Capitol Hill Seattle has been alerted to an apparent shooting near the intersection of Union and Boylston. At 5:55 PM, emergency units were dispatched to 702 E Union St. for an assault with weapons response.

We received the following e-mail from an eyewitness:

Shooting on Union between Boylston and Harvard. One guy shot, was conscious and speaking when police arrived.

More as we get it.

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Back in September, we told you about a new retailer coming to Pike/Pine and joining the scene inside the Odd Fellows building. We noticed that the store was taking shape this week and a quick check of their Web site reveals Nube Green opens on Monday.

The new retailer is targeting "ecologically minded consumers" and plans to "provide a strorefront for local artists." Nube Green is the creation of Ruth True. She and her husband Bill opened the nonprofit art gallery Western Bridge.

Here is a snippet from a press release explaining the new store's concept.

Also on the ground floor -- sandwiched between the popular OddFellows Café and Molly Moon's, and right next to flora and henri -- Nube Green plans to open the doors on its 2,300 square foot mercantile store in November. This retailer will carry a broad array of simple, fun and elegant gifts for the ecologically minded consumer.

The store will only sell products that have not crossed any oceans, including locally made items from recycled and sustainable materials. Nube Green will also carry its own line of products.

Top shelf children's clothier Flora and Henri also moved into Odd Fellows recently.

Meanwhile, down the street, CHS also noted 'sign' of an existing business doing some upgrades for the holidays. Looks like Seattle Running Company got a new sign for Christmas.

Pike/Pine isn't the only area on the Hill with some good biz news. CHS reported yesterday on some cool changes for the People's Republic of Koffee over on 12th Ave. Meanwhile, beloved Broadway bookseller Bailey Coy is officially no more.

If my interview with Roy Street Coffee and Tea manager Jacob Webber taught me anything, it’s that despite being a much better coffee shop than your typical Starbucks, Roy Street Coffee and Tea is still a Starbucks.

Jacob describes the store as his “pipe dream,” and seemed really excited about all the new features they’re trying out in the store, like their new Synesso espresso machine, and a pull down movie screen to host film showings for local filmmakers.  He said a lot of positive things and really seemed committed to making the concept work.  

On the other hand, Jacob said he didn’t know much about Capitol Hill, he didn’t have much to say about the well established coffee scene on the Hill, beyond “they make great coffee”, and he didn’t offer direct responses to any of the criticism they’ve been getting from many in the community -- namely that it's disingenuous to not display the Starbucks name, and the clipboard observers that were...

Photo: alk17000

CHS talked with Seattle Police Department spokesperson Renee Witt about Thursday's accident scene on Madison to try to clear up exactly what happened to draw the large emergency and officer response.

Witt said the officer whose foot was run over is in better condition than previously thought -- she has a severely sprained ankle, not a break as was first reported.

Witt said the large response -- reported to include as many as 17 police cruisers -- is standard procedure when an officer is injured.

"Any time there is an officer that is injured it garners a large response until we can figure out what was going on," Witt said.

According to Witt, the officer who was injured was directing traffic at the scene where a person in a wheelchair had been struck by a vehicle at the Madison intersection. Witt said a truck turning west onto Madison from 15th ran over the officer's foot. The truck's driver told police that he was distracted by another pedestrian and didn't see the officer. Witt said the driver was interviewed and released and will likely be cited.

The original accident involving the pedestrian in the wheelchair did not result in serious injuries. According to the Seattle Fire Department, the victim and the driver in that accident were not transported from the scene. Witt said she did not have information at this time about any citations issued in the first accident.

Republic of Koffee,
originally uploaded by flckrd1.

Some business changes at 1720 12th Ave (between Olive & Howell, Lucky Devil Tattoo Parlor building), none lost, one added:

The People's Republic of Koffee stand has left their garage-on-the-street location and moved into the house next door and expanded with seating (and future food service).  Also in the space is the new People's Republic of Komedy office.

http://www.prokomedy.org/

Zone 4 Printing has moved into the old PRK space and has a great, compact retail store right on the sidewalk with T-shirts and posters, etc.

http://zone4printing.com/

Broadway retail had another hole poked in the middle of it tonight as, under the cover of darkness, employees scrambled to gut the Hollywood Video next to Dick's Burgers and directly across the street from the empty lot where Sound Transit's light rail station construction is soon to begin.

A sign on the door said the location is permanently closing and directed customers to the next closest Hollywood Video in Magnolia. Despite the sign, a customer tried the locked door before dropping his movie in the return slot. He said he had just joined Hollywood's monthly movie plan.

UPDATE: Adding some information about the building itself, the $2.8 million, three-story brick building was built in 1929 and is owned by Ron and Edel Amundson, according to King County records. It is also home to online provider of phonics-based spelling lessons, Headsprout and a company called Antique Cycle Northwest. From the Department of Neighborhoods:

Historic Name:      Del-Teet Furniture     &...

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.'

Wednesday night's early design guidance meeting for the 230 Broadway project revealed a Brix-like apartment and retail complex that left the Capitol Hill Design board wanting more specific details.

The 7-story mixed use development will house 235 residential spaces (47 units of affordable housing), room for 24,000 sq. ft. of retail, have space for neighborhood offices and will stretch from Thomas St. all the way to Castle and the tanning salon; replacing the space for the farmers market as well as a multitude other businesses. (If you need to brush up your memory on the guts of the project, a link to the architects proposal can be found here.) As with any project of this size landing on the uniformly two-story area on and around Broadway, concerns surrounding its mass, looks, and function as a community space topped the issue list for the review board.

While it received the most praise in our previous coverage of the development, the proposed courtyard and community room became clouded in confusion after the board began looking into the function, placement, and use of the space. As a whole, the board felt the design left too many questions about whether the courtyard, located in the center of the building, was open to the public or restricted only to the tenants. According to lead architect Brian Runberg, street access would be restricted at night in parallel with a community room hours by way of a "welcoming" gate, but the board felt the current design, which has no visual or physical access to Broadway, lacked character as an effective public space. "For a space that is supposed be a community space, it's pretty impoverished," said Bryan Cavanaugh, the business owner representative on the design review board. This brought up questions of possible relocation of the community room or rearrangement of entrances, but ultimately resulted in the board wanting more clarity.

As a brand new yet lasting face of Broadway, community members and board members wanted to ensure the facade would reflect the culture and historical precedence created by the current retail stretch on the street. Runberg's goal with the Broadway facade was to create a "strong urban edge" -- reinforcing the vibrant night life, creating wider sidewalks, and allowing retail businesses to create unique storefronts. The board praised these efforts, but without a solid decision on the look and setback of the front, they demanded a strong, clear, and simple front that would be made interesting by the individual store owners.

The final board recommendations also called for more definition on the how the building turns the corner at 10th & Thomas, and a clear design on what turned out to be a controversial service alley on the south end of the building.

Despite the criticisms, the review board did commend the architects and developer for their analysis of the history of Capitol Hill developments as well as the new building's aesthetic fit into environment of Broadway. One went so far as to call the design "elegant."

Taking the advice of the board and community with them, the next step for the developers, according to project planner Lisa Rutzick, will be applying for a master use permit. After more zoning and environmental assessments, the group will come back to the design review board for more community input.

The man who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to likely spend the rest of his life in prison for stabbing Capitol Hill resident Shannon Harps to death now claims he was coerced to confess to the murder, CHS partner SeattleCrime.com has learned:

James Anthony Williams, who received a 35 year sentence for the the brutal slaying of Shannon Harps outside of her Capitol Hill apartment on New Years Eve in 2007, is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea and is asking the court to provide him with new legal counsel.

Williams on the day of his May 2009 sentencing (Photo: chrisdaniels5)

In court documents filed in King County Superior Court earlier this month, Williams claims he was "compelled...to plead guilty." While documents show Williams apparently believed he was in physical danger while in jail, prosecutors—who, naturally, are opposing Williams' motion—contend Williams made numerous declarations of his own guilt, prior to entering his plea.

SeattleCrime.com reports that prosecutors are citing multiple statements by Williams "that his plea was solely motivated by the fact that he was guilty" in their response to the claims.

Williams originally pleaded not guilty to the crime in February of 2008 and his mental competency was questioned. But after treatment at mental health facility Western State Hospital, Williams was determined fit to stand trial. The defendant then pleaded guilty and was subsequently sentenced to 35 years in prison. This is what prosecutors told CHS at the time of the sentencing about Williams' decision to plead guilty:

[Williams] pled as charged after our office worked to have him restored to competency to stand trial for the murder by sending him to Western State Hospital. He pled not guilty at arraignment in 2008 because every criminal defendant will enter a not guilty plea in order to consult with their attorney, discuss the various options they have and then chose either to plead, negotiate or fight the charge by gong to trial. Mr. Williams at first did not appear competent. The court sent him to Western State Hospital for evaluation at the request of the state and defense. He was found initially not-competent and then Western State doctors restored his competency. Mr. Williams returned to court and indicated he wanted to plead guilty as charged, which he did.

SeattleCrime.com reports that, along with his claims of a coerced confession, Williams also says his attorneys did not adequately represent him during trial and has requested new counsel.

Williams was convicted of murdering Harps in a bloody attack as the 31-year-old was about to enter her residence near 15th and Howell on the last night of 2007.

A man so high on cocaine and wine that he needed to be hospitalized after being arrested was chased down by customers of nearby Tougo Coffee as he made his getaway after burglarizing 18th Ave boutique Gossamer Collective. The colorful details of the bust come from Tweets reported by the Central District News blog:

mgrummer tweets that it was Gossamer Collective which lives in the spot just south of Tougo. He says that he and other Tougo customers helped apprehend the perp: "I was there this am right after it happened. Another customer followed as the guy took off w/ the goods & directed patrol officers over the phone as to the thief's location"

Here's what SPD had to say about the incident:

Here is the latest batch of reports from the East Precinct for the first weeks of November. We also recently reported on the rash of car break-ins plaguing the area with a map of Hill car prowl hotspots.

We have created a new section in our forums for community Crime Reports if you see something or have something happen to you that you think the Hill needs to know about.

• 6-string thief: Sometime early this month, a person kicked in the door of a practice studio at 11th Ave's Chop House and took a 1970 Gibson L6S electric guitar. According to the very detailed report, the guitar has a natural wood finish with a custom Humbucker pickup installed near the bridge along with a custom three-way switch.
• Wrongfully accused man attacks with umbrella: A man was detained after struggling with a police officer outside of the Harvard QFC following an incident involving the man and QFC security. Late on Friday, Novemeber 6, store security believed the man had stolen a can of beer from the store but the follow-up investigation by the police officer determined that the man had the can of beer in his pocket prior to entering the store but became angry when he was accused and began assaulting people with his umbrella. The man was released following an interview at East Precinct.

More about the L6S from VintageGuitars.org.uk


• Two-TV burglary: On Monday, November 2 around 10 AM, a man was spotted leaving a house and walking down E. Republican near 21st Ave carrying a TV under each arm to load into his car. A neighbor called police but the man was gone by the time the officer arrived. The officer found a basement window that had been broken out giving the burglar access to the house. No suspect description was provided in the report.
• Leash law: A man entered a 10th Ave E doctor's office on November 4th and threatened staff saying, "I'll punch you in the head." He had also been observed trying to tackle people and standing in the street stopping traffic kicking at cars and trying to knock over a motorcycle. The man eventually left the office after somebody inside brought their dog out for protection. When the officer arrived, the man was shirtless, on his hands and knees and growling at the dog. The man was taken into custody and booked into King County Jail for assault (12A.06.010), Pedestrian Interference (12A.12.015), Harassment 12A.06.040, and Criminal Trespass 1st (12A.08.040.B).
• Bad drugs: Late on Sunday, November 1, a man reported being assaulted after "trying to buy weed" near Volunteer Park at 17th and Republican. The man had contusions and swelling on both sides of face. He was also extremely inebriated, according to the report. He could not describe his attacker beyond identifying him as the man he was trying to buy drugs from due to his condition.
• E. Olive burglary: A burglary of a home in the 700 block of E. Olive Way netted $2,300 in ill-gotten goods on November 4.
• 3-car haul on Summit: A break-in at a residential parking garage in the 1600 block of Summit Ave netted the thief two prowled automobiles and a stolen 2008 VW Beetle used as a getaway mobile. There were no witnesses and no suspect has yet been identified, according to the report.
• Liberty theft: Finally, cleaning up with one from October we missed. A man can be seen on security video footage walking behind the bar at 15th Ave's Liberty and grabbing cash early in the morning of October 27. Staff at the bar said that $160 in tips and another $120 in cash from a wallet was stolen by the man who is described as a black male, 5'5", 130 pounds with "three days of facial hair growth, with short black hair, a pierced left eyebrow, and a pierced tongue with a blue ring in it," according to the report. The report says a staff member told officers the man said he was "from the Central District area of Seattle, had been born at University Hospital, and had a sister named [redacted] who was a stripper."

County councilmember Larry Phillips (Photo: Jeff Romeo special to CHS)

With an agreement in place between the city and Sound Transit to move forward with the project and a change about to take place in the mayor's office, the political maneuvering and public process to define the route for the new streetcar line that will run from Union Station through First Hill to Capitol Hill is taking shape.

Central District News reports that King County councilmember Larry Phillips, whose district includes Capitol Hill & First Hill, is one of the first politicos to take a stance on the route.

According to CDN, Phillips sent a letter to mayor Greg Nickels and city councilmembers back in October advocating for the 12th Ave option -- specifically for a loop route that would run on 12th Avenue in one direction and Broadway in the other -- to be included in the city's study of viable routes:

The proposed 12th Avenue and Broadway loop is a promising concept for serving a greater number of residents, creating a north-south public transit option on currently unserved 12th Avenue, and catalyzing economic development on vacant and underutilized properties in the area. Further, as you know, King County government owns and operates the Youth Services Center - King County's Juvenile Court and Detention facility - a significant regional facility located along the 12th Avenue corridor. Currently the site is highly automobile-oriented, featuring a large parking lot which the community is interested in seeing re-devleoped into a denser, more pedestrian and transit oriented facility.

The recommendation should have impact. Phillips is also a member of the Sound Transit board of directors and chair of the Central Link Oversight Committee. While the city will be in charge of planning and building the line, Sound Transit is paying the construction bill.

First Hill advocates have already voiced their opposition to a 12th Ave loop alignment saying it would decrease the utility of the line for First Hill residents and workers. Some in First Hill say a Boren alignment would best serve their community. Here's a look at some other possible alignments for the new line.

A final decision on the streetcar route will be made by the city council in early 2010 with a goal for the line to be operational by 2013.

CHS contributor alk17000 posted this news first this morning but due to a technical issue, we missed the post. Thanks for sharing the breaking news alk -- much appreciated and sorry for the mix-up. (Photo: Alk17000)

Update by jseattle: We screwed up on this story and missed breaking news reported by a contributor. We have a system that alerts us when new posts are created -- but it didn't fire for this post because of a glitch. As the comment on alk17000's post indicates, that's a lot of cops at the scene. Could be due to the proximity to East Precinct headquarters at 12th and Pine but we'll give SPD a call on Friday to find out. Still no word on person who was hit's condition.

Update 2: Our commenters and CHS news partner Seattle Times has part of the story answered:

A Seattle police officer was taken to Harborview Medical Center this morning after her foot was run over by a vehicle at the intersection of 15th Avenue and East Madison Street.

Police spokeswoman Renee Witt said the officer suffered a broken ankle, but was in otherwise good condition after the 11:30 a.m. incident.

Witt said the circumstances under which the officer was injured are unclear; the matter is under investigation.

We'll follow up on circumstances that led to the accident. Also, when we first posted this article, the headline mistakenly identified the location of the accident as 17th and Madison, not 15th.

When we spoke with the fire department spokesperson about the accident, there were two different incident numbers being tracked at the location so it appears the officer was at the scene of an aid response before the second accident occurred.

Original report: We received the following report from a neighbor.  We will update with any information we receive from the SPD and/or SFD.  

Wanted to report that this am at around 11:00 am as I was driving down Madison, at around 17th Ave. near the Madison Market I saw an accident.  There was a fire truck and a man lying in the street.  He looked like an older man with gray hair and glasses.  They were getting a stretcher ready for him.  As I drove by 5 police cars drove up.  On my drive back home at around 11:30 there were still police cars there and officers directing traffic.

Another neighbor reports that traffic is being impacted at Madison & Pine - possibly as a consequence of this accident:

FYI - Not sure what's going on, but the police are routing all traffic traveling west on Madison off at Pine. Only one lane going east is open. It's been like this for at least an hour now. Seems to be really slowing down traffic on Madison going west.

It's a 6 AM Wednesday morning debut for the latest Starbucks creation on Capitol Hill. We'll have additional coverage this morning but wanted you to get a look inside. What do you think of the new place?

Roy Street Barrista

Chairs reused from somewhere

Busy morning opening day

Interesting lighting is a must

CHS didn't attend the pre-launch media event on Tuesday night but we did get a few shots from other folks on the outside. Thanks to Aaron Brethorst for sharing this picture via Twitter .

Photo: Aaron Brethorst

And thanks to http://starbucksmelody.com for a shot from the inside at the preview.

Photo: Starbucks Melody (with permission)

Over on the article where we first posted the announcement that Roy St. Coffee and Tea was opening on Wednesday, there's a debate, um, brewing about the good and bad of corporate coffee and indie-styling . CHS goes back and forth between hostility and ignorance about Starbucks' 'Street Level Coffee' efforts. But the company seems to court the controversy with images like this:

Roy Street Coffee & Tea, originally uploaded by SlayerSeattle.

If you're looking to outsource your pie-making, two local business are offering special Thanksgiving pies.  Molly Moon's offers $15 Pumpkin Ice Cream Pies (pumpkin clove ice cream swirled into a graham cracker crust.).  You can either grab one from the freezer or call in an advance order at 206-547-5105.  Another local business Dani Cone(of Fuel Coffee fame)'s  High 5 Pies is offering Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, or Caramel Pecan 7" deep-dish pies for $12.  Contact Dani (dani at high5pie dot com) or order at one of Fuel's three locations.  Note that High 5 is offering a gluten free version of these pies.  Both Molly Moon & High 5 require that you order by close of business on Monday 11/23 - if you expect them to be ready for Thanksgiving Dinner.  As our commenters point out below, you can also be charitable in securing pie.  Lifelong Aids Alliance sells pies through Project Pie and their $25 pies are available for pickup on Tuesday and Wednesday at their 1002 East Seneca...

The Anne Bonny and Cairo have teamed up to bring you a second year of Expo:  the micro fest of film and music  and art in the micro 'hood of Sleepy Hollow/Top Pot/Summit. Expo 87 is three nights and includes two film series, more than 20 bands, and one interactive art installation.  The film series on Thursday are free; $10 will get you an all-festival pass for all events on both Friday and Saturday.

Here's my not-to-be-missed list from the lineup:

Supervideografen : A series of short animated films co-curated by Sean Pecknold;  and Pacific Open - A shorts program comprised of miscellaneous musically driven films from around the Northwest, co-curated by Christian Hansen. Free! Thursday, Cairo 7 - 10pm.

CMYK : dance pop band with a fun and bright sound. Friday, Cairo 7pm.

Seattle Band Map : a cartographic study of musical incest. This graphic illustration/chart of who has played with whom in Seattle bands looks super interesting to anyone who has at least...

A small patch of First Hill on the edge of Capitol Hill has been without power today after underground equipment failed during this morning's heavy rain. This person reported hearing a large bang before the power failed. It might be the most localized power failure we've ever reported -- those in the dark live in the area between Union and Seneca and Summit and Boren.

View 11/20 Power Outage in a larger map

According to Seattle City Light, about 267 customers will be without power until around 6:40 PM tonight when repairs are expected to be completed. 300 customers were affected by a power outage earlier this week caused by a tree branch damaging wires in north Capitol Hill.  Despite the outages, the city has come through this week's wind and rain storms mostly unscathed though the forecast calls for more rain and wind through the weekend.

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)

This might be the best e-mail tip we'll ever receive. A film crew? A new business finally open? Sex? Take it away neighbor Jeremy:

this house that's for sale at 17th and RoyNot sure this is blog-worthy, but a film crew is filming a commercial for Johnson & Johnson at . Filming is today only. Also, have you written about the new leather/sex store next to old school frozen custard? Don't think I've seen anything on the blog yet. Probably of interest to lots of folks on the hill.

Well, I think we've mentioned the opening of Doghouse Leathers' new store next to Old School Frozen Yogurt in passing here on CHS -- um, yeah, very much in passing. CHS Tweeted about it but we haven't given the opening of the new Cap Hill leather shop its due here on the news blog.

Sorry Doghouse. We're happy to see that owner Daddy Jeff is a member of the site. We'll follow up with something a little more in depth, but for now, know that upper Pike is now your source for frozen yogurt AND retailing services for "the greater Seattle Men’s Leather/Kink Community." You can also follow the action on Twitter @DogHouseLeatherSwing by the store at 1312 E Pike St. .

Oh. By the way. Here's the house from the Johnson & Johnson comercial. Watch for it on a television set near you.

Fore! Smash Putt, "a temporary mini golf course/art installation on Capitol Hill," is open for play:

Assembled inside a dingy 12th Avenue building by Rusty Oliver and a group of industrial artists who call themselves the Hazard Factory, it's 10 holes featuring crazy contraptions involving catapults, air compressors, power tools and 33-1/3 rpm turntables.

At hole No. 2, which is called "Driving Range," you can launch a ball through an air-powered machine gun toward the upturned innards of a piano: "Clang — ng-ng-ng."

At hole No. 5, "Roulette Francaise," a motorized scooter turns a platform that shoots your ball off in one of four directions — one containing a hole. (And feel free to toot the scooter's horn whenever, just for fun.)

View Larger Map

There's also beer and snacks in the Miniature Golf Apocalypse clubhouse. You can buy tickets and get more info at http://www.smashputt.com/ The playing season is a short one -- Smash Putt will only be open for play these final three weekends of November.

The Hazard...

As the Seattle Times (via the Associated Press) reported this morning, there was an early morning fire on 11th Avenue between Republican and Mercer.  We have a call in to the Seattle Fire Department for additional information:

Smoking in bed started a fire that injured two men early today in an older house that had been converted to apartments, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

Spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen says firefighters responding about 2:30 a.m. found one man in a room. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with life-threatening injuries.

She says another man who was able to get out of the house on his own also was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.

Damage is estimated at [$]20,000 to the three-story house in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Update (11/11) 2:19 pm: CHS has learned that the man who started the fire has died

Update (11/11) 2:51 pm: Line Out identifies Comet Bouncer Ben Hills as the man killed in the fire

Update (11/11) 5:08 pm: Line...

First Hill Streetcar Map, originally uploaded by Oran Viriyincy.

As we've been reporting all along, the city and Sound Transit have been pushing toward a plan to have the streetcar running between Union Station and Capitol Hill in service shortly after the 2012 apocalypse.

The two agencies made Streetcar 2013 official with this announcement released Monday:

Seattle, Sound Transit execute agreement for expedited streetcar construction

November 16 , 2009

The City of Seattle and Sound Transit are moving forward with plans to build a new streetcar line linking the city's First Hill neighborhood with Capitol Hill and the International District.

The city and Sound Transit have executed an agreement that includes an expedited construction timeline - the line is anticipated to open in 2013 instead of the 2016 completion that was earlier planned. The City of Seattle will build and operate the new line, which voters approved as part of the 2008 Sound Transit 2 ballot measure.

"This line will be the first two of 36 new miles of rail coming to our region," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who today added his signature to the agreement following recent approvals by the Sound Transit Board and Seattle City Council.

The First Hill Streetcar will serve major Seattle work centers, including Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle University and Seattle Central Community College. The line will provide easy access to the Link light rail system that opened this summer and the Capitol Hill light rail station when University Link opens in 2016.

"First Hill is home to more than 22,000 jobs and the streetcar will be a great new option for the people who live and work here," said First Hill Improvement Association Vice President Jim Erickson. "We look forward to working with the City and Sound Transit to meet the transportation needs of First Hill."

Sound Transit will cover the project's costs up to $132 million, and the city will take the lead on design, property acquisition and construction of the two-mile line connecting downtown Seattle, First Hill and the Capitol Hill light rail station. Sound Transit will cover operating costs when the line begins service.

The First Hill line will be the second modern streetcar line in Seattle following the Sound Lake Union Streetcar line which opened in December, 2008.

The City plans to begin construction in 2012. The final route will be determined as part of the environmental review process over the next two years.  The Sound Transit Board included the streetcar line in the ST 2 expansion package after determining that a previously-planned light rail station at Madison Street and Summit Avenue on First Hill would be too costly.

With the passage of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure in November 2008, light rail is targeted to reach all the way to Lynnwood, Redmond's Overlake area and the Star Lake/Redondo area near Federal Way by 2023.

Next for the process will be the public and political discussion about what route the line will take as it passes between the International District and Capitol Hill by way of First Hill.

We reported over the weekend about the preparations to open the second 'secret' Starbucks on Capitol Hill taking an odd step backward -- a worker painted over a recently completed Roy Street Coffee sign above the new shop. No matter. Starbucks says it's a go for a Wednesday opening. Here's our favorite line from the media announcement, below:

Like other new stores we’ve opened recently – 1st and Pike and University Village in Seattle, Paris Disney and Conduit Street in London, this coffeehouse is a celebration of the community’s personality and values.

Capitol Hill is just like Paris Disney. Here's the announcement:

On Wednesday, Starbucks will open our new Roy Street Coffee & Tea, inspired by Starbucks, in Seattle, WA.  In the same spirit as 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea, Roy Street Coffee & Tea is a new concept coffeehouse that reflects the local neighborhood’s values and personality and celebrates the Pacific Northwest’s coffee heritage, materials and artists.

Like other new stores we’ve opened recently – 1st and Pike and University Village in Seattle, Paris Disney and Conduit Street in London, this coffeehouse is a celebration of the community’s personality and values. Like all new Starbucks stores, whether they are Starbucks branded or the new concept stores, Roy Street Coffee & Tea uses regional materials, features the work of local artists and is designed for sustainability. We look forward to being a part of the vibrant and resurgent Broadway neighborhood when Roy Street Coffee & Tea opens on Wednesday.

We invite you to a media preview event tomorrow with Major Cohen and Liz Muller from Starbucks Global Development team as they discuss the design and construction strategies behind the new concept. As the second store in Starbucks LEED® Volume Certification pilot program (announced just last week), Tony Gail with Starbucks Environmental Impact team, will also be onsite to discuss Starbucks goal is to significantly reduce its environmental footprint through green construction, energy and water conservation, and recycling. Additionally, store manager, Jacob Webber, will be available to discuss the Roy Street Coffee & Tea’s connection to the surrounding neighborhood.

You might recall that the opening of the company's first stealth 'indie'-styled cafe on 15th Ave inspired a few shenanigans. We'll see what happens at Roy and Broadway on Wednesday morning.

You might have seen the ads on CHS -- they are our peculiar little gift to a friend leaving the neighborhood -- Bailey Coy Books has announced their final day of business will be Friday. But you'll have another chance to say goodbye. Bailey Coy is hosting its own wake party on December 3rd:

Our final day of normal sales operation will be this Friday, November 20th.

BUT...Please join us for our party/wake/auction/fundraising event that promises to be a blast!!!

For 26 years, Bailey/Coy Books served as Capitol Hill's literary hub, providing the community with a place to be amongst books, talk about literature and meet their favorite authors.

On Thursday, December 3, we're holding a wake for the store, in memory of all those years, and celebrating the customers who've walked through the doors, the authors we've hosted, the generations of books we've sold and the staff who have served us so well.

We'll also hold an auction of the memorabilia we've collected over the years.  We want to say good-bye in style - and raise some cash to help the store.

Auctioneer Laura Michalek will oversee bidding on a pair of white boxer shorts signed by David Sedaris, original cartoons out of our guestbook by Matt Groening and Lynda Barry, a poster signed by Annie Leibovitz, an original painting from the Big Fucking Hands series by Ellen Forney, signed first editions and other very special and very odd items. We'll also auction off dates with two of Capitol Hill's celebrity politicians, State Senator Ed Murray and City Councilmember Sally Clark.

Entertainment will be provided by Fuschia Foxxx and the magnificent Dina Martina.  Food and champagne will be served, all provided by local Capitol Hill eateries such as Poppy, Table 219, Charlie's and High Five Pies. Tickets are $40. We will pop the champagne open at 6 PM--the entertainment, and the auction, will begin promptly at 7.

Tickets will be available at BrownPaperTickets.com or at the door.  Space is limited - so buy early and buy often.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/90672

When CHS first walked into Roy Street Coffee and Tea this morning shortly before 7 am, the place was bustling.

See pictures of the opening here.

According to Major Cohen, Senior Project Manager and a key proponent of these "inspired by Starbucks" cafes,  the first group to arrive were the coffee nerds (our characterization - not his).  Many in the group were excited to try the Panama La Esmeralda (CHS sampled this brew and it was one of the best cups of coffee we've had in a while) and other Clover beans.  As we searched for a table, a bunch of them were excitedly discussing coffee, machinery and methods at a communal table.  The morning crowd was composed of Starbucks corporate family members (those visiting from corporate included CEO Howard Schultz ), well-to-do older couples from North Capitol Hill, curiosity seekers, I-5 shores residents and those of us in search of good coffee and free wi-fi.

Starbucks PR agency Edelman emphasized to us that this is the second LEED certified<...