BIZNOTE: West Seattle’s smallest for-lease commercial site

Apparently Bank of America isn’t planning to repair and reactivate its standalone ATM in Morgan Junction in the wake of last October’s destructive theft attempt. The paved pad where it’s stood for a decade, just west of the north side of West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), is up for lease. We noticed it while browsing commercial listings, which pointed to this glossy brochure (cover image below), touting the 100-sf site as a “high-visibility single-tenant pad.”

(Cover page of brochure for ex-ATM site)

As we reported in October, the would-be thieves who shut down the ATM tried to get into it with a “Jaws of Life” type of tool stolen from the fire district that serves communities including White Center and Burien.

jason January 2, 2024 (12:05 am)

No big loss really re: ATM

Solveig January 2, 2024 (7:03 pm)

It depends. BofA was going to remove our ATM on Vashon. They had closed our branch a number of years ago.

Kt January 2, 2024 (5:18 am)

With all of the empty retail spaces in the City, retail tenants might want to start negotiating for Landlords to provide enhanced security features in the leased space (bars on doors, windows, bright motion detector lights, etc) for new leases.

Mr J January 2, 2024 (9:14 am)

I’m assuming you’ve never had a lease negotiation in this City. I don’t mean that in a mean way, most of the open retail space is owned by giant companies that would rather see it empty and take the tax write off than actually come to the table and improve security or demise the spaces to accommodate smaller tenants. The brokerages that they use (looking at you Gibraltar) will often support the landlord even if they are your broker. There are smaller landlords that are way easier to deal with but few and far between.I know Harrel and his Henchmen/women would never do this, but the City should be taxing empty retail space enough to where it hurts the Landlord for keeping it empty.
- Also A Mr J But Different Guy January 2, 2024 (4:07 pm)
  
  We desperately need vacancy taxes.
  - Not Mr J January 2, 2024 (6:42 pm)
    
    Agreed. I will vote for anyone running on a platform of vacancy taxes. I’d be in favor of it extending to certain residential properties as well (targeting larger landlords and chronically vacant properties).
- Kt January 3, 2024 (6:17 am)
  
  Actually I work for a company that negotiates retail leases and we have asked for these security concessions and gotten them.

CarDriver January 2, 2024 (6:02 am)

Pickleball court!!!!

Mellow Kitty January 2, 2024 (6:49 am)

That spot will be leased at 15k a month. To reflect current market prices, as my landlord says.

Bernadette January 2, 2024 (12:12 pm)

Did I read your text correctly regarding the lease of the 100 sq foot parking lot space? You said 15k per month?
- Mellow Kitty January 2, 2024 (5:21 pm)
  
  Yes. It’s a joke.

James January 2, 2024 (6:55 am)

The space should be leased by Amazon for its lockers: the yellow color would provide necessary visibility for distracted or visually impaired drivers, and customers could retrieve their packages from a secure location without having to worry about package thieves.

Admyrl Byrd January 2, 2024 (8:55 am)

Package thieves everywhere are saying “hold my beer”.

Adam January 2, 2024 (7:28 am)

It is for me. Strange comment, unless I accidentally clicked on the Jason-only Blog.

amandac January 2, 2024 (2:58 pm)

That is a really funny comment. Thank you for the chuckle. I also used that ATM.

Brian January 2, 2024 (7:46 am)

I would like to lease it as an inhabitable information console from which I can dispense useful west Seattle information at passersby.

Yma January 2, 2024 (8:53 am)

AWESOME!can I have second shift? I want to dispense random Seattle history & the occasional flower.
Admyrl Byrd January 2, 2024 (8:57 am)

Reminds me of the Human Juke Box that used to be in San Francisco. Other possibilities – a Lucy Van Pelt psychology center….a Zoltan fortune telling booth….

admyrl byrd January 2, 2024 (8:57 am)

“This is why we can’t have nice things”

WS4Life January 2, 2024 (12:23 pm)

How about just turning it into a parking space?

WSresident January 2, 2024 (1:47 pm)

That you pay for?

Roddy3 January 2, 2024 (12:56 pm)

Cashless January 2, 2024 (1:00 pm)

To my knowledge the only other ATM nearby is at the gas station there. The one inside Thriftway is gone as is the bank across the street. Inconvenient. Wish Thriftway would install a new one.

josh January 2, 2024 (2:24 pm)

BECU has a fee free stand alone ATM just 200 hundred feet from this one.

Hungry Pilgrim January 2, 2024 (1:44 pm)

How about turning it into a cannabis dispensing machine site? https://www.digitalmediavending.com/buy-vending-machines-for-sale/custom-vending-machine-design/cannabis-vending-machines/ 

Brian January 2, 2024 (3:15 pm)

100% chance it gets ripped out of the ground by a truck within a week of installation.

Jeff January 2, 2024 (1:59 pm)

I don’t like things that cater to car culture so this is no loss for me and I think it keeps less unneeded drivers on the road

WSB January 2, 2024 (7:55 pm)

It wasn’t a drive-up ATM. If anything, I’d consider it more pedestrian-focused, in an area with a fair amount of multi-family housing nearby, and continuing to densify because of the HALA MHA upzoning. Also a stone’s throw from the RapidRide stops at California/Fauntleroy.
Wseattleite January 3, 2024 (4:49 pm)

Car culture? A walk up ATM nearby many local restaurants. bars, and stores in a residential neighborhood? Do you research before you spew your virtue out for public consumption.