Othello Square TAKES ON THE ISSUE
“Investors’ reluctance faded in the years leading up to the opening of the Othello light-rail station, in 2009. Lured by a new vision of Othello as a bedroom community for high-earning downtown workers, investors and developers flocked to the neighborhood to buy property around the station and along Martin Luther King Way South.”
The obvious worry is that a building along the light rail corridor will drive up both land prices and construction costs. That obsession makes no sense in a city that needs more housing at all levels. Upscale apartments, aka gentrification, is the only way for investors to recover their costs but development by the city or non-profits does not need the burden of making a profit. Moreover, if done well such a mixed profit/nonprofit model which may include multi-family property will attract the kind of community that Seattle seems to be losing out on.
There is more to be done here. The Seattle Public Schools needs to market itself as more than schools for the poor. Citing schools like this new charter or other magnets in an area where housing is being developed in an attractive way will .. as they say ..”build it and they will come.” Open spaces and parks matter as well. Children need play areas, families need movie theaters. Finally, transit .. not just bike lanes for the ohso liberal condecenti of Seattle, meaning that people can either have no car or leave the car home and get to work downtown. Development needs to include public transit away from the light rail core and the city needs to incentivize the development of local shopping centers.
Some of us remember these ideas .. perhaps the City Council and Mayor should ask Norm Rice to explain how this is done?
This months National Geographic is on cities. Whole article about the newest city design. High urban density surrounded by green areas. Even farming in buildings and in the city.