Slog - Comments on Rock on, Mr. Liebowitz

Comment by Hernandez

Hernandez — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:19:59 -0800

I second your nomination of Marty Liebowitz as coolest developer in Seattle. I would love to have an apartment with a practice space in the basement - what a great idea!

Comment by Now There's An Idea!

Now There's An Idea! — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:25:24 -0800

Marty Liebowitz has the right idea. Development always occurs on the backs of artists and musicians. It's nice to see someone trying to give back rather than evict the people that helped build the profile of the neighborhood so that development would be profitable. Sounds like he has been reading Richard Florida's books.

Comment by The Artist Formerly Known As Sigourney Beaver

The Artist Formerly Known As Sigourney Beaver — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:33:06 -0800

It looks like a White Castle!

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:44:09 -0800

Is anyone else entertained that they painted the bases of those posts WHILE THEY WERE ON THE SIDEWALK?

I'm taking bets about whether the paint will still be on the sidewalk when the fence is gone.

Comment by michael strangeways

michael strangeways — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:49:25 -0800

damn you Sigourney Beaver! you beat me to the obvious punch!

Actually, it's a cross between a White Castle and a grain silo...

Comment by Postum

Postum — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:04:14 -0800

Is there an email address for Mr. Liebowitz to forward kudos to? My google skills and time are both lacking.

Comment by COMTE

COMTE — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:19:15 -0800

Tell Mr. Liebowitz to throw in some decent wing-space and a deep stage - at least 20 feet, and at least 15' high ceilings in the stage house and it sounds like a winner to me.

Comment by highfives

highfives — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:40:22 -0800

ABSOLUTELY!

that is what the central district needs. marty's kid is cool, but i'm sad to see "that house next door" go.

Comment by Cale

Cale — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:42:38 -0800

Development along MLK really needs to be taller. 6-8 stories around light rail stations should be the norm.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:43:40 -0800

Sniff. I'll miss that tan stucco wall. It's been a part of my life for more than a quarter-century. I've vomited on that QFC wall.

In real news, the Mountaineers building was an understated northwest-style gem. I saw the Ramones play there, too, in about 1982 or thereabouts. It really WILL be missed.

Comment by Meli Mel

Meli Mel — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:02:17 -0800

That big ugly green apartment building on the corner of mlk & union has been my home for over 8 years. While Marty is no doubt an awesome landlord... the fact that I need to find a new place to live and a new office for Obese Productions is..sad?

Comment by Catalina Vel-DuRay

Catalina Vel-DuRay — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:12:35 -0800

Fnarf, haven't you learned your lesson? Anything built after the war, but before 1990 (like the Mountaineer's Club), is automatically considered ugly by EVERYBODY - just EVERYBODY!

If it were some Wallingford Craftsman thing (like from the Eddy Bauer catalog), or some new thing with a vaguely Italian name and some dormers (like from the Pottery Barn catalog), we'd all be rending our garmets and writing sad poetry, but the Mountaineer's club is just ugly. The Good Taste Police told me so.

Not even beige could help it.

Comment by elswinger

elswinger — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:14:51 -0800

As someone who has recently been forced to look for low income/handicap accessible housing due to health reasons, it would be nice to find an apartment in a nice neighborhood with amenities.

oh, "And in other nudes..."? I missed the joke.

Comment by Hey wait

Hey wait — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:15:38 -0800

Hurray for Mr. Liebowitz.

His webpage: http://www.madronacompany.com/index.html

(Please don't spam him.)

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:20:07 -0800

@9 is right, but we need to build even higher than that, and zone for mixed-income residential rental apartment buildings around transit stations, with extra greenspace.

Fuck the parking spaces.

Comment by Catalina Vel-DuRay

Catalina Vel-DuRay — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:20:47 -0800

Cale Dear, MLK and light rail part company at the intersection of Rainier and MLK. That's quite a distance from E Union and MLK. If I am not mistaken, that's where the current Grocery Outlet is located.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:24:12 -0800

@10 - agreed. And it was a great place to get married in, even with the birdseed/rice limitation.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:47:40 -0800

You got married at the Mountaineers? For once I am genuinely impressed.

That rice thing is an urban legend, you know. Rice is completely harmless to birds.

Comment by Trevor

Trevor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:42:53 -0800

Define "several" and "affordable"

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:00:18 -0800

@18 - back then they took the rice thing seriously.

Comment by Tim's a high-rollah

Tim's a high-rollah — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:00:18 -0800

�The rock-and-roll kids only make 10 to 20 thousand dollars a year,� says Liebowitz.

He means YOU, Strangers.

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:07:33 -0800

people like liebowitz are good examples of why getting paid serious cash isn't a bad thing and should be encouraged. if you suck at making music go get fucking paid and support music that way.

Comment by kinaidos

kinaidos — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:08:23 -0800

The Queen Anne property going up where the Mountaineers building is seems to have a band of stone running up climber's right and a nice system of ledges and protectible cracks toward climber's left. I DO have a hammer, and a bunch of old pitons. Arriba! once they build it.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:02:46 -0800

Maybe the Roosevelt Basejumpers can help out, @23.

Comment by drunk couples skate

drunk couples skate — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:31:30 -0800

they shouldve made that qfc into a roller rink :(

Comment by Elvis

Elvis — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:46:48 -0800

The project Mr. Liebowitz is referring to is noble indeed, but as a neighbor who lives across the street, I'm not exactly 100% gaga over this proposed development. First, if you've ever spent any time in that area, you know there are no buildings over 3 stories. None. It's not a commercial district and was only rezoned as such as few years ago.

I would love to see development, but 4 stories is too high...you have folks who live in houses right there and would have their sunlight totally blocked by a 4 story building.

I do applaud Marty for ambition, but pulling it off will be a tough task in a tough economic climate.

Comment by no one

no one — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:02:25 -0800

anyone who knows the neighborhood or has looked at the website can tell you that most of the madrona groups existing buildings are ugly cheap looking buildings including that ugly 5 plex soon to be demolished, and this one so far looks to be no different
the developer may be 'cool' but his buildings suck and no one cares that these 'rock and roll' kids dress 'weird' this isn't 1950.

Comment by durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:17:07 -0800

@26

1. Uh, hello... For the neighborhood to ever meet it's zoning potential (in this case, as a 4-story mixed-use area), there's got to be a first.

2. I looks like the only ones it's going to shade are some three-floor townhouses to the west. The houses to the north are across the street, and (get this!) already shaded by trees!

I encourage you to consider selling your house to a developer and moving out of the city if 4 story construction in your neighborhood is going to be a problem for you.

Comment by durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:20:39 -0800

@27

Yes, it's true. Thanks to our design code, almost any multifamily 6 stories or less is a fugly shoebox.

Comment by Elvis

Elvis — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:33:27 -0800

actually, the code is 3 stories and the mixed use is designed for that plot and not the rest of the neighborhood. it's not like we have a ton of mixed use zoning today, it's residential.

So the neighbors to the west should pay for our hunger for density? Is 3 stories not enough?