ADMIRAL DISTRICT’S EX-BLOCKBUSTER … is about to be surrounded by paid parking on all three sides. Thanks to Eric for the tip on this one – he e-mailed last night to say he and his wife noticed orange striping delineating spaces around the building, and WELCOME painted on the pavement at each entrance. Public records showed no sign of a new owner/tenant at the building, so we went by this morning to look for clues, and found a man doing more painting around the lot. “All I know is, it’s going to be paid parking,” he told us – which had been our guess once we saw the freshly painted numbers on each of 33 parking spots around the building (our photo was taken at the northeast corner, by the alley). No pricing sign or pay station as of our stop; we’ll check back.

MORGAN JUNCTION’S EX-BLOCKBUSTER … is tentatively scheduled to open as Super Supplements‘ new home on July 13th, according to a company spokesperson. We first reported back in January that it would be the new home of the store that has to move out of The Junction since it’s on the future Equity Residential development site; banners went up on the Fauntleroy site last month. Super Supplements tells us the Junction store isn’t scheduled to close till July 7th, 6 days before the new one opens. Note that those are tentative dates; watch the store’s official webpage for updates.

Today we welcome one of West Seattle’s longest-running businesses, O’Neill Plumbing, as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what proprietor Tim O’Neill (pictured) would like you to know:

O’Neill Plumbing was founded here in West Seattle in 1917, adjacent to Husky Deli in The Junction.

95 years later, 4th-generation owner Tim O’Neill has 28 years of experience and employs 25 hard-working, talented people and a fleet of trucks to serve not only West Seattle but also the Greater Seattle area as well as the Eastside. O’Neill Plumbing serves residential and commercial properties, including “Emergency 24-Hour Service,” drain/rooter cleaning, water-heater repairs and replacement, whole-house re-pipes, and state-of-the-art “Trenchless” underground pipe repairs and replacement.

We are proud to be longtime members of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Master Builders Association, Better Business Bureau, and are “Top Of Class” on Angie’s List with more than 450 positive customer referrals.

O’Neill Plumbing customers can visit us @ www.oneillplumbing.com and take advantage of our online coupons. To reach O’Neill Plumbing by phone, call 206-932-5283.

We thank O’Neill Plumbing for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

(WSDOT photo from March 29th keel-laying event for 1st 144-car-ferry project at Vigor)
Less than four weeks after that ceremony at Vigor Shipyards marking the start of work on a new 144-car state ferry, WSDOT and Vigor just formalized paperwork for the next one, with construction set to start in December. Total costs for the two ferries are expected to total $277 million, according to WSDOT’s announcement today. The first one is due to start service in early 2014, the second one, a year after that. Up to two more may follow. They’ll be replacing Evergreen State-class ferries (two of which are often on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run – Klahowya and Tillikum).

Just look for the balloons to see who’s participating in Tax-Free Sale Day in The Junction – continuing till 6 tonight! Above, co-proprietor John Smersh outside Click! Design That Fits, a WSB sponsor as is Fleurt, now open in its new location further up the same block:

Other WSB sponsors participating: Brunette Mix and Hotwire Online Coffeehouse. On the other side of the 4500 block of California, CAPERS‘ Lisa Myers shared photos of recycled pillows they’re showcasing:

The full list of participants is here. And while they’re not on the Tax-Free Day list, it is a special occasion at Easy Street Records – “Record Store Day”!

Easy Street has live music coming up this evening – The Young Evils at 7:30 pm and Reignwolf at 9 pm. Back to Tax-Free Day, restaurants are offering specials too – also on the list.

This afternoon, we welcome a new WSB sponsor – locally owned West Seattle Thriftway! Here’s their message to you:

You know their faces and you know their names, and it’s most likely because the staff members at West Seattle Thriftway have been working there for more than a decade, if not two. “A passion for what they do” doesn’t even begin to describe how they feel about their workplace. A building is merely an empty shell until you give it a soul – and something we believe strongly in is that it’s the people who work somewhere that make a place special.

At West Seattle Thriftway, the goals are simple and straightforward: To offer exceptional quality and diversity of products, even more exceptional customer service, and to create strong ties to the community through non-profit support, events, and fundraising. “In a way, we feel like we have grown up with our community and have been woven into the fabric of what makes West Seattle so special, which is strong community connections.”

More importantly, in a world of “big box” stores, we feel extremely proud to be considered one of the little guys. Aside from being totally awesome, being an independent grocer and being locally owned and operated gives us the power to be able to bend over backward for our customers. Please come visit us April 20th – 22nd (4201 SW Morgan, at California/Fauntleroy) for a community appreciation event that includes a free grilled sausage lunch as a thank you for all of your support!

We thank West Seattle Thriftway for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Our area’s second planned “Cash Mob” is set for this Saturday – though it’ll actually be a week BEFORE the first one announced for our area. Confusing? Here’s the deal: The latest announcement is for 4 pm this Saturday, April 21st, during The Junction’s “Tax-Free Day” multi-merchant all-day sale – a “cash mob” (show up and spend!) at Curious Kidstuff. The one that was announced earlier (first reported here two weeks ago), April 28th at Village Green Perennial Nursery, is still on, too. A “cash mob” is meant to be a gathering of people, “flash mob” style (though usually well-publicized), to show up at a specific business and spend at least $20. (We hope you will “cash mob” ALL your favorite local independent businesses as often as you can, though!)

Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers

“Are we out of the recession? Yes, we are,” declared local economic Matthew Gardner in his keynote speech at this morning’s West Seattle Chamber of Commerce annual awards breakfast.

Emceeing the event, Chamber board chair Dave Montoure, owner of West 5, declared that to be “a good message for us to hear today,” on behalf of the 120 people gathered at Salty’s on Alki to hear.

More on Gardner’s economic insights later – but first, the awardees!

(From left, WS Garden Tour’s Jim Reid, The Grove’s Lynn Sweeney Pedersen, Pete Spalding, Dave Montoure, AmericanWest Bank’s David Kim)
They were announced back in February (WSB coverage here), but the breakfast celebration is always an occasion for the business community to gather and not only give the awardees well-earned applause, but also to celebrate the community’s ongoing growth.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
AmericanWest Bank

Junction branch manager David Kim – who also chairs the Chamber’s Ambassador Committee – accepted the award, noting that AWB (a new name for what had been Viking Bank, before last year’s merger) is a “business-focused community bank.”

EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
The Grove/West Seattle Inn

Montoure introduced owner Lynn Sweeney Pedersen after recalling that when the Chamber polled members in 2010 about what West Seattle needs most, there were two answers – a hospital and a hotel. The Sweeney family made the latter dream come true last year.

Sweeney Pedersen recounted the property’s makeover last year, from rundown motel to “comfortable, friendly, affordable lodging,” saying their work isn’t over yet – they’re working on “continuous improvement.” She also mentioned that this weekend they will celebrate the complex’s “50th birthday,” since it was built for the Seattle World’s Fair half a century ago (as the Mar-Lyn, after original owners Martin and Evelyn).

NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR
West Seattle Garden Tour

President Jim Reid accepted the award, talking about the WSGT’s roots in the mid-1990s, founded by community advocate Irene Stewart. Since then, he said, it was raised and donated nearly a quarter-million dollars to causes in the community, facilitating the community’s “stepping up to make up for the decline in government funding” of some of those services. It’s an all-volunteer organization, and its planning is in high gear for this year’s tour, July 15th (more info here), and Reid said, you have one more week to sign up as a sponsor (WSB is among them again this year).

WESTSIDER OF THE YEAR
Pete Spalding

Montoure quipped that when he asked Spalding for his bio, it was a page and a half long. Just a few toplines of what he’s up to currently – West Seattle Food Bank board, Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee … Spalding, no stranger to awards but clearly moved by this one, said with his trademark Southern-accent humility and humor, “I think there are a lot of people who do a lot more in the community and are more deserving, but I’m not going to give (the award) back!” He closed his remarks by quoting the exhortation he features in his e-mail signature, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Ahead – toplines from the keynote, what’s next for the Chamber, and our video from this morning’s event:Read More

As of this morning, less than three weeks after announcing her move, Sam Crowley has reopened her flower shop Fleurt (WSB sponsor) in its bigger new location, 4536 California SW (the former storefront of Knows Perfume). Right after she threw open the doors at 10:30 am, we stopped by for a look inside. She’s open till 5:30 pm today, if you want to take a peek; Sam also invites you to an open house one week from tomorrow, April 21st, “We are planning to have an open house Saturday April 21st – “in celebration of our 2-year anniversary, Earth Day, and new location.”

Thanks to Robin for the tip that a banner’s just gone up for the impending move of Super Supplements from The Junction to its new Morgan Junction location (the former Blockbuster Video on the northwest corner of 42nd/Fauntleroy). We first reported three months ago that Super Supplements had settled on this site for a new location; the California/Alaska corner where the store’s been for six years is part of the site where Equity Residential has said it will start construction on its two-building mixed-use project before year’s end. (We’re checking for an update on Super Supplements’ moving timetable.)

Cheryl from Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction, on SW Alaska just west of Easy Street Records, wants to make sure you know that despite the sign, their business (and the others to the west) IS OPEN while the neighboring bus shelter gets its RapidRide-related makeover.

Just announced – April 21st is the day you can plan on shopping The Junction and saving 10 percent, during another edition of The Junction’s Tax-Free Day for All, as merchants offer you discounts equivalent to the sales tax you’d pay. As in years past, you’ll be able to identify participating stores and restaurants – yes, there will be food/beverage deals as well as other merchandise! – because each one will have a red balloon outside. See the full list of more than 40 participating businesses by going here.

Prudential Northwest Realty, led by West Seattleite Mike Gain, now has something in common with household names such as Dairy Queen, See’s Candies, GEICO Insurance, and Fruit of the Loom: It is now owned by a company that belongs to Warren Buffett‘s Berkshire Hathaway. Ahead, the news release announcing that HomeServices of America is buying PNW Realty – which will not be changing its name, according to the announcement:Read More

Story and photos by Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

It’s been two months since we first reported on the mysterious happenings inside the former Petco storefront at 4732 California SW – and now, the brand-new window-painting work has brought a new round of questions.

So we stopped by to see what’s up with Jason Rudolph, who told us back in February about his plans for the space – running his Sound Advertising Group and restoring some legendary animatronic characters.

First – Jason tells us he’ll open the space during the April West Seattle Art Walk next week – 6-9 pm Thursday, April 12th – to showcase work by Jason Sinclair Astorquia and host some live music by Willow & The Embers, so you’ll get to take a look inside for yourself.

While the restoration of the “Rock-afire Explosion” animatronic characters set up at the front of the space continues; Jason adds that most of his staff has moved their workstations from the company offices on 44th SW into this new space.

Painting over the windows with a mural – with just a few intentionally see-through spots – gives the the employees more privacy:

Once finished, the mural will be a colorful creative, original work hand-painted by Japhy Witte, known as “the Sign Savant.”

Petco vacated the space last November to move into its new spot in Capco Plaza at 41st/Alaska.

We frequently feature photos of people from West Seattle nonprofits, schools, and churches out doing good deeds – but this is a reminder that businesses do, too. Thanks to LaShanna for sharing the photo of LaFarge workers along West Marginal Way SW today, during what she says is an ongoing bimonthly cleanup project. (Let us know – either with advance word or with a photo afterward – what community service YOUR business is up to.)

When Heartland Café proprietor Jay Wergin sent this anniversary announcement, we asked him if he had any photos to go along with it – not just an exterior, but something with Heartland people. He says the resulting photo, atop this story, shows his staff from the Christmas Party – and he says everybody in it is still working there. So here’s what’s in store for the celebration, starting TOMORROW (Thursday 3/29):

Monday, April 2nd marks the Heartland Café and Benbow Room’s 2nd year anniversary.

We have a jam-packed 4-day weekend planned for this event with a touring band from Portland, Smiley, Get Dressed along with Seattle band The Underwater Tiger hitting the stage on Thursday night @ 9 pm. — On Friday @ 9 pm we have 3 bands playing, Can’t Complain, Swingset Showdown and Animals In Cars. — On Saturday, we have some local alternative/soul/cool jazz playing the Benbow Room, solo artist Scott Concinnity from Letters From Traffic and the Amelia Circle band. On Sunday we will be offering food specials in the main dining room.

On the actual day of our anniversary we will be offering “metal and fried chicken” (21 yrs and older only). There will be a live broadcast viewing of Chris Yardley’s Killzone featuring music from Attackhead and Subject7 via ReebLive! There will also be interviews with band members as well as an interview with Chris Yardley — The best part is, you get to taste our famous fried chicken for free! Yes, you heard it right — come and eat fried chicken from 6-8 pm. Our usual Monday special applies as well: $1 PBR Tall Boys and $2 chili dogs 3-9 pm (bar only).

— Yoo Betcha!

The Heartland/Benbow is in the Admiral District at 4210 SW Admiral Way.

Sam Crowley, proprietor of Fleurt in The Junction, is excited today – and not just because it’s sunny and that will likely put even more people in the mood for flowers. She is excited because she’s moving to a bigger new location – the Junction storefront recently vacated by Knows Perfume:

“Due to the overwhelming support of the local community, we are excited to announce that starting mid-April, Fleurt will be moving to a bigger and better location. We are not going far; we are moving right next door to Menashe & Sons Jewelers, 4536 California Ave.

The larger space will allow us to expand our flower offerings and services, in addition to having more unique gifts and creative workshops. We thank everyone for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at our new location.

Besides drop-in service at her storefront as well as “unique gifts and home decor,” Sam notes that Fleurt “offers daily deliveries of flowers, as well as flowers for events and weddings.” She’ll have something else to celebrate next month besides the new storefront – April is also when Fleurt will celebrate its second anniversary in The Junction.

Cycle University has just announced the opening date for its new location at 3418 Harbor Avenue, where it’s moving because Highline Medical is taking over its Triangle spot (as reported here last August). They expect to open the new, bigger location on April 3rd – read the full announcement ahead:Read More