West Seattle Blog…

41st/42nd/Alaska megaproject watch: Crane time

December 31, 2007 at 12:01 pm | In Development, West Seattle news | 12 Comments

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed to say the crane equipment has arrived at the QFC/Office Depot megaproject site in The Junction. WSB contributing photographer Christopher Boffoli took the above photos from the 9th floor of Alaska House (the ex-Huling/Gee land and Fire Station 32 are in the background). Christopher also reports that there’s a traffic alert in connection with this: “41st St SW is closed between Alaska and Oregon. 42nd SW is open but electricians are working on the west side of the site and have the sidewalk closed.” Another of his photos:

More info from Christopher: “It looks like they’ve poured a large footing in the very bottom and middle of the building site to which they are attaching a crane in sections. It looks like this large, yellow crane will be a fixture on the West Seattle skyline for the foreseeable future. Workers erecting the crane told me that it will be 140 feet high when completed.” Three more photos ahead from different perspectives:

Here’s one more cool view from Christopher:

This one is from nearby resident Adree-Rose Hollinger (thank you!):

And Jeremy at Jefferson Square sent the new view from his living-room window:

If you’re catching up on what this project is all about — it’s going to include apartments and retail (anchored by a QFC and Office Depot), and we have chronicled it in multiple reports over the past year – including: November excavation update, September banner update, final Design Review Board meeting in June.

12 Comments

1. YAY! Construction noise AND traffic. What a great New Years present.

   Comment by JohnM — December 31, 07 2:38 pm #

2. Cranes are cool.

   I find the whole ‘design review board’ thing fascinating..How can they nitpick the living crap out of the Whole Foods project for over a year, yet the Hideous TrueValue Condos and the Orange Box from Hell across from Pet Elements went up seamingly over night?

   Comment by grr — December 31, 07 2:45 pm #

3. NO THANK YOU…Christopher is on the 9th floor and looking out at those two guys climbing on the frame??!! Couldn’t pay me enough to do that job.

   Comment by GenHillOne — December 31, 07 3:02 pm #

4. Somebody should give a camera to the crane operator(s). Those would be some cool pix. Or better yet, set up a Web cam up there!

   Comment by Bob Loblaw — December 31, 07 3:06 pm #

5. I think nearby resident Adree-Rose Hollinger should set up a webcam from her bedroom window. She seems to be an avid West Seattle blogger. Wow, that would really suck to have your bedroom window face that construction. Too bad her super cool roommate got the better room…

   Comment by Vern Peabody — December 31, 07 3:16 pm #

6. We should aim the webcam at the Short Stop to see who’s buying those adult DVD’s. . . . .on second thought, maybe not. . . .

   Comment by Blob Lableaux — December 31, 07 3:18 pm #

7. I have taken a few more shots here.

   Comment by Jonathan Martin — December 31, 07 4:19 pm #

8. Just make sure that thing doesn’t come crashing down on my head.

   Comment by Jiggers — December 31, 07 4:46 pm #

9. What? There are adult DVD’s at Short Stop? Why am I learning of this AFTER Christmas shopping is over?

   Comment by Bob Loblaw — December 31, 07 4:47 pm #

10. That’s one tall crane! How many stories is this mega-project supposed to be?

    Comment by Admiral Janeway — December 31, 07 6:00 pm #

11. The height will vary because this is on two parcels with different zoning – but in general (we went back to find city documents from earlier this year for reference), seven stories.

    Comment by WSB — December 31, 07 9:40 pm #

12. The little boy in me loves watching these cranes. Are there any published plans on the internet of this project? I’ve seen the drawings of the new Whole Foods/Hancock but not the new QFC.

    Comment by Michael Marks — January 2, 08 6:17 pm #

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