Boom New Queen Anne QFC Plan
The planned transformation of Queen Anne’s beloved little Metropolitan Market into a city block size QFC has gotten tons of media coverage — mostly due to the persistent and vociferous anger expressed by the Queen Anne Neighbors for Responsible Growth, who aren’t letting their corner specialty foods store go without a fight. In addition to saying that the QFC will create a less pedestrian-centered village and replace a small local business with a “gigantic” chain store, the neighborhood group takes issue with the destruction of an apartment building and two homes to make room for the planned 35,000 square foot grocery.
A new development in the dramalicious project, though, has as of yet gone unreported:
In response to this community hostility, the developers have changed their plans for the four-story building. The new plans will be presented at a community meeting next Monday that QANRG member Audrey Wennblom promises will be “bulging with people who have concerns.”
The old design positioned retail and parking above the first-floor QFC, the new plan replaces this second floor retail and parking with apartment units — 55 of em! — on the top three floors and places at least 158 parking spots underground.
And now, some context. Here’s the site (in dignified, classic black and white):
The architect is required to submit three different design proposals for the building and I’ll post about the differences of all the designs after we hear from the developers and the community on Monday. Style-wise, they all look pretty much like this:
While QANRG members say the replacement of lost living space is an improvement, it doesn’t fix their root complaint of wanting to keep the little market in and the big QFC out. “This is radically different,” said member Kirk Robinson, “but not radically different enough.”
What the feisty neighbors hope now is that QFC will for some reason decide to get out of its lease… or even if the project goes through, to have sent a direct message to the city and developers about the ferocity with which the neighborhood will cling to its local businesses. The group plans to make the development process as costly as possible for QFC, via the land use lawyer they’ve hired.
“We want them to reconsider. Period,” says member Nancie Kosnoff.
Check out the meeting: Monday at 7pm in Bethany Presbyterian Church on Queen Anne Ave.
Don't be fooled. This isn't about a plucky neighborhood fighting an evil outsider to keep thier local business. This is about a group of well-heeled elitists who want to keep YOU out of their neighborhood. They have theirs - and now everyone can just fuck off! Here's a novel idea - if you don't want the QFC in your neighborhood, don't shop there. I guarantee that QFC did their research and found that thousands and thousands of people DO want to shop there. What gives you the right to take that opportunity away from them??
This is more of the old "natives first" thinking that has kept Seattle a second-class city throughout it's history (which is just the way they like it). I sincerely hope (for the sake of us all) that this is one of the last examples of such insular, backwards thinking. Eventually the tide will turn and us "newbies" (people who have moved here since 1980!) will make up the majority. It shall be strip clubs and QFCs galore...