Parts of Western Washington have already received over an inch of rain today, and a wetter week is forecast for the first week of June. Anchorage is currently 10 degrees warmer than Seattle. Forecasters agree that if we’re going to have one good day this weekend, it’ll be Sunday, so be prepared. In the meantime, here’s a reminder that September can really nice.
I keep running into people who haven’t heard that the “bridge” from the University District down to the University Village is closing all summer for retrofitting, so it’s good news that SDOT is ramping up its publicity campaign.
They’re holding a Pre-Closure Open House on Wednesday, June 9, from 4-7 p.m. at the University Heights Community Center (5031 University Way NE).
The viaduct will be closed to all traffic, bicycles, and pedestrians from June 14 to September 10, 2010. Work will be seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. SDOT’s information page on the NE 45th Street Viaduct closure and detour routes is here. “SDOT is still considering how to direct regional traffic on Interstate‐5 trying to reach specific destinations such as Seattle Children’s Hospital, the University of Washington or University Village.”
They’ve updated the detour maps so that they’re larger and easier to read (pdf of bus/bike routes).The #25 bus that used to use the viaduct will detour south through the UW, to the NE Campus Parkway Transit Hub. The Burke-Gilman trail should be open and unaffected by construction.
Traffic modeling suggests that peak time congestion will be as bad as–but not worse–than when the UW is in full session. Area residents who pledge to cut two car trips per week can receive a set of 10 bus tickets. You need to sign up for this in person at project outreach events, like the Open House.
You can also get $75 of free Zipcar use if you join up (promo code SEAMOVING2010). I’m a member, but this doesn’t make that much sense to me; the last thing I want when driving a Zipcar is to run into construction and detour delays. That late fee is a killer.
GRAB THE BALL! GRAB IT!
Note: Today’s Sports Shot made possible by the free wi-fi at SeaTac. Attn: Port Commissioners! You can take all the bribes you want as long as you keep giving us free airport wi-fi.
Oklahoma 6, Husky Softball 1 [box]
Danielle Lawrie picked a bad time for the worst start of her season–the reigning Nat’l POY allowed five homers, three to this 5’4″ chick, and UW dropped the first game of their best-of-three super regional. The Dawgs offense wasn’t much better, getting just two hits. The Huskies now must beat Oklahoma twice today, at 5:30 (ESPNU) and again at 8 p.m. (ESPN2, if nec.), if they are to advance to the College World Series.
Chicago 84, Storm 75 [box]
The Storm lose their first of the year, once again falling behind double-digits in the second half. They couldn’t come back from this one, though. The Sky shot nearly 50 percent against a porous Storm defense. Storm 4-1, first place West. Conf. Next game Sunday @ San Antonio.
Lakers’ Win Stirs Bad Memories
Friend David texted me after Artest’s putback: “What was Femerling doing on the court?” (If you don’t get the reference, trust me, you’re better off.)
HEY! Just saw Pete Carroll walking by down here at “The Sports Page” near the Alaska D gates. Striding purposefully, wheeling a black rollybag behind him. SPORTS!
Good luck sleeping tonight. (Photo by Slightlynorth from our Flickr pool).
Good luck sleeping tonight. (Photo by Slightlynorth from our Flickr pool).
Earlier this week I was up at Northgate, and decided to drop in at the Thornton Place complex for the first time. I’ve been interested in the area ever since Seattle Public Utilities mounted a restoration project for Thornton Creek, which, fed by over 11 square acres, drains into Lake Washington. In former days, the creek had salmon and trout.
The creek has been daylighted, and its banks are coating themselves with greenery, but Thornton Place remains caught between the future its developers (Stellar and Lorig) hoped for and the recessionary one that appeared.
While apartments are renting, some 20 of the condos, which were not selling like hotcakes in the cooling housing market, developed a settling problem that was announced in early April 2010. Today, the 109 condos sit there, empty, aging, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. They’re not Lorig’s only problem.
In the meantime, Stellar is still looking for commercial clients for its retail space in the complex–they’d love a brewpub, and are considering hosting a farmer’s market. And it’s not precisely a ghost town: Regal Thornton Place, notes the Seattle Times, is raking in $17.50 per ticket for Shrek 3-D in IMAX.
But there’s no denying the feeling you’ve stumbled onto the set of Life After People when you walk, all by yourself, down the promenade, to your right a revitalized creek pooling and tumbling over rocks, and to your left bare granite-top counters, one after another. Sooner or later, something’s got to give.
