Thanks to Iris for the photo and report:
Sharing that our house has brown water running from all faucets in South Delridge. Curious if others have reported the same?
No emergencies on the Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map, so it could be hydrant testing … nonetheless, discolored water should always be reported to SPU’s 24/7 hotline, 206-386-1800.
Two years after having West Seattle’s first ceremonial apartment-development groundbreaking in eight years, the partnership of STS Construction Services (WSB sponsor) and Housing Diversity Corporation had another one today. This time, the project is already under way, but they decided to take a few minutes to celebrate anyway. The project they heralded in 2022, at 3405 Harbor Avenue SW, is almost complete; this one is at 9201 Delridge Way SW, and its foundation is taking shape.
The five-story building is going up on a former auto-shop site on the south side of Delridge/20th/Barton; on the north side, STS already has two properties, Blue Stone and Livingstone, both mixed use – the early-learning facility Bella Mente is in Blue Stone, while STS’s company headquarters are in Livingstone. The new project, Keystone, will have 4,000 square feet of commercial space as well as 74 apartments. All speakers at today’s ceremony talked about the challenges of getting a project going amid a difficult financing environment; STS Construction’s Craig Haveson said he and his wife Mara Haveson first invested in the area 17 years ago, and he’s always believed in its potential.
His parents Rena and Paul, wife Mara, and kids Scarlett and Colton were there to join in the celebration, including the ceremonial shovel-turning:
Speakers also included Housing Diversity CEO Brad Padden, who has built more than 2,800 apartments in the Northwest and Southern California; he said the intent of this project, and the heart of his business, is to provide more middle-income housing.
Architect Michelle Linden of Atelier Drome echoed the dedication to affordability, saying that people who grew up in this area deserve to be able to stay in this area:
Too soon to say what the rents will be, as completion is more than a year away, but the goal is for the apartments to be affordable to people making 80 percent of the Area Median Income or less; 15 of the units will be rent-restricted via the city’s Multi-Family Tax Exemption program. Linden noted that the site on which attendees gathered for this afternoon’s ceremony will be a mini-plaza when Keystone is done. The site had proposals under earlier ownership, including a storage facility, but this is the one that finally went through. Meantime, STS and HDC are partners in other future West Seattle developments, including 4448 California SW in The Junction and 17th/Roxbury (which underwent some demolition recently, but that was for safety reasons, not because construction was imminent).
FINANCIAL PARTNERS: Since much was made of the challenges of securing financing for projects right now, here’s who is involved in this project, according to a project-overview infosheet – senior lender First Fed, with a $5 million loan; Nuveen Green Capital as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACER) lender, loaning $9.74 million; and Citizen Mint, raising $5.18 million of equity.
South Delridge One Day of Service Restoration Event!
Saturday May 18th 10 am-1 pmJoin Dirt corps and DNDA for a joint tree care event to commemorate The One Seattle Day of Service! This is a citywide day of volunteering to give back to the place we love. Volunteers will assist with blackberry removal and mulching the surrounding area. It will be a lively day of strengthening our community ties, to each other and to nature!
All skill levels are welcome! Please wear clothing that can get dirty, including long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toed shoes. We’ll be working rain or shine, so everyone is encouraged to bring rain gear if the weather forecast says chance of rain. We’ll be providing the tools, snacks and water. Bring work gloves if you have them. If you don’t, we have some you can borrow! We hope you’ll join us!
(Added: WSB photos)
8:47 AM: Seattle Fire has a big response at a fire in the 9200 block of 18th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
8:51 AM: SFD says the fire was largely confined to a garage, and that it’s been “knocked down”; no injuries.
8:59 AM: Firefighters have now declared the fire “tapped” (out). They’ve checked the house at the same address and say the fire did not spread.
9:18 AM: At the scene, the incident commander tells us the fire’s cause is under investigation. Meantime, SFD is calling for the Red Cross to come help two adults and a teenager affected by the fire.
(Framegrab from traffic camera, with NB Delridge/Henderson stop at right)
We had a question about a Burien Police car with what looked like a body at Delridge/Henderson, so in case you passed by and wondered too, here’s what happened: SFD originally responded just after 7 pm to a report of an unconscious man at the northbound bus stop there, with drug paraphernalia nearby. Recorded radio exchanges detail how they tried to revive him, but could not. Burien PD responded because they’re part of the King County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction for Metro transit facilities (and buses). The man who died was estimated to be in his mid-30s; the King County Medical Examiner’s Office will make the official determination of why he died. (Public Health – Seattle & King County tracks drug-overdose and alcohol-poisoning deaths here; so far this year, 306 deaths are confirmed in the county, another 37 suspected pending toxicology results. If that rate continued all year, the 2024 total would be close to the 2023 total, 1,338.)
Just reported by email: “Starting this evening I noticed our tap water was noticeably brown. Not sure if it’s just our house. We’re by 15th Ave SW and Henderson.” No incidents on the Seattle Public Utilties water-trouble map; if it happens to you, be sure to report it to SPU’s 24-hour hotline, 206-386-1800. (And us too!)
(info removed)
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
If you’ve watched a Seattle Kraken game, you might be familiar with fans’ appreciative call of GRUUUUU! when goalie Philipp Grubauer gets a save. Not recently – he’s been off the ice with an injury for more than a month. But he’s keeping busy, including in a role as Divisional Youth Ambassador for the Salvation Army, which hosted him at their South Delridge center on Friday.
Grubauer joined kids from the center’s After-School Program for a hockey-skills drill (with a ball, not a puck):
He was scheduled to hang out with the kids through dinnertime.
Lost dog wandering around Delridge Way SW and Henderson. Black and white spotted looking. Breed unknown, maybe a Australian Shepherd?
A new business in South Delridge is celebrating its grand opening this weekend. Misfit Strength Studio has opened in the former White Center Glass space at 9443 Delridge Way SW. Co-proprietors Kyla Helgeland Alexander and Thomas Alexander have owned Optimal Health in Admiral, mostly focused on personal training, for the past five years. You might also remember Thomas from Equilibrium Fitness in the mid-2010s. They bring a variety of skills and experience to their work – Kyla says, “I am a retired midwife who specializes in pregnancy, postpartum, and core and pelvic floor function. I am also an aerialist and instructor at both SANCA and New Moon Movement Arts (previous Versatile Arts). Thomas has done extensive continuing education on many topics including corrective exercise and back pain, and he is also a massage therapist specializing in fascial therapy. We also do CPR & First Aid certification.” The name Misfit Strength Studio is intended “to express that we tend to attract clients that don’t feel comfortable or don’t want to be in a typical gym setting. We want this to feel like a safe space for all people, all body types, and all ability levels.” Along with training and workshops, Kyla says, “We are also very excited that the size and ceiling height will allow us to also offer circus training! We are coordinating with a local rigger to get aerial points installed, and we will have a small spring floor for partner acrobatics.” You can stop in, see the space, and meet the owners as their grand-opening open house continues tomorrow (Sunday, January 7), 10 am-6 pm.
Now tonight’s Halloween decoration spotlight: Darrell sent photos of the display he createdin the 9000 block of 18th SW – a sight to see, day or night:
If you’ve seen the Halloween display at Trader Joe’s – Darrell’s responsible for that too!
Just six nights until Halloween – and dozens of events in the days and nights until then – we’re still adding to the list on our West Seattle Halloween Guide page!
3:34 PM: The Guardian One helicopter is assisting Seattle Police in looking for an assault suspect who is reported to have brandished a gun at the victim, to whom he apparently was known. He’s described as Hispanic, 19 years old, 6’2″, (updated) brown-ish/yellow-ish hoodie, black pants. The assault is reported to have happened near 20th/Elmgrove.
3:51 PM: The helicopter has left, after looking in a variety of possible directions. In case you’re wondering, this wasn’t a case of the helicopter specifically being called in for this – it happened to be up and not far away, so they asked if it could come over and help. So far it does not appear that the victim suffered major injuries – no medical dispatch.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch incidents, one under investigation right now:
SOUTH DELRIDGE GUNFIRE: Multiple 911 callers reported gunfire about 15 minutes ago, including one person who said a bullet went through their apartment wall. Police have confirmed that and found other “spent rounds,” at 17th/Henderson, and they currently have Henderson blocked off while they look for other evidence. No reports of injuries. Here’s the partial description of the shooter that’s been broadcast so far – Black, male, fired the shots, then got into a white Chrysler SUV and left the scene.
CRASH-AND-GRAB ATTEMPT: Thanks to Chuck for sending the tip on this tonight – it was logged as “property damage” so that didn’t catch our eye in looking at the early-early-morning log. The door at the 76 station/minimart at 4001 California SW is damaged after a would-be crash and grab burglar drove into it around 3 am:
What the would-be burglar(s) didn’t count on is that the manager was still there, and he chased the would-be burglar(s) away; they took off without taking anything.
The man charged with a North Delridge murder and South Delridge shooting in one night last year has been found guilty by a King County Superior Court jury. 44-year-old Jaycee C. Thompson was arrested and charged days after the crimes. In June 2022, he shot and killed 56-year-old Anthony “Gonzo” Gonzalez, described as a “friend,” at an encampment at 26th/Juneau, hours after shooting and wounding a 35-year-old man at 16th/Barton. Charging documents said Thompson shot Mr. Gonzalez dead after forcing a man, at gunpoint, to take him to the structure in which the victim lived, where he reportedly first said something like “Where’s the money and drugs?” before opening fire. Thompson, a convicted felon, had been released from jail one week before the shootings, over prosecutors’ objections, as explained in our original story on his arrest. The jury in this case found him guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted robbery, and first-degree kidnapping, as well as “special verdicts” that he committed crimes while armed with a gun. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26th; we’re awaiting information from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on the potential sentencing range.
8:32 AM: SFD and SPD are arriving in the area of what was reported as a possible shooting, but haven’t found anything/anyone yet. They started with an address in the 9200 block of 16th SW, are now checking the 9600 block of 15th SW, while trying to reach the original caller.
8:39 AM: Having not found anything – officers even looked on the unincorporated King County side of the area – they’re canceling the response.
11:09 AM: Now there’s another response to the same area – we’re monitoring.
11:14 AM: Ths one also appears to be unfounded.
Two more events today just belatedly hit our radar:
(Added: WSB photos)
LOWRIDER BLOCK PARTY: The third annual street party presented by Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery is happening right now on 17th SW just north of Roxbury, continuing until 5 pm.
Cars, music, art, vendors, food!
‘DEAD BABY DOWNHILL’ BIKE RIDE: Watch for potentially hundreds of bicycle riders in The Admiral District this afternoon/evening – Guy just told us the “Dead Baby Downhill” ride is leaving from Admiral Pub (we covered its Admiral start in 2011): “Registration from 3-6. The race starts at 6:00 pm sharp. Come out and cheer on the racers!” (Added: They’re riding to Georgetown.)
ADDED 8:37 PM: Video as the riders left Admiral:
LOST CAT!!!
Last seen about 3-days ago (7/28/23) around Barton St and 20th Ave SW. He’s about 6-7months old and was not wearing a collar. He is known to hang around The Blue Stone Apartments and in the alley between 20th and 21st Ave SW.
IF YOU’VE SEEN HIM PLEASE CALL 360-265-6549!!!
3:02 PM: From John, who lives in Highland Park and (corrected) works at the KAVU store in South Delridge:
Our KAVU Company truck was stolen from outside an employee’s house last night in Burien. It is a 2013 Ford F-150 Pickup. License plate: KAVU
We’ll add the report number – which will be a KCSO/Burien PD case – when we get it.
5:42 PM: John says the truck’s been found – in Federal Way.
(WSB/WCN photo, 2021)
This year’s first major Pride celebrations start tomorrow. White Center Pride is raising the flag at 6:30 pm Thursday in the mini-park outside Mac’s Triangle Pub (Delridge/Roxbury/16th). Immediately afterward, three local schools are co-presenting a youth-led mini-parade walking through the heart of the WC business district – here’s the announcement:
Community School of West Seattle, White Center Pride, Explorer West Middle School, and The Bridge School are coming together to put on a Youth Pride Mini-Parade following the 6:30 PM White Center Pride Flag Raising at Triangle Park on June 1, 2023. All are welcome to join the celebration!
See the mini-parade route here. White Center Pride’s other events include a street festival on Saturday (June 3rd), 11 am-11 pm, with part of 16th SW closed to vehicle traffic; see the schedule here. And there’s a pre-funk tonight at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW) – drag cabaret and Pride skate; details here.
HPAC – the community coalition for Highland Park, South Delridge, and Riverview – met in-person this month for the first time in a while. New venue, too – Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery in South Delridge. The centerpiece of Thursday night’s agenda was the South Delridge Action Plan, which kicked off back in January with a survey to which about 300 people responded. The city’s point person for the plan is David Goldberg, who shepherded the North Delridge Action Plan almost a decade ago, and he was at the HPAC meeting to talk about this plan, listen to suggestions, and answer questions, following up on his appearance in March.
The goal of the SDAP is to “create a shared community-city [government] vision and an action plan that builds community assets an capacity and aligns city investments to achieve this vision.”
Goldberg said the city was working on the foundation of the plan by gathering data on how people are connected to their neighborhood – where they gather, where they shop, other places they visit. When that information is all gathered, it’ll be presented, and the city will ask about how people get around. That’ll include transit – including Metro‘s RapidRide H Line and Route 128.
Goldberg said the overarching goal is to connect government with the people in the neighborhoods to create a narrative of what a given neighborhood is all about. Part of that is building relationships between city agencies and the people in studied areas – in this case, South Delridge.
That relationship-building needs to happen sooner rather than later, suggested HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick. She noted as an example that the new Highland Park Improvement Club has multiple city hurdles to clear before it can be built, even though it’s a building intended to strengthen the neighborhood. In general, attendees said they want more in-depth relationships with the departments/agencies that are supposed to be planning action for the community’s future.
NEXT STEPS: Goldberg’s department – the Office of Planning and Community Development – is working with the Department of Neighborhoods and Seattle Public Utilities to “draft a shared Racial Equity statement for community review over the summer,” intended to “establish a shared framework for equity across the [South Delridge Action Plan] work.” OPCD also is convening seven local nonprofit community organizations to have a say in Station Area Planning and Equitable Transit Oriented Development for the future North Delridge light-rail station to which buses from South Delridge will connect. Watch for reps at community events this summer, such as the Low Rider Block Party (which will be presented for a third year by Nepantla).
HPAC’S NEXT MEETING: Usually the fourth Wednesday, 7 pm, but some months (like this one) may vary, so check hpacws.org for updates.
11:08 PM: SPD and SFD are arriving at the scene of a crash that is reported to involve a driver and a motorcyclist. Delridge is reported to be blocked right now at Trenton. Updates to come.
11:13 PM: The rider, who is reported to have been on a Vespa, does not have life-threatening injuries, according to firefighters. They have canceled the medic unit that was responding.
11:27 PM: Officers just told dispatch they’ll reopen Delridge in a few minutes.
(California Poppy, photographed by Rosalie Miller)
Starting our list, three community meetings tonight:
SUPERFUND CLEANUP: 6 pm online, the EPA is hosting a meeting to explain the new Superfund cleanup proposal for the Duwamish River’s East Waterway alongside Harbor Island, as previewed here, where you’ll find the meeting-access link.
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm, online, with guests from Sound Transit (for a West Seattle light-rail update) and Metro, plus board elections. We’ll add the video/phone access info to our calendar listing as soon as we get it.
HPAC IN SOUTH DELRIDGE: 7 pm at Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery (9414 Delridge Way SW), HPAC meets in-person to talk about the city’s South Delridge Action Plan.
Here’s what else is happening today/tonight:
CONVERSATION & FRIENDSHIP CORNER: 1 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayers@gmail.com to see where they’re playing today.
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room on the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus is open 1-6 pm Thursdays.
THURSDAY FOOD-TRUCK POP-UP: 4-8 pm at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), Swagg-n-Wagon will be visiting.
HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: Also at HP Corner Store, meet up at 6:30 pm for a three-mile run!
COOKING CLASS – SALADS: Just in time for cool summer dining! 5 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon) – RSVP before you go.
BEER-B-Q: 5-8 pm at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), Seattle Beer Week – with meat!
WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at The Good Society (California/Lander) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run – more in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Second of two free WSCO concerts this week, 7 pm in the auditorium at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) – our calendar listing has details.
THEATER: Final week for “Zach” by Christian St. Croix, directed by Sara Porkalob, at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm. Tickets here.
There’s even more in our calendar!
The South Delridge Farmers’ Market is back for a third season, and now it’s weekly! Thirteen vendors are there for the first week – Amanda and family make and sell Ma&Pops, frozen treats with three flavors today, Hibiscus Tea, Strawberry, or Spicy Watermelon:
Ma&Pops’ philosophy is “inspired by our Caribbean and Southern roots to make flavors that provoke a nostalgia and connection to the African diaspora.” Also at the market today, another family-run small business – Wayde and Joey are from Ube Overload, which she founded from “my love of ube and Filipino flavors that I bring from my childhood”:
Their ube-centered treats include mochi bites, cookies, and crinkles. The market, presented by African Community Housing & Development, is happening 10 am-2 pm every Saturday through October in the courtyard at Hope Academy (9421 18th SW).
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