Housing, development, preservation and heavy industry in Seattle- are they all really mutually exclusive?
Seattle's growth pains seem to have erupted recently along the south end of the city. On July 19, the Seattle Times carried a story regarding the preservation vs. development of the Seattle Plumbing Building in Pioneer Square ("Pioneer Square: history vs. renewal"), and on July 20, followed with an article about proposed re-development in SODO, and it's threat to the areas "grimy" past ("One buyer, 40 acres: a quiet revolution in Sodo").
I'd recommend that you read both of these, because they paint an interesting picture about how Seattle is struggling to adapt to the growth and change happening in our region.
I understand the value of history, preservation and honoring our city's character where it makes sense- who wants to live in a "McCity" where architecture is sterile and planning is just whimsical enough to make daily living difficult for residents. What I don't get is the attraction unused, unsightly buildings in deteriorating neighborhoods just because we can look at them and "imagine horse-drawn wagons [..] in 1903" (I'm not kidding, this is an actual quote in the article), nor do I understand the nostalgia of "a grimy bit of Seattle's past" (again, not kidding, losing this is the concern of the July 20 SODO article).
The fact is- change is happening here, and we can't stop it from happening. As a whole, it's a good thing, because it means we can work, play and live in a vibrant city that has a huge degree of natural beauty and cultural opportunities. The problem is, a lot of our leaders and some of our citizens would rather ignore this fact and live in a romanticized past where today's tough issues don't exist if we just wish them away.
But I think we can meet the needs of preservation, housing demand, transportation, industry and development if we stop trying to see everything as a zero sum equation- that is, the "if we value preservation we can't allow development" kind of thinking. It may seem naïve thinking, but it's actually quite practical when you look at the details of the issues.
Pioneer Square- the heart of the Preservation issue
The demand for new housing will inevitably impact how Pioneer Square looks and feels. It's in the city, there are a lot of opportunities to re-deploy buildings and land to include residential and mixed-use projects, and the stadium developments have already led a broader commercial and residential renaissance in the neighborhood. Together with the historic architecture and its place as the "root" of our city, it has loads of promise as an example of urban renewal. There is still a lot to improve, however. Crime in the area remains stubbornly high, and homeless people sleep, drink and defecate in the public parks there.
As a Property Manager, one of the most common calls I get from perspective residents are for "family friendly" areas and buildings in the city where young couples can raise their kids and take advantage of the cultural jewels of Seattle. Pioneer Square, with the sports teams and beautiful stadiums and new condominium developments, is still not family friendly. And preserving more empty buildings to keep them from being improved for new housing won't make it so. What's needed is a concerted effort to keep neighborhood architecture and character a strong part of development and to preserve/re-model existing buildings of significance when possible- along with an equally concerted effort to clean up the area, reduce the crime, and increase the curb appeal of the neighborhood as a whole.
Where preservation is a need, we should begin with the principle of good urban design and best practices that have proven to be effective. Rehabilitate existing or build new multi-use buildings that preserve the charm of yesterdays pioneer square in style and feel, but include today's technology for working families- rooftop garden decks, underground parking, green spaces and playgrounds. When we can safely and confidently walk our children down through Pioneer Square at 7pm on a summer evening to admire the history and architecture of the neighborhood and enjoy the art galleries without avoiding Occidental Park or clutching our mace along Yesler Street- then it will be family friendly.
SODO- industrial sprawl vs. highest and best uses.
Take the training wheels off, Seattle - we are in for a real ride to the top. Bravo to Henry Liebman for trying to make changes to a part of the city that is quiet frankly a bit of a wasteland, with as many empty and unused buildings as those with functional uses. Reading the article on the issue, you'd think that he's trying to lay waste to a bustling industrial hub between Safeco field and the West Seattle Viaduct. Driving through the area, down 1st, 4th and 6th Ave South, however, there are a handful of industrial businesses, a lot of really great retail players such as "Rejuve" (fixtures and building materials), and even more empty, unused or underused buildings.
Those who see the issue of redevelopment in the area as a losing proposition, quoted in the Times article, "You'd lose a portion of the city's backbone... you'd lose a work ethic and a roll-up-your-sleeve mentality and family-wage jobs"- are missing the point entirely. Re-development isn't a threat to the port or blue collar jobs- but it is aimed at achieving the highest and best use of that land for the citizens of Seattle.
Without a doubt we need to support a robust port and industrial base for the region, but "blue collar" doesn't have to mean "grimy", and re-development doesn't have to be a zero-sum equation for either industry or private development interests. Both Long Beach (CA) and Portland are examples where port/industrial and city/private development needs have been planned to co-exist very well, and in fact achieve huge synergies, in which freight and goods movement, environmental stewardship, and private development are national models of success.
Our Property Management Company, RD House Real Estate and Property Management, has seen the direct impacts of Seattle's top ranking of the Best Cities for Young Professionals- we get many calls from these types who are moving to Seattle to pursue their careers. They want to live and work in the city, they want vibrant art and cultural opportunities, and they want a robust nighlife scene. That's all well and good, but where is Seattle going to continue to fit the businesses that continue to hire these professionals? Unless we want them to become a growing army of commuters from Seattle to the Eastside, Kent and Renton, we need to explore development opportunities within or adjacent to the city, and SODO is a prime example.
Driving by the new RTA stations in SODO is a clear clean picture of the future for live/work/transit in the area, so why stop that ball rolling before it begins by trying to "preserve" a "grimy bit of Seattle's past" that could be moved to operate farther south along the Duwamish corridor. In fact, the 509 and 599 freeways would be much more effective for movement of freight and commercial transport outbound from the port (have you ever attempted to navigate the endless lumbering line of semi-trucks on Spokane Street or the West Seattle Viaduct headed toward I-5 on weekday mornings?), and are only about a mile south of the current routes used along Spokane St and the West Seattle viaduct. Perhaps we should look at all the misused land that exists from Burien to SODO- think of the wasted opportunity for jobs that could increase families wages by re-allocating that area as a true industrial core for our city, using the two existing major arterials to transport goods into and out of the port, and use the waterways for future port development, supported by a vibrant mixed use and retail development within SODO to include housing for the workers in these businesses . By re-aligning these land uses to support the needs of both groups (port and related industry, as well as mixed use business park and residential), we could better meet the all of these needs, and the increased tax revenue on the business and property values could be used for badly needed municipal services like fire and police that we so greatly need for our city.
Conclusion
Growth is happening, and we shouldn't be starving off progress for fear of change- we should be accepting change and actively working to see that it's managed in a way that best meets all the needs of our region and our residents- building live-work centers beautifies our city streets and makes a lot of good sense, as does creating a broad base for industrial use. Let's don't misuse our vital land for "grimy fingernails", let's design and build a true core industrial park that works for the people and the commerce. Rather than wistfully remember some past fantasy of an empty unattractive building, let's bring that history forward with style and architecture, and add functionality, livability and safety to it to make it even better than it was.
Let's embrace the future, not grasp at the past.
Ricky D Sadler
Broker/Senior Property Manager
RD House Real Estate & Property Management
www.rd-house.com
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