Downtown building you'd most like to see replaced - Page 6

Ruffhauser · July 10th, 2012, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

It's a primo site that will be more primo once the off ramp goes away. Long waits right now..

Think of 2017 when that section of the Viaduct gets whacked. There is another sweet parcel under the Seneca Street off-ramp that will explode with interest once those ramps come down.

image hosted on flickr

mhays · July 10th, 2012, 10:14 PM

That's probably a parking garage. The viaduct project has money to replace the current (or recently lost) public parking with a garage in the middle somewhere, a big priority for a lot of the waterfront businesses etc. This is the one easy site in the right neighborhood. The Market has another garage project upcoming that will also tie in.

Matt the Engineer · July 10th, 2012, 10:48 PM

Let the tourists take a streetcar (or gondola!) from somewhere else. I hate giving away valuable land that could generate economic activity just to warehouse cars. Do we really think that people will drive all the way to Seattle from (wherever), then turn around because they have to walk a few blocks or take transit? How on earth does Lucca, Split, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik, Florence, Venice, (insert walled centers of almost any European tourist city here) survive without cars at all?

The only silver lining I can come up with is maybe in 50 years these parking structures will make for good places to tear down and build something new and better.

mhays · July 10th, 2012, 10:56 PM

I doubt tourists are the issue. More about locals visiting waterfront stuff as well as employees.

I'd love to see other uses be integrated with whatever parking they do. That's a phenomenal site for housing or a hotel. Pretty good for office too.

Doomgoggles · July 10th, 2012, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

That's a phenomenal site for housing or a hotel. Pretty good for office too.

Something like the Colman Tower would be perfect.

Ruffhauser · July 11th, 2012, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

I doubt tourists are the issue. More about locals visiting waterfront stuff as well as employees. I'd love to see other uses be integrated with whatever parking they do. That's a phenomenal site for housing or a hotel. Pretty good for office too.

Don't get me started. There are 20+ parcels all along and underneath the Viaduct that would/will make for outstanding development projects.

Seasun · July 11th, 2012, 01:05 AM

"Underneath the viaduct" isn't really in the cards except maybe at odd-ball spots at the either end. The right-of-way won't be sold to developers. I'd say there are closer to 5 or 6 parcels just east of the viaduct ready for a new building.

mhays · July 11th, 2012, 03:36 AM

Yes, and none the size of this block.

Joosanova · July 11th, 2012, 04:10 AM

The Space Needle, that things just looks too......I don't know " Spacey " ( sarc )

I'd also love to see the Columbia Tower with an additional 30 - 50 floors

earthtoandy · July 11th, 2012, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joosanova

I'd also love to see the Columbia Tower with an additional 30 - 50 floors

Unfortunately that would never happen since they built it short (9.5ft floors) to comply with the FAA. With the flight path right there I doubt anything in downtown will ever be taller than the Columbia tower.

LCIII · July 11th, 2012, 05:07 AM

Could be taller if they dont build up on the crest of the downtown hill. Could appear the same height but really be considerably taller because of the elevation change from waterfront to where the CT sits.

earthtoandy · July 11th, 2012, 05:38 AM

Very true!

NW Mike · July 11th, 2012, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruffhauser

Think of 2017 when that section of the Viaduct gets whacked. There is another sweet parcel under the Seneca Street off-ramp that will explode with interest once those ramps come down.

image hosted on flickr

Can anyone tell me more, why they don't build underground garages in this area....yeah I know it's at sea level, but they build tunnels and other structures below... Is it just a cost factor? Foundation.... Water Pumps?

It would be great to have just a couple levels under with parking and then a building like Colman Tower above

RMacherat · July 11th, 2012, 08:50 AM

Lucca, Split, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik, Florence, Venice. Helps to have a thousand years of feudalism experience, compared with a country that already had 100,000,000 cars when KJR Seattle Channel 95 was way hipper than any hip of today.

Seasun · July 11th, 2012, 04:20 PM

Maybe an improvement for the ugly downtown post office building. Goodbye purple tiles.

Matt the Engineer · July 11th, 2012, 04:34 PM

Unless there's a wrecking ball just outside that shot, I question if it's an improvement.

@RMach I'm not saying we could build Dubrovnik here in my lifetime, just that there's nothing magical going on in Europe that gives people the ability to use their feet. And if we picked up just a few lessons from how they do things (and, more importantly, did things), we could end up with some pretty cool places.

Ruffhauser · July 11th, 2012, 05:26 PM

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll keep it brief.

A couple of months ago I was not home to receive a package. The next day I ran into my mailman and he told me that I could no longer pick up parcels at the 3rd Ave. post office but that all parcels for the 98121 zip code would now be held at the post office in the I.D at 6th and Jackson.

The first thing I thought was: "Well, then let's rip that mothertrucker down"

mhays · July 11th, 2012, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW Mike

Can anyone tell me more, why they don't build underground garages in this area....yeah I know it's at sea level, but they build tunnels and other structures below... Is it just a cost factor? Foundation.... Water Pumps?

It would be great to have just a couple levels under with parking and then a building like Colman Tower above

You can. It's just more expensive. You need a dry site during the project, and then a permanent solution, which might be the same or might not. My company has built below-grade garages along Elliott Bay before.

I can imagine a developer building the public parking below grade, then building housing above. They could pause at grade if the housing market wasn't good enough while still opening the garage on time. Mixing uses / schedules / funding sources is hella complicated.

Matt the Engineer · July 11th, 2012, 07:05 PM

Back in 2008, Dan Bertolet had a great post on how empty the waterfront will feel, and we should push everything westward and add buildings. I still completely agree.

mhays · July 11th, 2012, 07:46 PM

Yes it could feel a bit too open. So we need big trees, kiosks, trellises, etc. And a median particularly so it's jaywalkable. But the whole ROW is needed for the roadway and pedestrian space.

July 11th, 2012, 04:10 AM	#109
Joosanova Resident Meteorologist Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: West Seattle Posts: 1,012 Likes (Received): 26	The Space Needle, that things just looks too......I don't know " Spacey " ( sarc ) I'd also love to see the Columbia Tower with an additional 30 - 50 floors __________________ SSC Resident Meteorologist

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July 10th, 2012, 10:14 PM	#102
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,461 Likes (Received): 125	That's probably a parking garage. The viaduct project has money to replace the current (or recently lost) public parking with a garage in the middle somewhere, a big priority for a lot of the waterfront businesses etc. This is the one easy site in the right neighborhood. The Market has another garage project upcoming that will also tie in.

July 10th, 2012, 10:48 PM	#103
Matt the Engineer Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1,167 Likes (Received): 109	Let the tourists take a streetcar (or gondola!) from somewhere else. I hate giving away valuable land that could generate economic activity just to warehouse cars. Do we really think that people will drive all the way to Seattle from (wherever), then turn around because they have to walk a few blocks or take transit? How on earth does Lucca, Split, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik, Florence, Venice, (insert walled centers of almost any European tourist city here) survive without cars at all? The only silver lining I can come up with is maybe in 50 years these parking structures will make for good places to tear down and build something new and better.

July 10th, 2012, 10:56 PM	#104
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,461 Likes (Received): 125	I doubt tourists are the issue. More about locals visiting waterfront stuff as well as employees. I'd love to see other uses be integrated with whatever parking they do. That's a phenomenal site for housing or a hotel. Pretty good for office too.

July 11th, 2012, 01:05 AM	#107
Seasun Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,598 Likes (Received): 48	"Underneath the viaduct" isn't really in the cards except maybe at odd-ball spots at the either end. The right-of-way won't be sold to developers. I'd say there are closer to 5 or 6 parcels just east of the viaduct ready for a new building.

July 11th, 2012, 03:36 AM	#108
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,461 Likes (Received): 125	Yes, and none the size of this block.

July 11th, 2012, 05:07 AM	#111
LCIII Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 2,887 Likes (Received): 66	Could be taller if they dont build up on the crest of the downtown hill. Could appear the same height but really be considerably taller because of the elevation change from waterfront to where the CT sits.

July 11th, 2012, 05:38 AM	#112
earthtoandy Registered User Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 33 Likes (Received): 0	Very true!

July 11th, 2012, 08:50 AM	#114
RMacherat Buy used books Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,828 Likes (Received): 108	Lucca, Split, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik, Florence, Venice. Helps to have a thousand years of feudalism experience, compared with a country that already had 100,000,000 cars when KJR Seattle Channel 95 was way hipper than any hip of today.

July 11th, 2012, 04:20 PM	#115
Seasun Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,598 Likes (Received): 48	Maybe an improvement for the ugly downtown post office building. Goodbye purple tiles.

July 11th, 2012, 04:34 PM	#116
Matt the Engineer Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1,167 Likes (Received): 109	Unless there's a wrecking ball just outside that shot, I question if it's an improvement. @RMach I'm not saying we could build Dubrovnik here in my lifetime, just that there's nothing magical going on in Europe that gives people the ability to use their feet. And if we picked up just a few lessons from how they do things (and, more importantly, did things), we could end up with some pretty cool places.

July 11th, 2012, 05:26 PM	#117
Ruffhauser Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: North Belltown Posts: 1,428 Likes (Received): 261	I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll keep it brief. A couple of months ago I was not home to receive a package. The next day I ran into my mailman and he told me that I could no longer pick up parcels at the 3rd Ave. post office but that all parcels for the 98121 zip code would now be held at the post office in the I.D at 6th and Jackson. The first thing I thought was: "Well, then let's rip that mothertrucker down"

July 11th, 2012, 07:05 PM	#119
Matt the Engineer Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1,167 Likes (Received): 109	Back in 2008, Dan Bertolet had a great post on how empty the waterfront will feel, and we should push everything westward and add buildings. I still completely agree.

July 11th, 2012, 07:46 PM	#120
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,461 Likes (Received): 125	Yes it could feel a bit too open. So we need big trees, kiosks, trellises, etc. And a median particularly so it's jaywalkable. But the whole ROW is needed for the roadway and pedestrian space.