Pike Place Market PDA CONTACT Emily Crawford Pike Place Market 85 Pike Street, Room 500 Seattle, Wash. 98101 Phone: (206) 774-5278 emily.crawford@pikeplacemarket.org www.pikeplacemarket.org/marketfront MEDIA CONTACTS Jason Hamilton / Kimberly French Richmond Public Relations 1411 Fourth Avenue, Suite 610 Seattle, Wash. 98101 Phone: (206) 682-6979 Fax: (206) 682-7062 jasonh@richmondpr.com / kimberlyf@richmondpr.com Pike Place MarketFront: A 40-Year Vision to Complete the Market Historic District OVERVIEW For the first time in 40 years, Pike Place Market is growing with the MarketFront. The Market-centric expansion will reclaim an underutilized surface parking lot on Western Avenue, and create a dynamic public plaza with views of Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains, table space for farmers, craftspeople and artisan purveyors, retail space, low-income housing, a neighborhood center and parking. The site is within the 9 acre Market Historic District and was part of advocacy group Friends of the Market s original plan for the Market after it was saved from urban renewal demolition plans in the 60s. The MarketFront will complete the historic district, created in 1971. Its design and use were created in accordance of Market historic district guidelines and the Pike Place Market charter.
Pike Place MarketFront Page 2 of 7 SITE HISTORY The Municipal Market building formerly occupied the site. It caught fire and was subsequently torn down in 1974, the same year the site was included in the Pike Place Market historic district. Multiple feasibility studies and development proposals in the following years failed to be economically viable, due in part to the active Burlington Northern Santa Fe train tunnel beneath the site. 1903: Construction of the Burlington Northern train tunnel 1909: Site looking southwest after construction 1920: Municipal Market built by Market developer Frank Goodwin 1974: The Municipal Market catches fire 2015: Current site with remnants of the foundation from the Municipal Market visible in the foreground
Pike Place MarketFront Page 3 of 7 TIMING OF THE MARKETFRONT After decades of study, the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA) will realize what has been a decades-long goal. The timing and opportunity to build the $73 million project is driven by the future replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct; the MarketFront will deliver 300 parking spaces before the Viaduct removal. The expansion, designed by The Miller Hull Partnership, is the first piece of the greater central waterfront development to move forward. The MarketFront s location on the western edge of the Market will provide future access to the James Corner designed central waterfront development via the Overlook Walk, and create a dynamic link from the west to the Market and downtown. KEY FEATURES 30,000 square feet of open public space encompassing a public plaza and viewing deck from the Desimone Bridge 47 new rooftop day stalls for farmers and artists 12,000 square feet of commercial and retail space for artisan purveyors Multiple direct access points to the waterfront 40 new units of low-income, senior housing A new Neighborhood Center with expanded social services 300 covered parking spaces; 33 bicycle spaces Multiple public art installations
Pike Place MarketFront Page 4 of 7 PROJECT TIMELINE Construction will begin in the spring of 2015 with a scheduled completion date in late 2016. The PDA has pre-leased with four vendors, including an on-site brewery and gastro-pub, artisan biscuit maker, chocolatier and a seafood tapas bar.
Pike Place MarketFront Page 5 of 7 PROJECT PARTNERS The Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA) is leading the project with support from the City of Seattle, oversight from the Market Historical Commission and with input from the Market community. The Miller Hull Partnership created the design. Project management is led by the Seattle-based firm SOJ. Sellen Construction is the general contractor and construction manager. The Pike Place Market Foundation is leading a $9 million capital fundraising campaign. FUNDING Funding for the $73 million project comes from the PDA, parking mitigation funds from the City of Seattle and WSDOT, a $9 million capital fundraising campaign led by The Market Foundation, low income housing tax credits, grants, PDA equity and debt, new market tax credits and grant funds. The PDA funded the initial exploratory design concepts along with support from the City of Seattle. PIKE UP! Pike Up! is a $9 million capital campaign launched by The Market Foundation to help fund the MarketFront project. For the first time in 20 years, Market supporters have the opportunity to engrave a name or message into Pike Place Market history through Market Charms, which will hang on the new MarketFront as an art installation, or bronze Piggybank Hoofprints, leading to the MarketFront Plaza. Learn more: www.pikeup.org
Pike Place MarketFront Page 6 of 7 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How will the Pike Place MarketFront affect the Market I know and love? The existing historic marketplace will not be significantly altered with this expansion. The only changes to the existing Market will be additional doors leading out of the Desimone Bridge (the somewhat U- shaped walkway in the heart of the crafts market) to the west, across Western Avenue and the expansion of the existing parking garage. How will the MarketFront fit in with the historic Pike Place Market? This expansion project poses an interesting challenge for building new construction in a historic district. Project architects have incorporated simple and utilitarian materials including heavy timber, galvanized steel and concrete, to create a familiar Market backdrop, with fresh expressions of Pacific Northwest industrial toughness to retain the character of the Market. Additional Market attributes such as public art, vibrant landscaping and a bronze piggy bank will also be part of the new site. How will the Pike Place Market MarketFront connect to the new central waterfront? The Central Waterfront Redevelopment is scheduled to be complete in approximately 2020. Our project architects are coordinating directly with the James Corner Field Operations design team to create a seamless connection from the MarketFront to the future Overlook Walk that will lead pedestrians down to Seattle s new waterfront. In the interim there will be a small path leading from the edge of the Pike Place Market site to the waterfront. The MarketFront timeline and project milestones are independent of the Central Waterfront Redevelopment; the MarketFront is slated to be completed in 2016, before the Viaduct removal. Will I still be able to see Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and my favorite view? Yes! The architects of the project, The Miller Hull Partnership, took into account all of the views from the Market and from various vantage points north, south, east and west, and lowered the height of the project until nearly all existing sight lines were preserved. This was a vital part of the public hearings and comments regarding the project from 2011-2013. Approximately 30,000 square feet of new accessible public space with spectacular views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, Mount Rainier and the Seattle waterfront and will also include much needed public seating, ADA accessible walkways, public event and gathering space and landscaping. What were the driving elements in creating the Pike Place Market MarketFront? In the last 30 years, there have been numerous studies on how this site could expand the Market in a more meaningful way. The various plans have always centered around three key elements: providing more parking for the Market s vendors, tenants, residents, workers and visitors; providing more housing for low-income seniors; and creating more open public space. The site will provide all three key elements, with 300 parking spaces accessible from Western Avenue, 40 units of low-income housing, and 30,000-square-feet of public space with room for farm and craft tables. Did the Market community get to have a say? Extensive community involvement has played a vital role in the process to date. With plans for the waterfront redevelopment accelerating and removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct announced, it became clear to the PDA that it was time to address how the Market could connect with the waterfront in a way that would be true to the Market s history and character. The PDA Charter requires public disclosure
Pike Place MarketFront Page 7 of 7 and a review process for actions that may have a substantial effect on Market merchants, tenants, residents and others in the Market community, and this includes projects like the MarketFront. Frequent public meetings were held at which Market community members provided input on the various concepts presented. The current design of the MarketFront reflects those comments, particularly in respect to maintaining views, creating public space and seating, preserving the traditional character of the Market and providing weather protection. These public meetings continue and are announced on the PDA s MarketFront web page and through community notices, which can be viewed at www.pikeplacemarket.org/marketfront. Additionally, all comments are entered into the public record and all PDA Council and committee meetings are open to the public with a designated time for public comment at the beginning and end of every meeting. All of the public presentations and documents related to the project are on the Pike Place Market website at www.pikeplacemarket.org/marketfront-documents What low-income housing and social services will be part of the project and why? Pike Place Market is more than just fresh produce, seafood, and bouquets of locally grown flowers. The Market is home to more than 400 low-income residents and five social service agencies that support more than 11,000 vulnerable children, families and seniors annually. The MarketFront offers the PDA and Market Foundation the opportunity to honor and uphold one of the key purposes of the Market, to preserve and expand the residential community, especially for low income people. Forty units of low-income senior housing are located on southern portion of the project. Thirty-three units are intended for low-income seniors with seven designed to accommodate live-work space for low-income senior artists. Housing for low-income seniors has been identified as one of the most significant emerging needs in downtown and in the Market neighborhood. When available, housing applications will be announced and published on the Market s website on the residential pages: www.pikeplacemarket.org/residential What kind of public art will be on the site? Beginning in November 2013, The Market Foundation and Market volunteers conducted a public art selection process to identify local artists to develop unique art installations for this site. In March 2014 a public open house with the seven art finalists was held in the Market. Stay tuned for news on the selection of artists and development of art concepts. The Market Foundation is working with human service providers to expand the vision and scope of vital services available to our low-income neighbors. Will this public space be safe? The PDA takes the safety and security of our local shoppers, residents, commercial tenants and millions of annual visitors very seriously. As such, the Market s own security team patrols the Market Historic District 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new MarketFront will be an integral part of the Market security beat and receive the same attention and care as the rest of the Market.