This Month in
Pioneer Square
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- Checkout what's in store in Pioneer Square this month
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Browse our calendar for more entertainment and events in April
- Save the Date; the annual Pioneer Square Spring Clean is back!
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Plan a trip to Pioneer Square this month and enjoy a number of events, and programming happening throughout the neighborhood. |
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Rojos Mexican Food is now open in Pioneer Square at 217 James St. Feast on in-house-made burritos, tacos, tortas, aguas frescas, and more served daily from their robust plant-based menu. Stop by for authentic Mexican flavors in the heart of Seattle!
Rojos is open Monday to Thursday 11a-4p and Friday and Saturday 11a-7p. Visit rojosmexicanfood.com to learn more about the new restaurant.
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Join Seattle Restored for the ultimate celebration of community, culture, and creativity at the Seattle Restored Spring Market & Art Exhibit on April 6th from 5pm to 9pm at 220 2nd Ave S! The event will feature a fantastic selection of products and art, as well as an array of delicious food from Garzón Latinx Street Food, making it a feast for both your eyes and taste buds. And what better way to explore Seattle's most historic neighborhood, Pioneer Square, than during the First Thursday Art Walk? Whether you are looking for a one-of-a-kind gift or simply want to soak up the atmosphere, they have something for everyone. Let's celebrate!
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Juxtaposed with Morisawa’s mosaic collages is a collection of multi-media artworks from five multi-disciplinary, award-winning Indigenous artists, curated by Hexe Fey in digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia.
The exhibition is on view through April 6, 2023.
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For more than 30 years, the Seattle Architecture Foundation (SAF), architecture walking tours have served to entertain and educate locals and visitors about Seattle’s rich architectural and cultural history.
Starting April 1st, SAF's Architectural Walking Tours are back! Every Saturday, their team of experienced and passionate volunteer tour guides will reveal the aesthetic inspirations and historic contexts of Seattle's iconic buildings and neighborhoods, including Pioneer Square. Stretch your legs and take a walk with SAF! Explore their tour offerings and register here.
The Seattle Architecture Foundation will host an upcoming walking tour of Pioneer Square on Saturday, April 8 from 10a-12p. This tour begins outside of the Mutual Life Building and Magic Mouse Toys at 605 1st Ave (1st and Yesler).All tour ticket purchases directly support the foundation's educational programs for youth and families.
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Looking for more to do? Browse our calendar for more entertainment and events in the neighborhood in April.
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Pioneer Square's
First Thursday Art Walk
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Join Seattle’s Original First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. The art walk is FREE & self-guided, every First Thursday of the month, and parking is free from 5p to 10p!
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Save with Veo BikeShare
Save $5 with code PIONEERSQ on First Thursday Artwalk with Veo, one of Seattle's new bikeshare providers.
Learn more about their class II e-bikes in Seattle here.
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Local Business Owner Spotlight:
Patta Lorwatcharasophon, SEA Crab House
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SEA Crab House is now open in Pioneer Square at 166 S King Street, open at 11 am daily. This month, we chat with SEA Crab House founder and owner Patta Lorwatcharasophon to learn little bit more about the restaurant's new location.
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Welcome to Pioneer Square! Tell us what you love about the neighborhood/ what made you choose to locate in Pioneer Square?
Thank you for the warm welcome. We chose our Pioneer Square location because I want our restaurants to offer a unique experience with delicious seafood and a fun environment. In all our locations, we have full bars with TVs showing sports, and have become a popular place for sports fans. Seattle is known for being a seafood and sports mecca; those are the traits we espouse through our brand.
Can you take us through the journey of how SEA Crab House came to be?
SEA Crab house started on the Oregon coast at the outset of the Covid 19 pandemic. As a labor of love, my husband Kim and I wanted to create a unique fusion of cajun-style seafood boils with Thai-inspired flavors. Though faced with insurmountable challenges, we persevered through the pandemic and have emerged on the other side of it with the SEA Crab House you see today. Our adventures, both before and after, are chronicled in my recently released memoir, Patta’s Empire, which was published on March 13.
How would you describe your business, and what do you think makes it unique?
SEA Crab House offers a cajun-style seafood boil with Southeast Asian (SEA) seasonings that create a unique blend of flavors, giving a traditional style of cuisine a unique and delicious twist. And at SEA Crab House, we’re all about creating fun memories for the whole family, and nothing is more fun than throwing on a bib, rolling up our sleeves, and digging into a seafood feast.
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What are some of the hopes you have for this location in its 1st year in the neighborhood/ Seattle?
We hope to become a pillar of the community by not only providing the best seafood and the best dining experience, but also by supporting local causes. We understand that we can’t exist without our local community’s support, so we have made it one of our main priorities to give back where possible.
Anything else you would like to add or share?
We invite everyone to learn more about us by visiting our website seacrabhouse.com, which is where diners can find all our promotions and upcoming events. We are also exceptionally active on social media, and we invite folks to join the conversation happening there every day. Thank you to the Pioneer Square community for the warm welcome, and we hope to see you all in our restaurant soon. Let’s break bread–and crab–together!
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Save The Date:
Annual Pioneer Square Spring Clean
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The Annual Pioneer Square Spring Clean is back!
Join us and a host of neighborhood volunteers on the morning of Saturday, May 20th to help give the neighborhood a little extra TLC. Team up with your fellow coworkers and neighbors for this community effort. All ages and abilities are welcome!
Annual Pioneer Square Spring Clean
Date: Saturday, May 20th, 2023
Times: 9am-12p
(Registration begins at 8:00 AM)
This year's Spring Clean is in coordination with the City's second annual One Seattle Day of Service. Learn more about the Day of Service here. The Spring Clean is a great way to make a positive difference in the community and make Pioneer Square an even more beautiful and welcoming neighborhood.
Registration begins at 8:00 AM in Occidental Square Park. Cleanup activities are scheduled from 9:00 AM-12:00 noon. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided at the start of the day's activities. A boxed lunch will also be provided to volunteers in the afternoon (vegan/vegetarian/gluten free options available).
Stay tuned for more information on the day's cleanup activities in upcoming communications.
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Monthly Staff Feature: Chris Woodward,
Community Development Director
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This month, we catch up with Chris Woodward, Community Development Director for the Alliance for Pioneer Square. Chris leads the Alliance’s marketing, communications, and advocacy strategy. Chris utilizes a diversity and equity lens to support the Pioneer Square community’s needs.
Chris honors the authenticity that Pioneer Square exudes by finding innovative approaches to amplify the neighborhood’s ethos.
As part of the Alliance for Pioneer Square, what do you hope to accomplish through your work in the coming year?
The Alliance has a robust set of programming this year that will activate neighborhood public spaces, promote retail-level programming, and provide opportunities for community members to connect with one another. Throughout the year, I hope that the Alliance work will continue to move Pioneer Square into a more prosperous time following a difficult period of economic activity.
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Public Safety Neighborhood Open House |
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On Wednesday, April 12th, the Alliance will host a variety of representatives from the City, County, and nonprofit organizations for a drop-in open house during which community members can share their concerns and ideas about public safety in our neighborhood. Your input is important and will be key in developing strategies regarding street civility and public safety.
RSVP here to attend. The schedule of organization representation is as follows:
- 12-2p Seattle Police Department
- 12-2p Seattle City Attorney Office
- 1-3p Metropolitan Improvement District
- 3-4:30p King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion
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4:30p-6p Public Defender Association
Date: Wednesday, April 12th
Time: 12-6p
Location: 210 Studio
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Pioneer Square Social Media
Takeover Program
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Each Friday, we give neighborhood businesses and organizations the opportunity to share a series of photo and video content to the Alliance for Pioneer Square’s social media channels via stories, feed posts, and live video updates, for the entire day.
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Washington Hospitality Grants |
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The state's Department of Commerce Washington Hospitality Grants Program is now accepting applications. This program will award one-time grants to eligible restaurants, bars, caterers, food trucks, bakeries, lodging businesses and other eligible small hospitality organizations that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency or its negative economic impacts. Please review the full list of program eligibility requirements here. Apply by April 6th, 2023 at 5p.
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King County Crisis Care Centers Levy
On April 25, King County residents will cast ballots on the King County Care Centers levy. This $1.25 billion levy will fund five new behavioral health crisis care centers (CCCs) within the county, distributed across four crisis response zones. Each zone will host at least one CCC. Downtown will be served by the center located in the Central Zone. At least one CCC will specialize in serving youth.
Importantly, the levy also supports recruitment and retention of community behavioral health workers and, preserves and restores the loss of residential treatment beds in the county. Currently, King County is without a walk-in behavioral health urgent care facility, and it operates only one 46-bed behavioral health crisis facility in a county with 2.3 million people. In the past four years, the county has lost more than 110 residential treatment beds and those in crisis are waiting an average of 44 days for help.
The levy would be funded via a nine-year property tax assessed at 14.5 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. Given the time it will take to stand up and get the crisis centers fully operational, the county intends to increase its mobile crisis outreach teams to bridge the gap.
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Neighborhood Construction Updates |
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Waterfront Seattle Construction Ongoing on New Alaskan Way
Waterfront Seattle continues building the new Alaskan Way. Assembly of the falsework to support the new Marion St Bridge has begun over Alaskan Way. This temporary support structure will allow for work to continue on the bridge spans that will connect pedestrians between 1st Ave and the new ferry terminal at Colman Dock.
The temporary bridge-like structure over Alaskan Way at Marion St. is anticipated to remain in place into spring 2023 while the new pedestrian bridge over the roadway is built. Another nighttime closure will be required to remove the falsework once it’s no longer needed.
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Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program’s
New Connection on Railroad Way Underway
S Charles St is open to vehicles between 1st Ave S and Occidental Ave S. No left turns at the intersection of 1st Ave S and S Charles St. Vehicle access will be maintained during regular working hours on S Charles St; follow signs and flaggers for safe access through construction zones.
One lane for northbound and southbound traffic on 1st Ave S will be maintained. Expect an increase in construction activity in the construction areas adjacent to 1st Ave S. Construction is expected to be complete by by summer 2023. Visit the project website for details or contact the project at viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov.
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Pioneer Square
Areaways Program
SDOT has completed safety inspections of the Pioneer Square areaways. Curb lane restrictions will remain in place while SDOT continues to monitor, evaluate and strengthen the areaway street walls throughout Pioneer Square.
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Westland Hotel Construction
This project consists of a substantial alteration of the existing six-story Westland Building in the Pioneer Square Preservation District. The masonry and heavy timber structure was originally constructed in 1907 and is being converted into a 120-unit Hotel.
Complete renovation includes seismic retrofit, new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, alarm system, elevators, and envelope improvements to the extent possible with historic preservation requirements. There will also be a one-story rooftop addition at level 6, and new enclosure over existing Seattle City Light transformer vault. This project is a part of the developer’s larger project, Railspur, which includes the adjacent 419 Occidental and 115 Jackson buildings.
In the upcoming weeks, JTM and the project team anticipate being issued their building permit and will begin construction activities at 100 S King St. The work to be performed in the upcoming month include:
- Structural Demolition
- Site Preparation and Excavation
For the above activities, JTM anticipates the following street/sidewalk/parking/etc. closures:
- King St– JTM intends on closing the North parking lane and sidewalk directly in front of the Westland Building. These spaces will be closed throughout construction for material staging and delivery. JTM will be erecting site fencing and cones to keep all construction activities within the fence line.
- Earl Douglas Alley – JTM intends on closing the alley from King St to the alley intersection throughout construction for material staging. JTM notes that this will not prohibit access to the bodega, café, and bike shop located in the Northern half of the alley at 115 S Jackson.
- 1st Ave – No closures scheduled at this time.
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Metropole Building Construction Updates
In 2019, Satterberg Foundation, a Seattle-based family foundation, purchased the historic Metropole Building, located at 423 2nd Ave Extension S. The primary motivation of this purchase was to provide centrally located, long-term office space for non-profit organizations committed to serving communities of color in response to social and environmental needs and challenges.
Crews began demolition on the project in late April with an anticipated opening date in January 2024. WG Clark is serving as the General Contractor and BuildingWork is the architect. The re-design and renovation of the building has been curated with the careful consideration of the current and future needs of the community and will adhere to the highest sustainability standards including LEED Platinum Certification and compliance with the Seattle 2030 District Goals. The Metropole Building will feature a childcare center, traditional lease office spaces, an event center with meeting breakout rooms and a large boardroom, ground floor art exhibit space and a rooftop meeting deck. Tenants will have access to amenities such as communal break rooms, complimentary meeting space, storage space and a nursing room.
During the construction phase, the Metropole is seeking tenants to rent space in the office suites and a tenant for the ground floor art gallery/office space. Tenant applications are currently being accepted. For more information about the Metropole, please visit here or reach out to Kendra Walker, Community Steward/Building Manager, at metropolebuilding@satterberg.org.
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Visit The Alliance for Pioneer Square’s website for an interactive project map and up to date information on of current and future public realm projects.
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Business News and Updates |
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Resources for Pioneer Square Small Business
The Alliance for Pioneer Square has compiled a series of resources and information intended to assist neighborhood small business owners, managers and employees. The Alliance is committed to supporting Pioneer Square through the pandemic recovery period and beyond:
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Find us on Facebook
Are you a resident or business owner in the neighborhood? The Alliance for Pioneer Square Facebook page communicates resident and business owner specific news/information to compliment our more general Pioneer Square Facebook page.
Pioneer Square Business Owners and Managers Facebook page: The Pioneer Square Business Owners & Managers Facebook group is a private platform providing business owners and managers in the neighborhood the opportunity to connect, ask questions and share support among one another while collectively navigating the current health crisis and resulting economic challenges. Request to join the group here.
Want to feature in future newsletters? Promote you event, business and specials/deals with us by emailing them to info@pioneersquare.org. Be sure to attach an image or graphic along with your promo details.
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Please consider a gift to the Alliance for Pioneer Square and help us to ensure Pioneer Square remains a strong, vibrant neighborhood. We cannot do it without you.
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Alliance For Pioneer Square | 206.667.0687
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