Nobody who passes the festering pit at the corner of 40th and Stone Way can help but wonder what is going on (and even to feel a bit wistful for the Safeway that once stood there, dilapidated as it was at the end). So what’s going on? Does reader Cammi have the right idea: mega-swimming pool?
No such luck. The Seattle Times has a good brief history of the hole, leading to the existing plan for
a single structure that blends five distinct sections and facades — a creative design that [owner of Prescott Development Carl] Pollard describes as a “bellwether building.”
Unfortunately, things are not going well. Matt, a close neighbor of the building and neighborhood activist, contacted Mike Derr at Prescott to get the latest:
In a nutshell, we are on hold. The longer story is more frustrating, in that we received the MUP approval (with a little help from you by the way) in early Nov and the very next week our construction lender (Bank of America) made a “Policy Change” (aka stab to the heart) that dramatically changed the financing requirements, effectively shutting off the project just as it was about to start. It isn’t dead by any means, but we are forced to seek additional financing in a very poor credit environment so it will take some time to find the pieces we need. I hope we can be a bellweather project for the rest of the economy because this should be the type of project that will be a very attractive investment when the credit market pulls its collective head out of the sand.
So, in the meantime…swimming pool?
I vote for a pool and community center.
Let’s shoot for more than just a pool – think Giant Wave Pool. Surf Wallingford!
How about just a good grocery store? QFC isn’t my favorite, but a bigger QFC would be better than the teeny one we have on 45th. It’s especially ironic that the proposed Metropolitan Market at the old VitaRich dairy near Green Lake is another festering hole. I’m sorry — we have to go way too far to the nearest alternate grocery store.
I vote gigantic ball pit!
Kidding aside: let’s take all the dirt they’re hauling from Hamilton and fill it back in. We could make it a p-patch.
another reason why you all should shop somewhere else. they don’t give a shit about our neighborhood. thx for destroying our community qfc.
Giant wave pool! Make it break right, and headhigh.