said thanks for patronage--visit us at our Ballard Fred Meyer location. That's almost insulting!
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/371/ballardnov22011039.jpg

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/1874/ballardnov22011042.jpg

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9279/ballardnov22011043.jpg

The former Denney's site is still forlorn after all many years...
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3374/ballardnov62011012.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4152/ballardnov62011010.jpg

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7529/ballardnov62011011.jpg

On the bright site, three projects are in the early stages of construction.

At the former Olympic bowl site, the large crane went up a couple of days ago
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3153/ballardnov62011002y.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9555/ballardnov62011009.jpg

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8551/ballardnov62011008.jpg

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9572/ballardnov62011004.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3756/ballardnov62011003.jpg

Within the shadow of the crane is the Alliance residential project next to Firestone Tires on Market Street.
http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/3570/ballardnov62011007.jpg

http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/872/ballardnov62011006.jpg

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/4931/ballardnov62011005.jpg

Finally, great news: Ballard is finally getting its hotel!--and a boutique one at that. Apparently this project at the Olympic Athletic Club, has been in the works for some time. Here's an article from 2007. I don't know what the status of the Silver Cloud proposal is. All I know is that the former Yankee Diner, where it would be built, is still standing but empty.

http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2007/05/01/news/olympic-club-expand

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7294/ballardnov62011055.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6738/ballardnov62011027.jpg

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/9247/ballardnov62011025.jpg

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6077/ballardnov62011024.jpg

A story well told in pictures. Thanks!!

Don't fret, the former Tully's location will become Ballard Coffee Works soon. It's great to see another independent coffeeshop coming to downtown Ballard.

http://www.myballard.com/2011/11/01/ballard-coffee-works-opening-in-old-tullys-space/

Re: Ballard closings. Let me guess, too much retail and not enough people/housing?
Nice to see what I hope is more housing u/c.

I'd agree with that, no surprise!

Market ought to be a great retail street, with Ballard Ave filling some niche roles. Instead they bleed retail down Leary, up 24th, etc. Those places aren't great for retail, but they pick up some customers who would otherwise go to Market.

I'd agree with that, no surprise!

Market ought to be a great retail street, with Ballard Ave filling some niche roles. Instead they bleed retail down Leary, up 24th, etc. Those places aren't great for retail, but they pick up some customers who would otherwise go to Market.

Hmm. Market doesn't seem all that great for retail to me -- it's wide enough and busy enough that crossing to the opposite side seems like a hassle (as opposed to, say, Ballard Ave, where crossing the street is no big deal). Of course, I suppose SDOT might work on making the street crossings easier if Ballard were dedicated to centralizing retail on Market.

Market isn't bucolic, but it's always had a good retail core. At one time that meant destination stores. Today it's more about cafes. Either way, it's a strength for Ballard, and I'd like nearby construction to support it rather than dilute it.

The new construction at the east end of Market Street (at 15th) should help that end of the retail corridor, but I like that Ballard has two rather distinctive retail streets. The ambiance of Market is very different than that of Ballard Avenue. I don't feel that the relatively few stores on 24th or Leary detract from the others. With more and denser residential, there should be enough shoppers for all and some of those empty storefronts will be occupied. Glad that the Tully's site will soon be filled. Being a Ballard resident myself, I try to do as much of my shopping locally as I can.

I can see a scattering on 24th, where I lived briefly, btw. But aside from the supermarket block I'd rather see a little node at 65th and little else. Putting retail around the library or down Leary is the bigger problem.

I can see a scattering on 24th, where I lived briefly, btw. But aside from the supermarket block I'd rather see a little node at 65th and little else. Putting retail around the library or down Leary is the bigger problem.

No disagreement here. Leary is more of a traffic sewer than Market.

It's interesting -- in some neighborhoods the main retail street is the main arterial, but in others the retail main drag is separated from a parallel car-oriented arterial. The first group includes streets like Madison in Madison Park, Phinney-Greenwood in Phinney Ridge, Rainier in most of the Rainier Valley, etc. The second includes Leary/Ballard in Ballard, 50th/45th in Wallingford, Roosevelt-11th/The Ave in the U-District and 12th/Broadway in Capitol Hill.

Why does this happen? Did city traffic engineers decide to reroute car traffic off the former streetcar route at some time?

Good question. Maybe in some cases there was a conscious effort to locate major thoroughfares (widenings) away from business districts? For starters, back when most streets were lined with houses, it was easier to widen residential streets than business ones, which had buildings up to the sidewalk.

As posted in Mid-Rise page, Ballard Denny's site project breaking ground:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2016885998_ballarddennys30.html

Design review docs seem to ave been taken down, so here's a picture from an old blog:

Edit: Never mind, found em
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/AppDocs/GroupMeetings/DRProposal3006540AgendaID2596.pdf

:(