Seattle: The Martin

[Dancer]

The Martin 5th & Lenora
23 floors, 170 units

I guess this project is named after the Martin Cineram (now the Cinerama) which is right next to the site on 4th & Lenora. I heard a few months ago, when I was at the South Lake Union Center, that they might start excavation of the site this spring.

[CrazyAboutCities]

That building is alright looking but it could be better. I'm curious about first several floors of that building... Is it parking garage or Cinmas expansion? or what?

[USAPatriot]

I'd thinking since the side wall on two sides is concrete, it could have a indoor theater.

[Dancer]

No it's parking.

[CrazyAboutCities]

PARKING GARAGE!?!?!? JEEZ! FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP BUILDING PARKING GARAGES!!!

[Dancer]

I think you mean "stop building [above grade] parking garages."

[CrazyAboutCities]

No I'm talking about in the general!

[USAPatriot]

Welcome to the Martin, please walk through our parking garage before you enter our lobby. :

[SeaGuy]

There will actually be more parking than the residents of the building require so that patrons of the Cinerama (not all live a few blocks away) can use the garage. When it comes to business Paul Allen is a smart man. As for the building, I think it's really dissapointing, just a big box. Vulcan has been putting up some good stuff lately, but this isn't one of them.

[USAPatriot]

Well, the building abd builder will make money from the people buying parking spots for nearby shops and stuff.

[CrazyAboutCities]

Well I noticed that any developer tends to building less attractive buildngs if it is in the middle of skyscrapers so it won't be eyesores. Most developers are more likely to build very attractive/beautiful buildings that are visionable from anyone or anywhere. For example, 1521 Second is very beautiful and attractive building... It can be seen from Elliot Bay or on 1st Avenue. Or... Westlake 2200 is very attractive development and got built in the middle of downtown and Lake Union because there are no high rises nearby... It is very visionable from Capital Hill, Lake Union, Queen Anne, Denny Triangle, downtown and anywhere. Sheration expansion and Parc are very ugly buildings but both got built surrounded by skyscrapers. Have anyone notice that?

[kub86]

Originally Posted by Dancer

The Martin 5th & Lenora
23 floors, ? units (anybody know?)

The website says 150,000sf, 170 homes, 4000sf of retail at base.

And other info for giggles: The 23rd floor will be the community floor where there'll be a great room, exercise room, a multileveled terrace with outdoor kitchen & grill.

Has anybody watched a movie in the cinerama? Did the renovations work out?

[Dancer]

I dont know what it looked like before but it is pretty cool now.

P.S. thx for the info

[mhays]

Cinerama is ok despite being ugly. One exception:

The wheelchair spots, and the seats for their friends, are way above the plane of every other seat. So they stick way up into the screen. Plus, these seats get used by non-handicapped, so there's always someone in them. It pisses me off so much that I usually go to Meridian or PP. If I go to Cinerama I have to sit in the balcony.

[CrazyAboutCities]

I agree completely with you. I never like ADA codes on movie theatres because I don't think many people who are on the wheelchairs would enjoy the movies if they have to sit and look up to the screen. After I graduate my school, I plan to propose for the change for ADA law by able to provide people with the wheelchairs more choise to park/sit whatever they likes to as long as they can enjoy the movies same as everyone else. Also I think ALL movie theatres should add open caption on any films no matter what too. It should be fair to everybody period. I plan to discuss about it with the government after graduation.

[mhays]

Actually I don't think we agree.

My problem with Cinerama isn't that it's inconvenient for wheelchair people, but that the people behind them get their views blocked. The solution is to create wheelchair spots where they're on the same plane as everyone else. The middle of the theater is fine. I agree that they shouldn't be all in front as they are in some theaters.

Captions are fine on foreign movies because they're necessary, but that would be extremely distracting for movies in English. Technology might solve your problem though: We currently have eyeglasses that can show TV, computer screens, etc., which look like they're right in front of you. How about eyeglasses that show captions? You'd see the movie normally except for the words.

Fundamentally, I don't agree that we should go beyond ADA and reorganize more aspects of life to make things equal for people with various handicaps. ADA handles the biggest aspects already. There are probably additional areas we can agree on.

But I wouldn't go all-out. With captions, how long before people with vision problems demand larger type (and how could they be denied)? Should we mandate no-perfume areas for the allergic -- and not just in one place, but in every section of the theater? Should movie makers be forced to provide scripts in braille for the deaf+blind? Should plays and operas be required to translate into sign language? Should daily newspapers be required to produce braille editions, not later, but by 6:00 am?

[CrazyAboutCities]

Well captions are not just for the Deaf. It also included anyone who couldn't hear well such as limited hearing, hearing the audience laughing and unable to hear the movie because of the noises. Also it help people to improve their reading skills by reading captions. Many people who grew up reading captions are more likely to become very educated and able to write better English. Also it helps people to practice to read faster.

It is distracting for you? I don't think so because captions are tend to be all the way to the bottom of the screen. It shouldn't bother you or anyone else at all. I asked many of people (about 150 people) that question long time ago when I did open caption research for my Deaf History class back in Western Oregon University, there is only one percent of people said it bothered them and almost all of them said they had no issues with it. It is only reason why most of people doesn't mind it because they already got used of open caption because they seen it before in the restaurants, sport bars, bars, friends' homes, relatives, and schools/colleges.

Please think about another people's needs than thinking about yourself. If you're in their shoes, you would understand what they have been though. I suggest you to try to be deaf and stop using your voices for ONE WEEK (no cheating), you will be very surprised how it impact your life. You should try it.

[mhays]

We'll have to disagree on that one.

[CrazyAboutCities]

That is very sad to see how many ignorance selfish people are still around out there.

[mhays]

Yeah, anyone who doesn't agree with you is ignorant and selfish.