Seattle Press on Line - Renaissance or Quick Fix?

University District

Renaissance or Quick Fix?

By Abby Freedman

Jul 04, 2002 -- Will new lighting, wider sidewalks be enough to lure shoppers back to the Ave?

Many shoppers hail the Ave. Project as a great idea, but some merchants say this makeover overlooks the real reasons people avoid the Ave.: the graffiti-covered buildings, the worry for personal safety and the street-crime element.

"The reason businesses leave is because of crime," said Holly Burke, owner of Mind's Eye Tattoo. "There's petty crime, vandalism. I've had my windows broken six times in 10 years. And every time a business moves out, what moves in first? Graffiti. That's what drives people away - the seedy atmosphere."

Teresa Lord Hugel, executive director of the Greater University District Chamber of Commerce, says that the proposed renovations may help. She acknowledged that the Ave. is a bit "creepy" at night, because it is so dark. She hopes that the new pedestrian lighting will banish many people's fear. Having the Ave. well-lit could make shoppers feel more at ease on the street, she said.

In addition, Art Broche, community liaison between the businesses and the chamber, has been considering some programs to build an internship program for UW students. This would include public relations for communications majors, marketing for business students, murals in the alleys for artists and even having architecture undergraduates designing new facades for stores.

But Gayle Nowicki, owner of Gargoyles Statuary, emphasizes that the problem is absentee property owners. Many live outside Washington and don't care if their buildings go unrented. In the past eight-and-a-half years, the store across from Gargoyles has had two businesses. Neither lasted more than six months.

"There's graffiti all over it, the paper's falling down inside," she said. "But the [property] owner lives in Mexico. He inherited it, and it's a tax write-off [if it stays empty]. He's probably never even seen it."

Hugel says the construction may encourage shops to relocate into the U-District, shops with staying power. This would hopefully eliminate some of the vacant storefronts. "We want to attract new business to the area to be the cornerstones," she said.

But the problem isn't only aesthetic--people are afraid to come to the area.

"I give my friends free passes to go to the Neptune--sometimes I even get them parking validation tokens," said Dave Grimsrud, building manager of the Neptune Theater. "And they still don't go."

According to Hugel, the Seattle Police Department has been increasing its presence in the area. "We have been vigilant in putting pressure on the SPD," she said. "It's not so much beat cops as undercover cops."

But Kristine Cunningham has noticed a change in police presence. Cunningham is executive director of University Street Ministry, a program for homeless youths.

"We've seen more enforcement," Cunningham said. "There seems to be this perception that they're going to clean up the Ave. All the sudden, there's zero tolerance."

She added that several kids have complained about police harassment. According to Cunningham and several store owners, the SPD will often reprimand street kids when called into the area about drug dealers. One kid complained that he was simply standing on the sidewalk and an officer harassed him. Cunningham hopes that the additional two feet of sidewalk will keep police from citing the kids for disrupting traffic.

Most people on the Ave. don't have a problem with the street kids. It's the drug dealers that bother them. Unfortunately, though, the groups are blending together, which worries Cunningham. Some of her kids are getting lured into drugs, with the dealers giving them freebies to get them hooked. The other method is to let the kids join a community of squatters, but only if they are using or dealing drugs. And as their ranks swell, the dealers are taking over the Ave.

'"I was leaving work the other day," Nowicki said, "and between 47th and 50th, there were scary drug guys out. It was so spooky. The entire left side of the street was full of drug people. On the other side, there were customers, but nobody was going on the left side of the street."

Many local merchants feel that this sort of occurrence, which happens quite regularly, is what keeps potential customers away. Gargoyles even has patrons in Wallingford and Ballard who order through the mail rather than come into the University District.

Hugel, while intent on encouraging the SPD's presence, has a resigned air toward the dealers. "Unfortunately, the U-District is kind of a destination point for drugs. I hear about people from as far away as Carnation getting arrested here, in this area."

But according to Nowicki and Grimsrud, crime and drugs never used to be this bad, and they think a sustained police presence could help the area.

"They're here for, like, a week," Nowicki said, "and then they leave again. I guess they think they've cleaned the area up."

"I've seen the Ave. going downhill," Grimsrud said. "We need more police protection, just to patrol the area. People will eventually go back. This used to be a cool area. Once you eliminate the trouble in an area, people spend money to fix up the shops."

But when Nowicki talked to officers, the prospects for a stable police presence looked grim.

"They told me that someone gets in charge of the project and then, pretty soon, someone transfers them," she said. "So someone else takes over, and they don't have the same issues or priorities."

The officers also informed her that the police budget was being cut, and the U-District was slated for a cutback.

"I guess they think that ours doesn't have enough crime, that other areas are worse," Nowicki said. "But I told them,"'If you don't help our area now, you're looking at a lot of crime in the future.'"

Reader Comments

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Kevin Brown	Jul 09, 2002	u district	Social Worker
To beat the budget cuts at the whim of an administration we need a more sustained presence. I suggest that police open a community policing station in one of the empty storefronts. There is one at third and yesler (downtown) that is helping that area. This is the type of continued focus that will enhance the visibility and give shoppers a sense of security. The street is long, but if this was placed between 45th and 50th, I think it would make a huge difference. I will call the appropriate people, can you also? Signing out in the u-district.


Scott Simpson	Sep 10, 2002	U district	business owner
This article and timely and informative. I have lived across the country at many major college stations and each one has had their own "Ave." Unfortunately the Ave is the first that I have encountered that is has no self reliance, city or community interest and a major draw to bring people around. The culture has been replaced with crime and drug users. The homeless youth cry when they are "harrassed" but why should they be allowed to bring down the local businesses!


sarun	Dec 17, 2004	long beach ca90804	carpenter
My computer too slow it is not normal