Green building makes some neighbors red
Posted on October 18th, 2011 by Beau Wurth | Tags: Building, Building Makes
SEATTLE — A big change is on the way to the Lake Union skyline. Brooks Running Shoes is moving it’s corporate headquarters there.
Plans call for a 120,000 thousand square feet building that’ll house 300 employees and a retail store. It’s a green project, but neighbors say this kind of development come with other pitfalls. It is just down the street from Fremont and it’s not quite Wallingford. It’s a washed little strip mall in search of an identity. “It’s the right type of development to make this more vibrant,” said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. Mayor McGinn touted the plan for a building that will encompass this entire block and rise 65 feet high. Brooks Running Shoes will be the main tenant in this green building project that will sit just steps from the Burke Gilman Trail. Good new for the block, but for some neighbors bad news. They’re worried about traffic, parking and the skyline. “I just don’t want to be buried…I don’t want my little house buried in a sea of tall buildings,” said Pamela Rose. “It feels like it’s kind of what happened with Ballard in the last 20 years with the shift towards big monstrosities taking away from the family businesses,” said Ben Bauman. While there will be some parking, part of that green lifestyle means encouraging workers to use public transportation, rideshare or bike. But neighbors are skeptical. “I understand the principle of densifying but not at the expense of sacrificing the quality of life for people who choose to live in houses in this area,” said Rose. Brooks president and CEO says he understands their worries and believes they can handle the hundreds of workers coming here without clogging up neighborhoods. As for the view, we’ll there’s not much he can do there. “I don’t know how I could make up for something that they’re losing but we hope the energy we’re bringing to the community is going to add to it,” said Brooks Running Shoes President and CEO Jim Weber. The new Brooks building won’t be done until 2013 and it will turn this area into a destination–giving a nameless crossroad an identity–one not everyone wants.
Similar Posts:
- Study: Lansing area tops nation in manufacturing growth
- Benderson close to moving ahead, but mall plan may need tweaking
- Gentilly Woods Shopping Center redevelopment proposals weighed
- Take Survey for Air Travel to Bakken Oil Fields
- Clean living:Energy prices fuel sustainable, affordable housing push
