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Thursday, December 11, 2008

City / Breaking News Even More Business Leaders Against Chopp Option

Posted by Erica C. Barnett on Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 1:15 PM

Rarely have so many business leaders been aligned with both the majority of the Seattle City Council AND the environmental community: Today, five more downtown developers will come out against Frank Chopp's waterfront tunnel-in-the-sky (which they're calling the "elevated park-office-shopping mall option.") Ada Healey from Vulcan, Frank Stagen from Nitze Stagen, Greg Smith of Urban Visions, John Goodman of Goodman Real Estate, and Matt Griffin from the Pine Street Group will join nine other major developers and the Downtown Seattle Association in opposing the costly, unfunded waterfront highway.

In a statement, Griffin said: "Retail isn’t about just creating space; it’s essential to create the right space in the right location. You can argue the 100 percent retail corner in Downtown Seattle is Sixth and Pine, or Fifth and Pine, but once you get more than a couple of blocks from there it’s tough to survive,” said Griffin, managing partner of Pine Street Group, LLC."

Given that Chopp is relying on developers to move underneath and pretty up his fanciful elevated highway (paying extra taxes for the privilege), one wonders: Just which developers does he expect to attract, now that virtually the entire downtown development establishment has roundly rejected his proposal?

Comments (13) RSS

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How does the guy representing the most liberal district in the state come up with this shit?

Posted by pragmatic on December 11, 2008 at 1:29 PM

So long as they kill all the tunnel options, I'll be happy.

Posted by Will in Seattle on December 11, 2008 at 1:40 PM

Thank the saints...just because somebody is "one of the most powerful politicians in the state," doesn't mean their half-baked and very easily argued stupid idea should be disproportionately respected.

And what #1 said, wtf?

Posted by derek on December 11, 2008 at 2:01 PM

if the Chopp option emerges after all this, it will truly demonstrate that Seattle leadership has zero cajones (i.e. it will likely emerge as the front runner)

Posted by ho' know on December 11, 2008 at 2:03 PM

maybe the 160' zoning down there is attractive to the those scuzzy developers. funny ecb you hate on what those guys do and stand for except this -

for example Griffen has opposed all rail in town - vulcan's slu towers etc.

Posted by McG on December 11, 2008 at 2:05 PM

Once again, I marvel at the disordered thinking that lead Mr. Chopp to advocate this bastard idea with no visual appeal, no street appeal, no brains, and no funding.

Posted by Simac on December 11, 2008 at 2:16 PM

wtf, do you expect downtown property owners to support city-funded retail property built nearby? their (lying) statement that the chopp retail property wouldn't survive is obviously untrue -- are the businesses in pike place market, university village, capitol hill, the ave, aurora, northgate, etc going out of business?

winners with the chopp deal:
- consumers (more variety)
- retailers (more options, cheaper space)
- pedestrians/bikers (no larger roads downtown, easy access to the waterfront)
- public space advocates (a public park on the waterfront, something no other option provides)
- freight/commuters (no pedestrians and bikers going through the surface highway option)
- environment (no widened I-5 or widened streets downtown)

losers with the chopp deal:
- downtown property owners (more competition)

is erica trying to get a job with kemper freeman or vulcan? i see absolutely no other reason why she would be opposed to this plan.

Posted by ecb is the new david postman on December 11, 2008 at 2:32 PM

How come when business owners lined up against Tim Burgess that somehow made Reuven Carlyle a bad man? Remember that, Erica? I distinctly remember being told that if these developers support you that you must have something wrong with you. But now the rules have changed, for some reason.

Posted by elenchos on December 11, 2008 at 2:52 PM

@8: I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. We endorsed Burgess and Carlyle; plus, your comment makes no sense.

Posted by ECB on December 11, 2008 at 3:11 PM

Erica, how many slog posts did you make about the BIAW's support of Carlyle? A rough count from Google says 18. You harped on that for weeks.

I guess I could sit down and go through every one of your posts on the subject and we could parse your precise meaning, but is that necessary? Are you claiming that you don't habitually use business and developer support as a bludgeon? When convenient.

Posted by elenchos on December 11, 2008 at 3:21 PM

The Great Wall of Chopp is the dumbest idea to come down the pike so far. Is it any wonder nobody likes it? Go with a tunnel-surface option and get on with it.

Posted by crazycatguy on December 11, 2008 at 4:41 PM