Cranes!

When was the last time you could cram three construction cranes into the same shot? The nineties, maybe? Really, I'd like to know. This was taken from 7th & Blanchard on my way back from Whole Foods. Two of the cranes belong to that block-long monstrosity on 6th that sits on the former site (*sob*) of the UA Cinemas. The one in the background is a new building going up in the Cinerama's parking lot. I believe it's a Paul Allen project. I'm hoping for the building to be as simple and appealing as all those down in South Lake Union.

These aren't the only cranes, though. There's another one at 2nd & Bell where the new condo building is going up. And there used to be a very large crane at the McGuire, but, in case you haven't noticed, the place is completely gone. It was so gradual and free of drama (though it was quite noisy) that people stopped noticing after a fashion. Well, at least that ugly-ass scaffold is gone.

New Construction!

This project has been going on for some time, so unless you don't get out, this will be news to you. Well, after more than 10 years after the Speakeasy burned, they're finally building something on this lot at 2nd & Bell. I say condos, because that's usually the answer. When they first began work there, I figured it was a staging area for the new Bell Street Park, but it wasn't. While we're on the subject, where's Bell Street Park? I mean, even the re-updated sign (at 1st & Bell) says it's supposed to be done by now. What's the deal? Anyhow, congratulations to the above site, as it looks like they're getting their very own construction crane.

Hot Crane-on-Crane Action!

Did you know that it takes a crane to make a crane? Well, it does. And sometimes it takes two cranes to un-make a crane. Yesterday was a prime example of that. I went out for a walk in the morning and when I hit 3rd & Cedar, this was the scene:

As you can see, a very large crane is taking down an even larger crane. I believe the building's name is the Alto. It's a popular size of saxophone, so why not? The building itself is quite unattractive; it looks like some kind of expensive Scandinavian air conditioner. But the de-craning was quite dramatic. Here it is from another angle:

I think that this was all taking place more than 200 feet above the ground. Once, however, the various pieces and components were removed, they were deposited on Cedar St. where they were loaded onto a flatbed by a second crane. Observe:

It's a little tough to see there, but that's the other crane in the foreground. I saw some of the action and then I left. All in all, yesterday was a fine day for cranes in Belltown.

The Big Hole Gets Bigger!

They've been doing quite a bit of digging at the former site of the greatest movie theater in history. It going to be a very large building. Let's hope that it's not too terribly ugly. The excavation process is a little curious; one metal monster (God only knows how it got down there) piles up dirt which is in turn scooped up by another metal monster perched precariously at the top. When I walk by, I expect the upper monster to tumble to the bottom at any given moment. So far that hasn't happen.

When I wrote about this place the last time, someone left a comment about how they missed the blackberry bushes that grew on the site following the unfortunate demolition of the wonderful UA Cinema. That got me to wondering whether there are any blackberries left in Belltown. I know that the squirrels that used to reside around 3rd & Vine are probably gone. I haven't seen one around those parts in over a year. Let's just imagine that they were voluntarily relocated to a nice forest upstate with them packing up all their squirrel belongings into their squirrel suitcases. So has Belltown finally been deprived of all Northwest flora and fauna?

There's a Big Hole on 6th Ave

It looks like this:

I guess they tore the UA Theater down for a reason. Let's hope it's a good one. I loved that theater. I guess that at long last actual human beings will live on Belltown's portion of 6th Ave.

Please Don't Call It Alex

It's the Volta now! You know, I've spend a fair amount of time documenting various construction/renovation projects around this neighborhood, but the Volta at 1st & Bell has escaped my notice. Why? Well, probably because it's been in stasis for the better part of a year. It has just been sitting there with a scaffold around it with no activity at all. Even before that, progress was very slow. I learned to ignore it. It was begun in June 2007 and slated for completion in Fall 2008. Yeah, financial crisis Fall 2008. That didn't work out so well. But here it is, almost three years after ground was broken and it's still not done. Yes, it has a new name (in honor of Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery - I kid you not), and its intent has changed by moving down a few rungs on the luxury ladder.

Here are some more photos:


As you can see, now that the scaffold is off, it's a decent looking building, though I'm thinking that its neighbors at the Apex (Apex + Alex = get it??) would dispute that. The new building came in and completely blocked the view to the outside world that many of the Apex's units had. Now they look at a wall. But nevertheless, it's not a horribly ugly building whatsoever. Its design is along the lines of the neo-retro deconstructed style that is quite popular today. My issue with the Volta is that even before the financial crisis, it wasn't practical or unnecessary. It's too small (just 34 units on eight levels) and its location is not great. Those facing west get a sweeping view of the viaduct and those looking east will see, uh, Belltown. And it can all be yours for $300,000 to $1,100,000. This is a substantial reduction from the original asking prices of $500,000 to $2,000,000+. Because of the price cut, new residents can expect what they're euphemistically calling "more standardized finishes" - meaning that everything's cheaper: countertops, appliances, fixtures, etc. Even though it's more affordable, it doesn't mean that it should have ever come into being. It was originally supposed to be embody ultra-luxury. Well, so much for that. Today, it's just a mini-condo building with a dubious future. To me, the name change spells trouble. No matter what it's called, things will be tough. I hate to say it, but I think things would have been much better for many people if they'd just left the property as a parking lot. But let's wish them luck.

Construction Mania!

Well actually, compared with the nineties, there's almost nothing maniacal going on in Belltown construction-wise. Back then, they built all kinds of stuff around the neighborhood, from boxy and ugly to tall and ugly. The two projects being built right now are a bit on the boxy side, but it's still too early to pronounce them aesthetically offensive. Both have a goal of helping people; the Recovery Cafe houses and trains the formerly homeless and the A.L. Humphrey House will house the homeless and mentally ill. While the A.L. Humphrey's purpose may seem a little dubious, I'll tell you that having the medicated and cared-for mentally ill in the neighborhood is much more preferable to the alternative of arresting them on sight. The two projects began this summer and continue, but I've been pretty fascinated by how fast they've gone up. Sure, if you're out working on them, it may seem to take forever, but for me, every time I walk by them, something is new. That's another reason why I like living in Belltown - constant change. Some of that change is bad, some is good, but it's always happening.

Let's have a look at how things are progressing. First, the Recovery Cafe at 2nd & Bell:


The top photo was taken mid-February and the bottom one was taken yesterday. Yeah, they've sure done a lot in just a few weeks. Likewise, let's have a peek at the A.L. Humphrey at 1st & Cedar:


The time span between these shots is the same. Maybe there has been seemingly less progress, but they're working hard to fill in all the interior stuff.

Me, I welcome both these new buildings into the neighborhood, but I know that not everyone does. I'm interested in getting your opinions of these new kids. Will these places be pleasing - or at least not offensive - to the eye? Will their operations disturb their neighbors? What do you think about these projects in general?

Thanks to Brad from the Grandview for his shot of the A.L. Humphrey at the very top. Sometimes it's nice to have a view!

Construction Report!

Well, things are really moving along quickly. Those guys at both sites are really building up a storm. And speaking of that, how miserable is it to work in weather like we had last Wednesday? In case you didn't get out of bed that day, it was steady rain pretty much all day. I'm guessing that it's not a lot of fun. Let's start with the Recovery Cafe:


Look at that! It's got a whole new level and everything! That's some substantial progress, I tell you what. It'll be done in no time. Here's how things stand at the A.L. Humphrey House:


Excuse the lighting on the bottom photo. It was getting toward the end of the day and the sky was weird. So yes, much building has been done to this...er, building. Their crane was taken down the other week, so there will be no more majestic shots of that. Sorry. OK, so that's it for construction.

Oh, And They're Also Building This

This isn't in Belltown. It's right across the 2nd & Denny border in the Dukedom of Lower Queen Anne. As you can see from the Google photo, it used to be an H&R Block office. I thought it was going to be just another apartment building until its design clearly indicated it was something else. And now I know for sure that it's a place for First Methodists to gather and talk Jesus. Second Methodists are not welcome. But everybody else is. They seem like friendly, accepting folks, these First Methodists - except if you're a Second Methodist. Let's wish them much safe and humble worshiping in the years to come.

Construction Round-Up!

Gather round and see how fast things are going up. I think you'll agree that they just charging along. Here's the Recovery Cafe a few weeks ago:

And here it is now:

They've added a floor and lots of other stuff.

Let's have a look at A.L. Humphrey then:

And now:

They haven't added any more floors, but they're filling out the interior structure. So yes, everything is being built super-fast. With all these rapid results, you might be thinking, "Hey, why can't they fix the McGuire as fast?" Well, the problem is that once it's built, it's a lot harder to undertake massive repairs, even if you've hired an entire dwarf army for the venture. That's why it's important to build it right the first time.

Oh, and here's the crane.

Yeah, it's really not impressing me any more.

The Rampage Continues!

Before I go on holiday hiatus, I would be remiss if I failed to feature Belltown's two construction projects. For those unacquainted, the two projects are the Recovery Cafe building and the A.L. Humphrey House. To say that construction is flying along is something of an understatement. Let's have a look:


Pardon those lousy trees blocking the view. Anyhow, this is the Recovery Cafe two weeks ago and now. Things are going really fast, but they done compare to the A.L. Humphrey House:


Ladies and germs, what we have here is a construction rampage, plain and simple. I hope that once it's up, it stays up. Usually, when I build something fast, whether it's IKEA furniture or a shrine to Vishnu, it falls apart quickly. It can't possibly be the case here, could it?

We close, as usual, with a shot of the A.L. Humphrey's crane, which is looking very non-majestic these days.

Construction's Great Leap Forward!

Well, there has been much progress in the two projects being built around these parts. As usual, we look at the Recovery Cafe first, two weeks ago and recent:


Gosh, I thought they'd added a floor, but I guess I was mistaken. Let's just rate their progress as "steady" and move to the A.L. Humphrey House.


I had to change the shot to include the whole structure, but I assure you that's the same building. Can you believe that? What did those guys eat for Thanksgiving? They're just flying through this job. I guess it's no fun working out in the cold, so they're hurrying it along. Well, I say that if it doesn't fall over, good job, guys!

And here's a shot of their crane:

Its stature is getting less impressive each day.

Construct-O-Rama!

Well, the last time we checked, not much was happening - or so it seemed. But things have really taken off these last few weeks. Let's have a look at the Recovery Cafe at 2nd & Bell. It's always first, because it is the way of things:


See? A whole new floor and no more potato chip truck! Yes, things are going very fast. But it's all very measured in comparison to the A.L. Humphrey at 1st & Cedar. Here's what's going on there:


Apologies once again for that tilted first shot. I was shooting into the sun. I haven't had that problem for quite a while. In fact, I haven't seen the sun for days. Well, that's non-summer in Seattle, sweet people. Anyhow, as you can see, A.L. Humphrey's got another floor and all sorts of other jazz. Ain't that spectacular. I originally predicted that they'd be done by Christmas, but now I'm gonna revise that back to Presidents' Day. Or possibly the first rainy day of spring. They have three more floors to go. Let's wish them plenty of luck.

And now let us close as we usually do, with a look up at the A.L. Humphrey's crane. You know, the Recovery Cafe also has a crane, but it's far less impressive, so I don't include it. Come to think of it, the A.L. Humphrey's crane isn't that compelling either - especially compared to what used to tower over Belltown. But it's the best we've got, so let's love it:

Construction Update!

I think I've hit on a really swell way to show how much work is being done on the Recovery and A.L. Humphrey: contrasting a current photo with a recent photo. Golly, where do I get the brilliance? Ok, so that's just what I'm gonna do right now. First, the Recovery Cafe:


Pardon that potato chip truck! So yeah, some progress in the last two weeks, not a whole lot. I certainly couldn't do any better. And now on to the A.L. Humphrey House:


Sorry about the tilt on the bottom photo. I was taking pretty much straight into the sun (back when we had it) and was confused by it - so high up in the sky and so forth. As far as progress goes, there hasn't been much over the last two weeks. I dunno, maybe everyone has just been sweeping up after the last few months of buildin' things fast. In any case, construction continues. And what progress report would be complete without a shot of the A.L. Humphrey's crane? No progress report at all, I tell you. Here it is:

The proximity of the sun makes it look like it's about a million degrees out, but I assure you it was not.

Konstruktion Kronikle

For the last few months, I've been doing quasi-weekly updates from the Recovery Cafe and A.L. Humphrey House sites. This was all well and good when they were getting things demolished or laying foundations and whatnot, but it's absolutely no good in showing all the progress they've made in just a short amount of time. So, with the aid of time lapsed photography (meaning that I took pictures one fine day, then returned two weeks later), I'll show you how quickly these projects are being built. Let's start with the Recovery Cafe:

Here it is two weeks ago. The level of construction is even with the sidewalk. And now currently:

They've built an entire story in that time. Can you feel the progress? Because I sure can! Three more stories to go.

Here's the A.L. Humphrey House two weeks ago:

Sorry about shooting (almost) directly into the sun. Here's what it looks like this week:

Yes, they've forged ahead considerably. Four more stories to go.

These buildings will continue to go up very quickly. They're simple, unadorned designs built for practical use. Yes, they are projected to be boxy, but that might not be a bad thing. We'll see about that when they're finished. Until then, we can only marvel at how quickly they're going up.

Of course, what post would be complete without a shot of the A.L. Humphrey's crane? Here is it: