Slog - Comments on Mass Market Food and Architecture http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture Tonight brings us design meetings for two north Seattle developments. New Pinehurst Safeway Dykeman Architects, designers of the Capitol Hill Safeway and the Redmond PCC, has submitted plans to demolish an old Safeway and replace it with a shiny new Safeway. Jonah has a great piece on the controversy around it over here. The proposal is for a 50,000 square feet, one-story commercial building with a parking lot for 200 vehicles. The developer is also asking the city to rezone a portion of the site. Here’s the old guy. Here’s how the new babe would sit on the lot. In... Copyright 2008 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:25:37 -0800 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:17:10 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Greg Didn't they just redo the interior of the 125th Safeway? I am at a loss to understand what the point of this redevelopment is.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971887 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971887 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:30:21 -0800 Comment by Pinehurst The Pinehurst Safeway is being redeveloped as a "green" and hopefully LEED certified store. The current store, built in the mid-1960s, is too small and very outdated. There is more information on the project at: http://pinehurstcommunity.blogspot.com/search/label/Safeway%20%28current%29

]]> Pinehurst http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971910 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971910 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:45:59 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Well, it's almost twice as big, it looks like. Is that enough of a gain for such a huge cost? I dunno. As urban planning, it's a total joke; that "pedestrian facade" means nothing, and calling that a "plaza" is a true abortion of language. It still presents mostly surface parking to the important streets; and since the entry is on the parking lot side, the street side becomes the only thing more offensive to urban living than surface parking: a blank wall.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971918 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971918 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:49:53 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 ooo, I live on 85th and 23rd, and i could really use a coffee shop. please be an independent one (not holding my breath) still anything will be nicer than an empty parking lot for a vinyl company and an ugly modeling agency

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971944 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971944 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:04:01 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe Density rocks.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971954 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971954 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:07:22 -0800 Comment by dpa more excellent work by the foremost chronicler of seattle development. and no, the pun was not intentional.

]]> dpa http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971970 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c971970 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:13:22 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Too short.

Density rocks.

Build it ... taller.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972010 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972010 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:31:40 -0800 Comment by Finishtag Driscoll is not a developer. They are, as their name implies, an architecture firm.

The sucky thing about the Safeway on 15th East and East John is that the pedestrian entrance, while on the street, is only open until the evening. So if you are a pedestrian coming from the east, as most pedestrians are, you have to go ALL THE WAY AROUND to the parking lot. At night. Also the John Street facade, while right against the sidewalk (go urbanism!) is ugly as sin.

]]> Finishtag http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972025 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972025 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:40:36 -0800 Comment by max solomon look out, adjacent trailer park - you are not long for this world.

you're going to be Driscollized! yawn!

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972037 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972037 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:47:53 -0800 Comment by max solomon oh, and please note:

at the north edge of the Driscoll site is Talents West's tiny building, AKA the Colacurcio's stripper-licensing agency.

Landmarks Board, get on it!

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972049 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972049 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:51:31 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 @10 Italian parking only

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972075 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972075 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:02:56 -0800 Comment by Cascadian Fnarf's right. The Safeway not only retains a horrible parking lot (and even enlarges it), it adds nothing for pedestrians but a blank wall.

The parking should be underground or at least in a garage structure with a smaller footprint. There needs to be street-level retail and other amenities on all sides (or at least regular pedestrian entryways from all surrounding sidewalks) so that it's not at war with pedestrians. As it is, this is a blight that might improve the interior of the store but actually worsens the neighborhood.

]]> Cascadian http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972205 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972205 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:53:54 -0800 Comment by greg How many LEED points for taking out that many grown trees?

Driscoll's not an architecture firm, it's a CAD bog.

]]> greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972441 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972441 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:36:42 -0800 Comment by holz driscoll is a phenomenal architect, greg. i don't know what you are talking about. he's the next zumthor. damn, there is a reason he only lets you see 3 projects on his website... he knows you'll only copy his masterpieces.


the safeway should have to front the entire lot. so what if that means the building is only 40' wide. fuck, do something interesting and innovative, d-bags!

]]> holz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972475 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972475 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:05:47 -0800 Comment by Henry Miller Lite Prior bloviations on this topic here:

http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/03/09/ban-big-box/

]]> Henry Miller Lite http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972495 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/mass_market_food_and_architecture#c972495 Boom Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:17:10 -0800