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CHS joked the other night about a Tweet we saw that was too artsy for us to fully comprehend. Turns out, the Tweeter is the owner of represents a new art gallery that is opening on the Hill tonight:
I wanted to follow-up to this tweet you posted recently and tell you a little more about "The Shogunate Revisited", opening tonight at pun(c)tuation on Pike Street. (The storefront that has been covered in newspapers for a few months and used to be Laced Up, next to the HoneyHole.)
"The Shogunate Revisited", a show featuring new work from Seattle-based artists Mike Wagner and I AM, will be kicking-off with an opening reception from 6-10pm. You can read our press release below and there are pictures and flyers available on our Flickr page. (I can send you any of those as an attachment if you have problems opening or need a higher rez image.)
This show is actually the first of three we have planned between now and January, including a tribute to Miles Davis coming soon, so I will be sure to pass that information along to you to share with the readers of CHS. Let me know if you have any questions and I hope you can join us tonight!
Thanks,
Kizha Davidson @kydinseattle
Here's more from the Slog on the event and a slideshow from pun(c)tuation's flickr stream. Also, don't forget about this weekend's Expo 87 'micro-fest.'
Previous
Hiroko's outfit caught my eye outside of Velo Bike Shop on my way home from work. The days are getting shorter and so is my picture taking window. When I found Hiroko, the last bit of daylight was creeping behind the horizon.
From the color to the lovely bow I adore these clever boots. Hiroko's look is a great mix of feminine and unconventional preppy style. This combination makes for a unique outfit that doesn't feel overly put together.
For more street style photos from around Capitol Hill and the rest of the city check out my website:www.itsmydarlin.com
(Photo: It's My Darlin)
New management at PIke Street Fish Fry means more freebies for you. If you haven't been to Pike Street Fish Fry in a while, give their new french fries a try. The $2 Fat Tires & Mothership Wit (my favorite in the New Belgium lineup) should be a draw too. Let us know how the fries are in a review. CHS apologizes for the goof last month - hours for the free giveaway are most definitely 5 to 7 this Friday (11/20).
For the next month, a very large percentage of your daily Seattle news intake will be produced within a three-block radius on Capitol Hill.
CHS has new officemates today as the staff of Publicola are making their temporary home here at Office Nomads for a month before they move back to Belltown and into new office digs.
For 'Cola's Josh Feit and Erica Barnett, it's a return to their Capitol Hill stomping grounds from their days at the Stranger. With the Slog's nerve center still operating across from Bobby Morris playfield and Cal Anderson Park, Pine is suddenly the city's new, new media corridor. For a month, at least. But that's like three years in Internet time.
Curtis Bigelow talks with a worker putting the finishing touches on the Lobby Bar
CHS was lucky enough to join co-owner Curtis Bigelow for a quick tour of the transformed space that was once King Cobra and will soon be the new Lobby Bar . But this picture was the only shot I could take -- the new project is still under construction and under wraps. The transformation is impressive. Bigelow says he and Paul Villa hope to create a space for members of the LGBT community who are interested in getting a good, reasonably priced drink in an comfortable, inviting environment -- and the people that love them.
An elegant seating area with black glass chandeliers greets you on entry to the new space. A massive, marble-topped bar dominates the center of the Lobby. Behind the bar is a mix of finished, glossy cabinetry and the rough exposed brick of the building's walls. Staircases to the left and and right invite you to the upper level where the railing will invite you to spy on the activities below.
Bigelow told CHS he and Villa hoped to open in early December but -- like most new businesses -- Lobby is facing delays in permitting. As for the newly announced next-door business The Money Tree, CHS had heard rumors that the location would house a sandwich shop, but Bigelow said the money lenders have been mostly good neighbors so far.
Via the Seattle Times, we learned this morning that the War Room will close, unless it finds a buyer by 11/30. This could have been the $800k nightclub for sale we noted a couple of months ago. Marcus Lalario, the co-owner's statement, is puzzling - in light of the fact that a couple of War Room backed politicians (Michael McGinn and Pete Holmes) will soon be in power - and presumably be friendlier to nightlife on the Hill:
The Capitol Hill nightclub The War Room, on the corner of Harvard Avenue and East Pike Street, will close Nov. 30 unless a buyer is found.
In a written statement, co-owner Marcus Lalario said, "With so many issues still facing nightlife, we're ready to move on. The liquor tax increase, mounting pressures from the City and State helped us make the decision."
Among the bands to have played The War Room in the five years since it opened are Band of Horses, Cave Singers and Wolf Parade. The War Room is also known for its weekly hip-hop night, Yo, Son!
"We feel like we've had a good run of it," Lalario said.
Line Out has the full text of the press release:
Seattle, WA, November 10, 2009 — After nearly five years of holding down the block at Harvard and Pike, on Capitol Hill, the War Room’s current ownership will close its doors November 30. The future of the popular nightclub remains uncertain.
The club, which opened in March, 2005, is officially for sale. Although there are interested buyers in place, no change of ownership has yet been confirmed.
“We feel like we’ve had a good run of it,” said Marcus Lalario. “It’s time to move on to other projects, while we’re ahead of the game.” Lalario and his business partner, Brian Rauschenbach, will continue to run their other joint venture, bar/eatery Captain Blacks, and both remain invested in a variety of Seattle businesses.
The War Room made an immediate impact on Seattle nightlife, with popular DJ nights and a slew of live entertainment. With its open-air rooftop deck and tasteful modern décor, the venue quickly became a favorite amongst club goers.
Known primarily for hip hop and dance nights such as Yo, Son!, Ring The Alarm, Cherry, Hot Mess, and 2080’s, the mid-size venue also played host to a variety of live shows over the years.
Band of Horses, Cave Singers, Wolf Parade, Chromeo, and Brawley Banks are just a few of the bands to play the War Room. Most recently, the club hosted a pre-Halloween show with Mad Rad and Champagne Champagne, where Mayor-elect Mike McGinn took the stage to introduce the headliners.
“It was one of our favorite shows to date,” said Peter Robinson, aka P SMOOV, of Mad Rad. “And the fact that the Mayor welcomed us back to Party Mountain really made it extra awesome.”
With custom artwork from Shepard Fairey/OBEY gracing its walls, and a host of fundraisers, benefits, and politically minded events under its belt, the War Room has successfully melded nightlife culture with loftier pursuits over the years.
“One of our most memorable nights to date was definitely the Obama Election Party,” Rauschenbach said, recalling the capacity crowd and overwhelming goodwill. “We had everyone from Pearl Jam to almost every local DJ of note in the house, all hugging and celebrating.” The event raised thousands of dollars for local nonprofit, Treehouse For Kids.
The War Room also served as campaign headquarters for Mayor-elect Mike McGinn on Election Night.
“We honestly feel like we made a difference in the city with the War Room,” Lalario said. “But, with so many issues still facing nightlife, we’re ready to move on. The liquor tax increase, mounting pressures from the City and State helped us make the decision,” he added.
Lalario confirmed that War Room staff members, as well as promoters that work with the venue, were notified of the impending closure last week.
“We’ve been blessed with a tremendous staff over the years,” Lalario said. “We’ve been lucky to work with so many great people over the years, and we’ve got nothing but love for our crew.”
Update (11/11) 3 pm: Seattle PostGlobe reports that the estimate cost of installing a state-mandated new sprinkler system (over $60k) was a "huge factor" in the current owners' efforts to sell the war room
The Stranger's Lineout blog -- where they still write about things Seattle -- reports that Sonic Boom's new location down on Melrose isn't going to be ready in time for its planned mid-November opening. SB says in its latest e-mail newsletter that it is now targeting a December 7th opening. Sonic Boom recently closed shop on 15th Ave after six years. We reported back in June that the move would both make way for Olympia Pizza to expand into the Sonic Boom space and allow SB owner Jason Hughes to be neighbors with his girlfriend Tes de Luna's also-soon-to--open shop on Melrose, Velouria.
Join CHS and Gay Cap Hill for a little late-fall Happy Hour(s) at Purr! We'll be meeting up next Thursday, November 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This event is for anyone and everyone to attend so we hope to see everyone there! If you want to check out their happy hour offerings, visit Purr's web site.
Atlas Clothing celebrates the one year anniversary of the new location for its Capitol Hill store on November 11 at Sole Repair. It will be a Free "Mad Men"-themed party and fashion show between 8 and 11 pm. "We invite the Capitol Hill community to join us" says Holly Ricciardi, an Atlas Sales Representative.
photo by Julie Harmsen
Our partner site SeattleCrime.com is reporting tonight on a large police and Metro sheriff response at Bellevue and Pine around 8:15 PM.
According to a Seattlecrime.com tipster, there are about 20-25 police officers, and sheriffs deputies at Bellevue and Pine with guns drawn. A man is lying face down on the pavement, crying.
CHS hustled down there to find the scene breaking up and the bad guys already taken away. A deputy at the scene said the incident involved two men 'making bad decisions' in a Metro bus shelter but wouldn't elaborate.
"Kind of a big response," I said.
"Yeah, that's how things are," the deputy said. I also asked the three deputies huddling in the bus shelter where their jackets were on this rainy, windy night. In their cars, turns out.
We'll have to wait for more info from SPD or the sheriff on this one. The public information officers will be part of the memorial procession and event at Key Arena tomorrow and likely won't be available for comment until next week.
The new face of the poster-covered Sunset Electric building is slowly coming to light. Wednesday night's Early Design Guidance meeting at the new Seattle U AA building was the second in a long process to develop the property where the brick building has stood since 1916. As the first development project to go through the city's design review process under Pike/Pine's new conservation overlay district, the Sunset represents a test for the city and the Capitol Hill community of how to best redevelop the area without losing the historical character of the neighborhood.
If you haven't been following the process, here's a quick run-down of developer Pryde + Johnson's stated plans for the historic building:
- Retain and restore the existing two-story facade and use as retail space.
- Create a 7 story structure, building on top of the historic area, and filling 5 floors with 92 units.
- LEED Silver certified
- 20% Workforce Housing
- 36 Stalls of underground parking.
Wednesday night's meeting unveiled a revamped design for the project as Pryde + Johnson has brought in a new architecture firm on the project.
"The new concept will save the existing character, but not imitate it," said Dwayne Kohler, of Kohler Architects, Wednesday night.
A detailed description of the project can be found here, with a link to the full design proposal here.
(Photo: Lucas Anderson/Neighborlogs.com)
Community members responding to the proposal at the meeting had both praise and criticism for the designers. Capitol Hill resident Dennis Saxman was concerned with the height of the building, describing a towering 7-story building amongst its currently smaller neighbors. Saxman, like many others, was concerned about the use of the garage as a parking space instead of an art or community space. However, Saxman, a well known neighborhood watch dog, said the proposal was "One of the most responsive designs I've ever seen...and I don't say that easily."
Others agreed on the need to reconsider the parking situation, looking ahead to long term uses of the building. "I hope that the space would be able to be adapted in the future for a better use," one attendee said. The Review Board agreed with this sentiment, but Rutzick noted that the parking issues (which Kohler stated was a "marketing, leasing, and financing" issue) were to be discussed during Environmental Review sessions.
The design board's final recommendations included a closer look at both the parking situation and the relationship between the old and new parts of the new development, as well as further investigation into the center courtyard that divides the residential portion of the building: Will it be just a rain catcher, a dark tunnel, a compromise of privacy, or just benefit those on the first floor?
According to City of Seattle project planner Lisa Rutzick, the next steps for the project are for the architect and the developer to continue to evolve the design in response to the Capitol Hill Design Board’s guidance and develop the plans for the Master Use Permit application. The next official step is to submit the Master Use Permit application to the city's Department of Planning and Development, which will initiate DPD’s formal review of the zoning, environmental and design issues. Once all of these reviews have occurred and requirements from DPD are responded to by the developer, the Design Review Recommendation meeting will occur. And that's how a development project is born in Seattle.
As the first project to be considered under the new Pike/Pine conservation overlay district ordinance, the project is setting a precedence for future, similar buildings, Rutzick said at the meeting.
In exchange for preserving and enhancing the historic building, the developers are allowed to build the structure higher, while still complimenting the original design. Yet debate arose over whether the new design is too similar to the nearly century old look of the first two stories. The board did not want a cheap look-alike stacked atop the old building, and had support from some audience members. "Build something that is of its time, that is not imitating some other era," one citizen said.
of the old home of King Cobra and Sugar (among others). The Lobby Bar
is going to have a convenient neighbor it appears. Convenient if you
need a 'payday loan' at least.
Oatmeal Breakfast - Molly Moon's, originally uploaded by roofsupdotcom.
It's a little like Mom and Dad went away for the weekend and left a teenager in charge. Molly Moon's is bringing their oatmeal topped with maple bacon ice cream breakfast to Capitol Hill. Which, of course, means you can now eat pancakes for dinner.
It appears that the robber who emptied the till at Online Coffee after ordering a brownie then handing the cashier a note demanding cash struck again the following week, according to a Seattle Police Department report.
According to the report, a man wearing a surgical mask, a black puffy jacket and a baseball hat entered Uncle Elizabeth's Internet Cafe at 1123 Pike St. just after 11:30 PM on Tuesday, October 13th. The cashier said the man coughed as he walked to the counter and ordered two bagels. As the man received his order, the cashier said the man slid a note across the counter.
"Buddy I ain't jokin," the man said, according to the report. The cashier said the note read, "I have a gun put it in the bag."
The cashier opened the cash registered and placed all of the cash from the drawer in to the bag with the bagels. The man grabbed the bag full of bagels and cash and the ransom note and left the cafe. After the man left, the cashier followed him into the street and saw the suspect get into a silver or tan Ford Taurus and drive away. A search for the car did not turn up the suspect.
The cashier said he could not provide an accurate body type description for the robber because he was wearing the puffy jacket and mask. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6 feet tall. The description of the man in the hold-up a week earlier at Online Coffee was very similar: a black male, 6 feet tall, approximately 230 pounds, and bald head.
According to the report, of the five customers in the cafe at the time of the hold-up, only one looked up from her computer screen and saw the man. The witness was unable to provide any additional details or description of the suspect.
There's a big news event in between then and now that might make you forget about it -- but here's an early reminder about Wednesday night's meeting of the Capitol Hill Design Board to review the latest plans for the 1530 11th Ave project. We've covered the redevelopment planning process of the old brick building that was once a factory and part of Capitol Hill's early auto industry. Wednesday's meeting is a chance for the design board to weigh in on the plans for the development and for the community to have a say in the process.
Here are some thoughts and questions from the CHS comments about the project:
joshmahar: I think the additional parking in lieu of arts and culture space would be a travesty and must be stopped.
kstinebeck: agree that the double height commercial space should be in 11th. In reality, because of the grade up to 12th, there is no reason this feature should be wasted on Pine. I personally don't mind metal siding as long as the bottom of the building speaks to the top.
mmariano: The new design proposal is (currently) very unfortunate. Look a block away to a good addition to a historic building - the old Packard building is respectfully restored and the addition is true to the year it was built. Replicating the historic parapet of Sunset Electric and other faux historic details do not make a good building in its entirety. Hopefully the Design Review Board meeting will be well attended by the community.
Finish Tag: Very frustrating to see a complete lack of options on this project. Basically the Applicant is saying (to the Board and to the neighbors), "Thanks, but we don't need your input." The Design Review Board still expects to weigh in on options for SOME aspect of the building at a second EDG, if not the massing. This packet looks like a Recommendation meeting packet, just without the colors. They were asked to come back for a second GUIDANCE meeting for a reason.
CapHillMax: So while we are talking about preservation, does anyone not see the folly of plopping a residential building right on a street that is full of bars, late-night restaurants and clubs?
Dennis Saxman: This would only be considered preservation in George Orwell's 1984
Project: 1530 11th Ave mapDesign Proposal available (3.65 MB)
Review Meeting: November 4, 6:30 pm S U Alumni Relations & Admissions Buildings 824 12th Ave map Meeting Room Review Phase: EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews Project Number: 3010451 permit status | notice Planner: Lisa Rutzick
Joining the election night celebration on Capitol Hill, the Approve R-71 campaign announced they will be holding their party at Pravda Studios on 10th Ave in Pike/Pine. Mike McGinn's campaign, meanwhile, will be watching the results come in down the street at the War Room.
Approve 71 campaign releases Election Night Party details
When: 7 pm Tuesday, Nov. 3
Where: Pravda Studios, 1406 10th Ave., Suite 200, Seattle
www.pravdastudios.com
For information on other local election night parties visit http://approvereferendum71.org/election-night-party/
Who: Approve 71 Campaign Chair Anne Levinson, Approve 71 Campaign Manager Josh Friedes, the Approve 71 campaign team, volunteers, friends and allies
The design proposal for the 11th and Pine development was posted to the Design Review website today, in anticipation of the second Early Design Guidance Meeting scheduled for next Wednesday, Nov 4th (details below). You can download the entire proposal here[3.5mb]. But for those too busy (or lazy) to go through it, here is a brief overview of what's new (see our earlier coverage here and a recap of the first EDG meeting here):
Courtyard View
First, according to DPD and the Design Review Board, this meeting is scheduled as a second Early Design Guidance meeting, but the proposal seems to suggest otherwise. While EDG's are required to have three alternatives for height and bulk within the allowable zoning, the current 11th and Pine porposal looks at only a single option and has many more details than the EDG is suppose to consider. I spoke with Bob O'Malley of Kohler Architects, and he did not seem to think that three alternatives were necessary at a second EDG. The project planner, Lisa Rutzick could not be reached at this time.
Unlike any of the options in the first EDG, the new design calls for a fully enclosed residential courtyard that would start on the second level. The unit breakdown has gone from 54 studio, 30 1-bdrm, and 12 2-bdrm (total 96), to 6 studio, 76 1-bdrm, and 10 2-bdrm (total 92). Similar to the first proposal the original facade will be maintained on 11th and Pine and will wrap around a bit into the alley.
One of the main concerns at the last EDG meeting was the splitting of the original two-story ceiling of the interior by bringing the residential units down into that space. The new proposal is a bit of a compromise in that about half of the street level retail, the side facing Pine St, will have two-story ceilings, while the rest will not.
11th Ave Facade
The upper floors are designed to "pay respect" to the existing building by using similar window patterns, column spandrels, and glazing divisions. While most of the upper floors will have very little setbacks, half of the 11th Ave facade will be recessed above, to accentuate the original entrance and garage door, which is being restored for commercial use (not parking). The original masonry is intended to be restored while the upper levels will have metal panels with minimal treatment and trim. They have also opted to name the building the "Sunset Electric" building, apparently ignoring Dennis Saxman's request that they maintain the character of the "Winton Motor Co." a company that, according to Saxman's research, owned the property prior to Sunset Electric.
The new proposal has also increased the parking stalls from 4 to 36, therefore removing the 14,000sqft of basement commercial space that was designed for arts and cultural uses. This is interesting because, according to the first EDG report, neither the community nor the Design Review Board suggested additional parking.
Street Level Floorplan
A few personal opinions:
- I think the additional parking in lieu of arts and culture space would be a travesty and must be stopped.
- If they are only going to have double high ceilings in part of the building, it should really be facing 11th, a much better pedestrian street and the front of the original building.
- I like the upper story design elements but I think I would rather see concrete instead of metal siding.
- They should put "Winton Motor Co." on one side and "Sunset Electric" on the other at the top
- There are P-patches and worm bins on the roof top deck. Thats pretty cool.
Come voice your thoughts on this development at the next EDG meeting Wednesday:
Project: 1530 11th Ave mapDesign Proposal available (3.65 MB)
Review Meeting: November 4, 6:30 pm S U Alumni Relations & Admissions Buildings 824 12th Ave map Meeting Room Review Phase: EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews Project Number: 3010451 permit status | notice Planner: Lisa Rutzick
He won our endorsement. On election night, he'll be partying in our 'hood. Mike McGinn's campaign is holding its election night party at the War Room with chow from Skillet Food, no cover and, sweet for the 'hood bloggers in the crowd, all the wi-fi you can eat. You might recall McGinn held his primary election night party at Havana. Whether this Tuesday ends as happily for the candidate will be up to you.
Sunrise from iLike, originally uploaded by firewallender.
Back in August, CHS reported on Capitol Hill startup iLike getting gobbled up by social media giant MySpace for $13.5 million plus $6 million in 'talent retention.' We wondered at the time how long iLike would remain in their Boylston Ave office space after the deal.
The answer? Not long.
We heard that iLike was on the move and we have been asking their PR person for information but never got confirmation. No bother. We saw an iLike employee's tweet about the in-progress move Wednesday morning. The iLike folks are heading downtown to join other MySpace development teams on Western Ave.
Adios, iLike. We'll see if we can get some more info from the iLike folks about the move but given MySpace's investment in their downtown offices, probably not much Capitol Hill could have done to keep them.
Neighbor Phil sends us a link to his flickr stream of a chemical clean-up process underway on E. Pike. It appears to be a planned work effort -- not some kind of emergency contamination -- judging by the signs and the workman-like effort from the hazmat-suited employees.
We've tried getting in touch with the company working at the site but Pacific Crest Environmental hasn't returned our three calls left over the past two days. We'll update as soon as we hear back from them about what's up.
The site is located between Old School Frozen Yogurt and the new home of Doghouse Leathers. You can see in the old images captures by Google Streetview the old unpaved lot and a bunch of barrels lined up next to an old motor repair shop that used to be at the location.
My (sadly) former next door neighbor Mark is having a show. If it's >= 10% as good as it sounds, it will be stunning.
See you there.
Prescriptions for Awe and Wonder
October 23rd, 9pm - 1am
1506 11th Ave
[map]
Seattle, WA 98122
Suggested Dress
Incognito: Wigs & Shades
The new Graypants mural
The most important piece to all of this is: I am very excited about this show. This all started off as a launch party for my mural I just finished over at Graypants (you can read a post about it on their blog here), but has sort of meandered about, as ideas tend to do, and in my excitement to make others grin and click their tongue on the roof of their mouth like I do when I see new things, the show has expanded to include some other projects I've been working on.
These additional works include an updated digital video filter piece that uses pattern formation algorithms (original here), an updated/revamped peep show (original here), some concrete sculptures, a video short and some plaster animals. I may or may not get some output from a wall drawing machine I've been dinking around with over the months, but if it's not there and you ask me about it, I will be very excited to tell you about it and perhaps give you a hug.
One small idea waiting on an ocean bluff as the sky turns three shades of blue and waves sigh and murmur about the past. This idea, though, will only look to the future.
Fortune cookies may be available. Beer and infused vodkas/gins/whiskeys made by my dear dear (and newly wed) friend David Howard. All welcome.
pike street fish fry
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson
There's a new Michael at the helm of Pike Street Fish Fry. Michael Hebb (formerly Michael Hebberoy) has been supplanted by Michael Yuasa. Rumor has it that Hebb lost interest in Pike Street Fish Fry last fall (2008).
The change in ownership has not diminished critical praise for the eatery. Food & Wine canvassed chefs around the country last month, and Joule's Rachel Yang paid homage to its $5 smelt sandwich. This Friday from 5 to 8 pm, Pike Street Fish Fry will be giving away free boats of fries. Fat Tire & Blue Paddle beers will be made available for $2.
When CHS last visited the King Cobra space in July 2009, brown butcher paper was spotted - evincing new ownership. After noting a report that King Cobra had applied earlier this month to assume Kinkora Pike St LLC's liquor license, we contacted King Cobra's new owners Bigelow Villa LLC to uncover their plans for the space. Paul Villa, one of the co-owners gave us the scoop on what he and his business partner Curtis Bigelow envision:
- We are only leasing half the space and leaving the dance floor behind. By only taking the 916 E. Pike space we hope to avoid the curse that seems to be on the 918 E. Pike space
- The concept/design is a boutique hotel lobby bar (contemporary, polished, fun) while maintaining a Seattle vibe (friendly, welcoming, down-to-earth). It'll be a nice environment to chill and hang out, and hopefully meet new people/friends
- We're going to call it The Lobby Bar. But after hearing you call it The Villa we're seriously reconsidering
- We'll be a bar catering to the LGBT community but inclusive to everyone
- Our goal is to be open early to mid-November
The Pike/Pine utility pole poster fires CHS has been reporting on have seemed nearly comical. Somebody setting fires to the layers of old rock posters and multilevel marketing flyers that build up on the power poles and light standards of Capitol Hill seems a little ridiculous. But an incident two weeks ago early on a Sunday morning might show that the acts are anything but funny.
CHS has learned of a fire intentionally set inside the Odd Fellows building early on Sunday morning, October 4th. Around 3:30 AM, two workers from the Tin Table smelled smoke and found a bulletin board on the building's first floor where flyers and posters are displayed had been set on fire. According to a report filed by the police officer who responded to the incident, posters were once again the target. But this time, somebody left a message.
According to the report, a poster on the bulletin board had been written on and set on fire. Part of the message burned away. What remained were the letters "AG" scrawled across the paper. On another bulletin board in the main entry to the building, the officer found a copy of the same poster with a message written across it: "I'm thinking my." The second poster was not burned. It is unknown if the message was written by the same person who set the fire, according to the report.
SPD report excerpt
The incident was being investigated as an arson with anti-homosexual bias, according to the report.
Seattle police said they were looking for a man and woman 'wearing black' who were seen setting fire to posters on poles early last Tuesday morning near 10th ave and E. Pike.
In late September, a midday fire set to pole posters at the intersection of 11th and E. Pine caused smoke and commotion but little damage.
The Odd Fellows building is emblematic of the changing Pike/Pine neighborhood. What once was an aging building with relatively low rent and a tenant roster of artists has been redeveloped into a popular dining and, soon, retail destination. Children's clothing store Flora and Henri is set to open in the space to be joined shortly by a new store called Nube Green.
Last week, CHS asked the Seattle Police Department if there is an investigation to determine if the Pike and Pine utility pole fires were connected. Spokesperson Renee Witt said she could not provide any information at the time. We've now contacted SPD about the Odd Fellows incident and will update this post when we hear back.
