By reporter Steven Smalley
Lots of questions about the status of the building and proposed new construction on 32nd Avenue West next to Ace Hardware and U.S. Bank. Plans are in the works for a 36,000 sq. ft., 4-story apartment building with ground floor retail space and underground parking. The architectural firm of Roger H. Newell is handling the approval process with the City of Seattle for property owner, Terry Yoshikawa. A staff member at Newell spoke with Magnolia Voice to explain the process and some of the expected outcomes. Plenty of good news to report. The Design Review with the city is complete. Now the firm is ready to submit plans for the building permit. The review process will take a few months. Construction could begin this spring. Keep your fingers crossed.
Well….looks like this has already been tagged also. Magnolia kind of feels like Beacon Hill lately.
Beacon Hill? Really? Seriously?
Get a grip. Graffiti is a problem in Magnolia. That’s it. Ok include the occasional robberies, car break ins, magazine sales, and package thefts. Even complaints about speedy drivers here don’t compare to what taxpaying, law abiding folks have to put up with on Beacon. They face muggings, purse/phone snatches, assaults by busy bus stops, light rail station, and food bank on a daily basis. The concerns aren’t over getting a walking school bus started, it’s getting kids to school and back home safely while facing a gauntlet of real thugs and violence.
I say be thankful.
Milton, I would expect a little graffiti on a property that has been vacant for close to 20 years since the Village Pub decamped to McGraw. It’s high time that something is done with this property.
The city requires retail space on the ground floor before they allow someone to build apartments. Rent in Magnolia is far lower than Ballard because so few people do any substative shopping in the Village. So more vacant stores to match the other vacant places? So interesting because most of our incomes allow us to buy what we wish… online. I have lived in Magnolia 10 year as and never shopped for anything here. Too bad the quality of our restaurants is so low.(I don’t eat at the Pub). We all eat elsewhere for the most part. Tanglewood is great… but I meet my friends somewhere else to eat generally. So with Mieko vacant for 6 years and the only real businesses that are thriving being pharmacies, drycleaners and banks… do we have more empty storefronts ready for tagging to accompany the traffic from the apartment renters?
I lived here 15 years and would love to have affordable eateries like Paseo or a good authentic ramen/noodle house. But alas, pub/pizza/hamburger joints are favorites here. So I fight traffic and head out of Magnolia when I rather stay put 🙁
The post office and bank are the only places I go to in the village. It’s a pity because I love to walk from home and wander a bit. Instead I walk (or bike with my family) across the locks to Ballard and meet up with friends to shop or take in a movie and eat and drink.
How about a greenmarket so we could get fresh, local produce (like at the Saturday Farmer’s Market) every day, all year round? That would bring me into the village. And it would put the nearby Albertson’s to shame and, hopefully, out of business!
I love going to the village, especially for the bookstore, Bartell’s, and Nifty Toy and Gift. For new retail, the idea of a greenmarket is a great one (although I have nothing against Albertson’s), or a mid-price non-Italian restaurant. For the latter, I’d love to see a good Chinese restaurant, a bagel bakery, a noodle shop, or Indian restaurant.