Mercer Street Gets Better and Better: 3rd eastbound lane and Adaptive Signal Control

The opening of the third lane on eastbound Mercer Street Monday morning marks a significant milestone in the continuing Mercer corridor project, which is slated for completion in summer 2015. Already this afternoon’s commute is shaping up to be much better along Mercer than what was seen in the past several weeks.

At the same time, big news for the neighborhood is the securing of Adaptive Signal Control (ASC) funding in the City Council’s 2015 budget package.

What is Adaptive Signal Control?

It’s a traffic management strategy in which traffic signal timing changes, or adapts, based on actual traffic demand. Although the East and West Mercer projects included the in-pavement hardware for future implementation of such a system, the above ground management equipment and software was left for a future install, once traffic patterns become known in the corridor alignment.

That time is fast approaching and so a concerted effort took off in the last few weeks on the part of multiple neighborhood organizations and business groups.  Community requests resulted in meetings with City Council, Mayor’s Office and SDOT staff to push for the funding to implement this system. This past Friday, November 14^th, saw success as Council added $200K in 2015 and $800k in 2016 to the city budget for ASC implementation.  Final vote on the entire budget is scheduled for Monday, November 24^th, and should be an up or down vote with no more amendments.  A hearty ‘Thank You’ to all members of the SLU Chamber and other neighbor organizations who took the time to lobby for this much needed infrastructure improvement. When fully implemented, ASC will help to smooth traffic flow on both Mercer and Denny, as well as side streets that connect with these two major east-west arterials.

Welcome Taylor Bentcover, Administrative Assistant and Events Intern

Taylor is an Edmonds resident and the newest addition to the SLU Chamber team. She recently graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations. In the past, Taylor served as the public relations intern and volunteered as a wish granter at the Spokane Make-A-Wish Foundation. She joined the South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce team as the administrative assistant and events intern in November 2014. Taylor has a passion for being active in her community and looks forward to meeting members when she is out and about in South Lake Union!

#2HoursinSLU - Shine, a department of the SCCA

Carrie Jacobsen and Eileen Hood are the managers of Shine, a retail department of the SCCA.

The name “Shine” is so appropriate for this wonderful SLU mercantile. Managers Eileen and Carrie are beaming as they talk about this gem that they created, where customers can get more than just gifts and retail therapy.  Eileen and Carrie “live, eat and breathe Shine,” with complete devotion to the store and the way it supports the SCCA and SLU communities.

Shine is not your typical general store. Shop proceeds support patient and family programs at the SCCA, and much of their inventory and services cater to the special needs of cancer patients and survivors. They carry a wide variety of inventory, from oncology products to apparel and gifts. The store also offers special services to help their customers beat cancer and take their life back. They offer mastectomy and compression fittings, complimentary head shaves and wig trims by high-end, licensed cosmetologists and a surprising, discrete section focused on sexual intimacy. Customers walk in overwhelmed and exhausted by their battle with cancer, and leave feeling self-confident and empowered.

Carrie and Eileen are self-proclaimed “Seattle girls” and love being part of the SLU community. The store is located at the corner of Pontius Ave. N. and John St., sitting at the very edge of the neighborhood, but right in the middle of where prosperous new developments meet vulnerable, underserved communities in need. Carrie and Eileen’s favorite spots in SLU highlight places near the store that contribute something special to the neighborhood.

Favorite Spots

For a “mean cup of coffee,” along with wonderful tea and pastries, the duo enjoys a quick trip to the nearby Carabiner Coffee Company food truck. Mary’s Kitchen at El Corazon is a fantastic spot to grab some lunch to-go – the fried chicken is to die for.

For serious dog- and people-watching they head to Cascade Playground, which offers many activities for all kinds of humans and canines. Immanuel Community Services at Immanuel Lutheran Church provides a food bank and community-based social services for those in need, bringing to light the disparity in the neighborhood in what Eileen and Carrie feel is a healthy way.

There is a special place in Carrie and Eileen’s hearts for Nollie’s Café, who takes amazing care of their customers, providing special attention to the SCCA patients from the SCCA House and the Pete Gross House. These are people in cancer treatment, often far from home and in an intimidating and unfamiliar place. Nollie’s gets to know them, serves them delicious food, and even offers blankets in their seating area for patients who might get chilled.

Make a Visit to Shine!

Eileen and Carrie are excited to spread the word about their store, and their favorite places. Visit Shine every Friday in December for Fa La La La Fridays, with 20% off for neighbors who come to shop. Please join us as well at the SLU Chamber Holiday Celebration & Shopathon @ Shine on 12/4 from 5-7 p.m. Guests can celebrate the season and shop with a 25% off discount.

#2HoursinSLU - Glazer's Camera

Here to answer this month’s installment is Debbie Porter, Marketing Specialist at Glazer’s Camera. Debbie has been at the long-standing institution for two and a half years. For those that don’t know about Glazer’s, it is THE place to go for all things cameras: digital, film and video. The store was founded in 1935 near Pioneer Square and business was done with handshakes. Fast-forward almost 80 years and they now offer classes, rentals, and host in-store events as well as feature work from various photographers. Glazer’s Camera will be moving in 2016 but not out of South Lake Union. You can follow their blog to get updates on the project as it progresses.

Debbie kindly shared her picks for #2HoursinSLU with us. It involves starting with a delicious cocktail at Re:Public – an Old Fashioned. Re:Public is a great spot to people watch from their patio in the summer. Up next is the buffalo mozzarella and basil wood-fired pizza just down the street at Tom Douglas’ Serious Pie. Debbie shared her favorite spot for snapping photos in SLU, Lake Union Park. With boats, birds, fountains and a view of Gas Works Park across the lake, you can’t go wrong. What is the camera for budding photographers to take those shots? Debbie recommends the Olympus OM-D E-M10 because it has a classic look with modern conveniences, like built-in WiFi and a screen that tilts to those “from the hip” shots.

SLU certainly has plenty of places to practice your photography skills. Thank you, Debbie! We’ll be watching the future Glazer’s Camera go up and can’t wait to see it inside and in action! 

#2HoursinSLU - Cascade Women's Program

Liz Osteen, Mary Guiberson and Emily Jones are part of the team at the 

Cascade Women’s Program, a transitional housing program in South Lake Union.

No one day is ever the same at the Cascade Women’s Program, a service of Compass Housing Alliance that has called South Lake Union home for 16 years.

“Every day at Cascade looks a little different,” says Program Manager Mary Guiberson, “because we work with the women here on an individual level.”

Among the women of Cascade are people with limited education to those with graduate degrees. Teachers. Professionals. Regardless of their background, all have a skill that they can contribute to their community. But for many, those skills are locked away. Trauma is a common experience for many of the women at Cascade. Learning to overcome that trauma to unlock the person within is one of the most valuable outcomes that the program can offer. It starts with the compassion and care of a talented group of case managers.

“The women we serve are a mirror of who we are,” says Emily Jones, the program’s leasing specialist. “They’re no different than any of us.”

For the women in the program, there are two goals: The first, and universal, is to find permanent, affordable housing, says Community Engagement Specialist Liz Osteen. But the second depends on the individual.

“It might be finding a job, or going back to school, or improving their health. Each woman sets her own goal,” Liz says.

While the program helps women look inward for personal development, the women of Cascade also hope to build bridges within the SLU community. From preparing a community meal to volunteering to hosting an exercise, art or nutrition class, there are a number of ways to get involved. One of the most valuable contributions comes in the one-on-one interactions between volunteers and residents of Cascade, for whom a warm smile and friendly conversation can be therapeutic. And, just maybe, a learning experience for the visitor, as well.

“The person you see on the streets is just like you – they’ve just experienced a crisis that has led them to this,” Emily says.

To learn more about the Cascade Women’s Program or to get involved, contact Liz Osteen at losteen@compasshousingalliance.org or 206-474-1831.

The SLU Chamber Office has a new home (again!)

The SLU Chamber office is in the midst of relocating, as our current office location will be under new construction this month.

Our new location is on the corner of Aurora & Republican at 500 Aurora Ave N Seattle, WA 98109. Our mailing address, PO Box 9411, remains the same.    

We may experience limited office hours and availability during the week we're settling in (September 2-5). We appreciate your patience and will respond to inquires ASAP during this transition. Looking forward to your visit to our new office soon 

Call for Nominations for 2015 SLU Chamber Board of Directors

Concurrent with Chamber of Commerce bylaws, the Nominating Committee is considering applications for the Board of Directors. We encourage our members to apply and/or nominate fellow Chamber members for this opportunity to serve the SLU community and promote your business. Qualified candidates must submit a fully completed application by August 25, 2014. Applications are accepted online via this link: bit.ly/SLUChamberBoard

The term of office is for 3 years unless the candidate fills an unexpired term. The Board of Directors currently consists of 14 members. The Board meets once a month for no more than 2 hours. All members of the Board of Directors must attend monthly meetings, Chamber functions and volunteer their time and energy for various Chamber projects. The Board of Directors is expected to serve as positive leaders of the Chamber and to demonstrate their commitment to the Chamber. Specifics regarding time commitments are highlighted on the application form. The Board member must be a member in good standing, and must live and/or work in South Lake Union.

Applicants are selected based upon service in the Chamber as well as background and experience. Unfortunately, we cannot accept every applicant, but we encourage you to continue to apply if you are interested.

Please note, the vetting and process for board member selection includes a meeting with a current board member and/or member of the nominating committee, application review by nominating committee, followed by a slate of selected candidates being presented to the board for a vote. 

#2HoursinSLU – Samuel Sobota

For our fifth installment of #2hoursinslu, we followed Samuel Sobota, an assistant manager and resident at the True North Apartments on Dexter Avenue. He is relatively new to Seattle, after moving here in December from the Portland metro area, and he loves spending time exploring his new neighborhood.

Photo of Samuel at Coal Creek Waterfall

True North apartments, a brand new luxury apartment building that embodies Northwestern culture, is also the location of the August Chamber lunch, which will take place August 20th at the Summit Room. The Summit room at True North is located on the top floor adjacent to the spectacular roof deck, which also happens to be Samuel’s favorite place in South Lake Union to relax. When Samuel is looking to exercise, he can use the bouldering wall or borrow the kayaks available to residents.

Photo from True North roof deck

Samuel and his friend Cat on the roof deck at True North

When asked how he would spend a typical #2hoursinSLU, being a foodie as well as a having studied culinary arts, of course the first thing he mentioned were some of the excellent dining offerings located just blocks away from his home. Cask & Trotter, a homestyle barbeque restaurant, is hands down his favorite restaurant. However, depending on the day, you may catch him for brunch at Portage Bay enjoying their delicious fruit bar, or at New York Pizza’s happy hour enjoying a weekend cocktail. When he is ready for a caffeine fix, he is fortunate that less than a block away, he can walk to Herkimer Coffee for a delicious, handcrafted beverage from their extremely friendly staff.

Happy Hour at New York Pizza

Meal at Cask & Trotter

Samuel also enjoys getting out and about in his neighborhood, especially during the amazing summer days. On a nice day, he may be spending time walking Lola (his “God Dog”) along with her owner, Alli, around the Cheshiahud loop. Sometimes he’ll also enjoy an “urban hike” on the steep staircase located along Dexter Avenue that connects the South Lake Union and Queen Anne neighborhoods.

Samuel, his friend Alli, and “God Dog” Lola at Lake Union Park

View from Kerry Park at the top of the “urban hiking” staircase on Dexter that leads from SLU to Queen Anne

Samuel has thoroughly enjoyed his transition to Seattle. Living in the South Lake Union neighborhood has given him the opportunity to be steps away from some of the best restaurants and most beautiful outdoor spaces in the city.