WADOT has released sketches of “Option E” (formerly “Plan 9”), state House Speaker Frank Chopp’s pet alternative for replacing the Viaduct.
Imagine a milelong building, filled with office and retail, 90 feet wide and 55 feet tall, stretching from King Street to Victor Steinbrueck Park.
And on top of that would be a massive park.
Or as Will likes to call it, “Suicide Park.”
I guess the artist’s rendering is pretty and all, but imagine the view from the other side. The side shrouded in darkness for all but a couple hours each day around noon. We’re talking about a 90 feet wide, 55 feet tall, milelong wall separating Seattle’s waterfront from the rest of the downtown… and if you think that’s gonna happen, I’ve got an eight-lane 520 bridge to sell you.
UPDATE:
A reader emails me with another image of what the “Viaduct Mall” might look like:
Oooh… purty.
Just think of the tax revenues it would generate.
“And on top of that would be a massive park.”
In other words, on top of the building would basically be a mile-long Victor Steinbrueck Park.
In case anyone’s forgotten what this park looks like, here’s a picture…
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/.....market.jpg
Yuck!
Btw. McCain isn’t the only one dogging out on debates.
The Bums will love it!
There are “dreamers” and “visionaries”.
“Dreamers” are willing to spend tens of millions of other people’s money (OPM) to fantasize with designs and pipedreams that are unaffordable or impractical.
“TRUE Visionaries” can also see cons and consequences to their “dreams”
Is this a Dream or a Vision???
I understand from Republicans that a true visionary should be able to imagine Putin’s head floating through space.
And put up another!
Is he crazy? Is this what he was suggesting last year when he stood in the way of other solutions?
And you guys say Republicans are out of touch with the voters? This guy Chopp is out of touch with reality!
Goldy:
On this issue you are terminally full of shit. The Viaduct is there because there needs to be another relatively limited access traffic corridor through Seattle in addition to I-5.
You “beautiful Seattle” yuppie scum haven’t proposed any alternative that would maintain traffic capacity or traffic mobility. There will only be *more* traffic in the next 25 years, and not less.
Nobody is going to abandon private transportation because the Green Taliban in this town thinks they should.
Even Chopp’s plan cuts the three lanes in each direction down to two, which sucks. But it’s better than the insane, irresponsible, gridlock-inducing “surface option” that has the Friends of Seattle (FOS also stands for Full of Shit) crowd creaming in their jeans.
Before too long we will have biodiesel from algae and ethanol from switchgrass, and there will be more, not fewer, cars and trucks on the roads. They will need more, not less, right of way.
I am for building as much mass transit infrastructure as we can, and it should take priority. We need all the additional right of way we can get. But that includes roads, and that includes some kind of elevated highway where the Viaduct now serves.
I piss on the architects and the design parasites. They’re just out to build their portfolios. I’m just trying to get to Ballard without it taking all day.
Was going to post something lengthy, but ivan @ #8 sums it up nicely. Why are we still sucking ass to Real Estate Speculators in Green Clothes?
Couple of quick comments. The “wall” would be punctured at every cross-street with an 80-100 foot wide opening, for peds, bicycles, horse carriages, etc. One of those openings could also allow the heritage streetcar line to get back onto the waterfront. I’m a nominal “surfact option” supporter, but I find Frank’s idea exciting and worth pursuing further.
Also, this elevated corridor does NOT need to include bus/HOV lanes. Virtually ALL buses that might operate on this corridor will enter downtown to deposit and pick up riders, and the buses will enter downtown before they would get to the new viaduct.
Only a handful of buses, if ANY, would ever use this new structure to bypass downtown. With downtown Seattle being the largest transit destination in the region, there’s almost no market for transit bypass routes.
@ 9:
We’re still sucking up to real estate speculators in Green Clothes because they portray themselves as “young” and “hip” and “trendy” and “edgy” and “progressive” and “green,” and they use meaningless buzzwords and expressions like “sustainable” and “vibrant” and “world-class.”
And all the gullible fools who want to be “young” and “hip” and “trendy” and “vibrant” (never forget to use the word “vibrant;” it gives some of them a stiffie and makes others wet inside) salivate like Pavlov’s dogs.
(Never forget to use the word “progressive,” even though nobody knows what the fuck that means either.)
They follow any fool who spouts this nonsense (see Moon, Cary) and they even elect some of them (see Tarleton, Gael) and support others (see Carlyle, Reuven).
Thanks to all the people mentioned above for helping me keep my bullshit detector finely tuned.
I think there is something kinda of culty about this “urban design” thing. If you question it, then they say you are obviously in favor of the ugliest option possible; a green version of the sentiment, “you are either with us, or you are with the terrorists”. Sometimes things that are beautifully functional are ugly. Asking people to give up functionality for expensive upscale design drives people into the hands of Republican opportunists.
The people visiting Seattle can watch the Bums and Crazys’ golden shower all of the cruise ship passengers on the waterfront! YAY
An elevated highway doesn’t solve the very expensive seawall problem. A trench could do just that. I’m beginning to like that idea.
It looks like the high speed chase scene in
one of the early Star Wars movies. And there
is somewhere for everyone to pee.