Seattle-area retail discussion

[jessejb]

Im just damn excited about H&M moving into the Seattle area. All I have to say is, ABOUT TIME.

We have a horrific gap in Seattle when it comes to clothing stores. You have your cheap crap (then nothing) then designer stuff. H&M is going to fill that void like peanut butter in my sandwich right here.

[arbeiter]

has it been truly confirmed that H&M is coming?

[jessejb]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

has it been truly confirmed that H&M is coming?

Yep. Next year in the UVillage. Possibly another location downtown (rumored) since H&M usually opens multiple locations in a metro area.

[arbeiter]

hmm. well i guess i am glad it's coming, although the novelty of H&M wore off after living in new york for 3 years. i stopped buying most stuff there when Uniqlo opened. Uniqlo has far better regular clothes but crappy socks and underwear, whereas I prefer H&M for socks/underwear/accessories, but generally wouldn't wear their jeans or anything like that.

[velciane]

Originally Posted by mhays

I've heard that the 400 housing units at Factoria might start soon. Anyone keeping an eye on it?

They have been setting up heavy equipement on the southwest side (west of the old Mervins store) but I haven't seen it lately.

From what i could tell, it looked like Petco is really getting low on inventory, and staffing was low as well. Are they planning to close as part of this new construction? The fish tanks are nearly all empty.

[Black Box]

I would love it if Top Shop/Top Man opened up a store here or at least had a presence outside of Barneys.

[Capitol Hill]

Originally Posted by velciane

They have been setting up heavy equipement on the southwest side (west of the old Mervins store) but I haven't seen it lately.

From what i could tell, it looked like Petco is really getting low on inventory, and staffing was low as well. Are they planning to close as part of this new construction? The fish tanks are nearly all empty.

From what I've seen of the site plan, at the mall itself, the whole Mervyn's wing gets demolished. It looks like Safeway rebuilds over there, and a roadway gets built. The Safeway store gets developed into smaller, albeit still large, retailers (probably Petco). The Northwest corner of the parking lot (where there are restaurants) becomes a Kohl's, with parking below. Housing around the new Safeway with shops below, urban village like. There is a new roadway that will come out right by Target. Not a horrible plan, nothing earth shattering either. I haven't been able to find anything about it online, however.

[CityView Jim]

Factoria definitely needs more roads to distribute the traffic THROUGH the shopping area and not around it.

[-KwK345-]

Grr, no one is answering my questions.

[uwhuskies]

Originally Posted by kevin_wk

Are trees cut down for development used for timber?

So logging is way less intensive in natl. forests?

Is the shopping mall thing the same for Portland, OR?

Kevin, sorry that you seem frustrated on your last post. I read through all your posts on this thread so that I would have an idea what your question pertained to from the beginning.

The easiest answer is that when trees are cut down for shopping malls they are most likely sold to a company that can then process and sell the resulting wood for consumer use (if the tree is harvestable).

While there are trees that are cut to make shopping malls in the Seattle (Puget Sound region), you may have an erroneous view that there are huge swaths of trees were development is legally allowed. Washington's cities are required to keep development within a pre-designated boundary rather than sprawl at will as you may find in areas such as Houston, Texas. The Washington State Growth Management Act is specifically written to prevent virgin forests (and national laws prevent National Park development) from being razed to put up shopping centers. Environmental groups have tremendous clout in the Seattle area.

Shopping malls that are developed in the Puget Sound area have been concentrated in URBAN areas that have relatively few trees aside from what you would find in any well-landscaped urban area.

So, in summary when a shopping mall is developed, the number of trees cut is often replaced by significantly more trees as part of the typical urban landscape. As far as Portland is concerned, I am not sure what you mean by "Is the shopping mall thing the same for Portland, OR?" especially since I don't live in Portland. Most likely Portland residents share similar attitudes as Seattle folks do but their zoning and other legal issues differ. Good luck on your research.

Hope this answered your question.

[spongeg]

i think he thinks Washington is nothing but one big forest

it has a much more diverse landscape than forests

[-KwK345-]

Originally Posted by uwhuskies

Kevin, sorry that you seem frustrated on your last post. I read through all your posts on this thread so that I would have an idea what your question pertained to from the beginning.

The easiest answer is that when trees are cut down for shopping malls they are most likely sold to a company that can then process and sell the resulting wood for consumer use (if the tree is harvestable).

While there are trees that are cut to make shopping malls in the Seattle (Puget Sound region), you may have an erroneous view that there are huge swaths of trees were development is legally allowed. Washington's cities are required to keep development within a pre-designated boundary rather than sprawl at will as you may find in areas such as Houston, Texas. The Washington State Growth Management Act is specifically written to prevent virgin forests (and national laws prevent National Park development) from being razed to put up shopping centers. Environmental groups have tremendous clout in the Seattle area.

Shopping malls that are developed in the Puget Sound area have been concentrated in URBAN areas that have relatively few trees aside from what you would find in any well-landscaped urban area.

So, in summary when a shopping mall is developed, the number of trees cut is often replaced by significantly more trees as part of the typical urban landscape. As far as Portland is concerned, I am not sure what you mean by "Is the shopping mall thing the same for Portland, OR?" especially since I don't live in Portland. Most likely Portland residents share similar attitudes as Seattle folks do but their zoning and other legal issues differ. Good luck on your research.

Hope this answered your question.

Thank you, that helps a lot!

Originally Posted by spongeg

i think he thinks Washington is nothing but one big forest

Yea, that's kind of what I used to think.

[JiminyCricket]

^The majority of Washington is arid, semi-arid, high desert, and desert all east of the cascades. The western third of the state is where the forests and alpine regions are.

[sequoias]

Here's the satellite map of Washington/Oregon to tell you the general area where it is forested or not and all that geographic features.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...7&t=k&z=6&om=1

[arbeiter]

this kevin_wk guy was apparently banned from Skyscraperpage for similarly obnoxious questions...

[uwhuskies]

Originally Posted by spongeg

i think he thinks Washington is nothing but one big forest

it has a much more diverse landscape than forests

I tend to agree with you. Outsiders think we still live in log cabins and fight off vicious savages while going to an outhouse...exaggerations help illustrate a point.

[-KwK345-]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

this kevin_wk guy was apparently banned from Skyscraperpage for similarly obnoxious questions...

I never asked questions about Seattle on SSP.

Originally Posted by uwhuskies

I tend to agree with you. Outsiders think we still live in log cabins and fight off vicious savages while going to an outhouse...exaggerations help illustrate a point.

Ok, that isn't what I thought.

[uwhuskies]

Ok, that isn't what I thought.[/QUOTE]

Just teasing.

[-KwK345-]

Yea, it's just that you here more about Washington's forests more than you hear about the semi-arid areas.

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

Oh My. You've came back from the dead(ssp) and you used to talk about suburbs, but now your onto another fun topic of malls and forests . Oh my, it's astonishing how you've gone so astray. *sigh* Some kids never learn.