Our Crown Hill

OUR CROWN HILL Question #2 Wishes for the QFC building

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The results are in for question #2, “If you could grant one wish for the QFC building (8532 15th Ave NW) what would you like to see there?”   By far, neighbors in Crown Hill wish most for a community grocery store, an alternative to Safeway they can walk to.  Topping the list were either a PCC (Puget Consumers Co-op) or Greenwood Market (possibly renamed Crown Hill Market?).  Other stores on the wish list were a natural food store, Queen Anne Thriftway, Metropolitan Market, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s.  The most local sustainable wish was for a big greenhouse/farmer’s market as it would employ farmers and marketers, contribute taxes, have zero transportation costs for the food, and generate  solar energy!! Win, Win, Win.  Now if there were a developer…

Indoor recreation activities were another big category.  A good wish for rainy Seattle.  Five people are wishing for … a bowling alley!  Other recreation desires include  a roller skating rink, play area for kids (that’s profitable), and a gym.  Another idea was for community center that focuses on teens (check out the Kirkland Teen Urban Building www.ktub.org) or a community center with a coffee shop.  Someone else is wishing for more park space.

Several wishes were for restaurants, for example a neighborhood pub, a bar with cheap food, or  really good Chinese food (yum!);  more retail options; either artist lofts with a store front or condos with retail below; and in general changes that would clean up the area.  Interestingly, one idea was that the increased density would make the neighborhood more lively and support the local retail.  Another wish was for definitely no condos.

Below are everyone’s wishes:

  • Move Greenwood Market there when Fred Meyer expands.
  • I know there’s already one in Broadview but wouldn’t a roller skating rink be fun?  Or maybe they could turn it into a bowling alley since both in Ballard have disappeared for condo development.  Or maybe it could become a community center – okay maybe not.  How about artist lofts – a place where artists in residence could live and then a store front to sell their wares?
  • I would like PCC to take over the store.
  • A community grocer and  a neighborhood bar, with cheap food.
  • A big  greenhouse and combo indoor farmer’s market. The city should build them (hey developer-friendly mayor are you listening ?) and hire farmers and marketers and collect taxes. Solves lots of problems. A good greenhouse will also generate some solar energy. Also, local food has zero transportation costs. Ooh! Green stuff at the 85th and 15th ugly intersection.  So ok, it’s probably a pipe dream.
  • Ideally–if it’s going to close anyway–Greenwood Market would move there.  The QFC is the closest grocery store to our house so we often use it out of convenience though the Greenwood Market is our preferred grocery store for its local-ness.  The location of these two stores was a huge reason we decided to move to the neighborhood; the loss of both would be extremely unfortunate.
  • Whatever ends up taking its place, I hope the new tenants do a better job of upkeep! The parking lot and sidewalk are always strewn with trash. And the planting areas are always overgrown with weeds.
  • Natural food store??
  • Either a PCC or Central Market
  • A park or a garden space.   That part of 15th is very very ugly and greenspace will be a vast improvement.  besides we dont have enuf park space.
  • Bowling alley.
  • That used to be a bowling alley in there. Put it back. We need more rainy day kind of recreation around here.
  • I would like to see the QFC stay there as it is so easy for me to walk to and I don’t like shopping at Safeway. But if it does go away, I would like to see a Whole Foods or Metropolitan Market. Definitely no condos!!!!
  • A bowling alley, a park and ride for the new fast 15th Ave bus–I guess they would need a bridge to get to the s-bound side, a trader joes, pizzeria & other restaurants and shops, somehow use that big indoor space as a play/exercise area for kids that could be profitable–a Little Gym? Lil’ Kickers?
  • Assuming the building remains I am not so sure what could go in there that would look like it actually belongs.  Since we already have a Value Village that won’t work.  I am hopeful the building will be leveled and someone will build a huge condominium complex there with retail spaces on the ground floor for businesses, maybe a couple more good places to eat.  If we could get some more density up here I think we would see our local businesses clean up a bit and it would make Crown Hill a more lively place.  Wouldn’t it be great if the cheesy strip club went away?  .
  • PCC – the space is much larger than the Greenlake location, and would attract a new segment to the PCC. Also would maximize on a product that is currently underrepresented in the area.
  • REI – great to have more retail options in the area, and lots of folks in the neighborhood enjoy outdoor activities.
  • The Crown Hill Community Center and coffeehouse.
  • Queen Ann Thriftway!
  • A PCC
  • I wrote a letter to the PCC Board and management, similar but not identical to the one from Bill Bryant, suggesting a PCC at the former QFC site.
  • How about a bowling alley?
  • A Wendy’s and an Outback Steakhouse or Bucca De Beppo Restaurants.
  • Community center that focuses on activities for teens. Like the Kirland Teen Union Building (empowers young people to become active, caring and responsible members of the community). It is sponsored by joint non-profit community organizations that serve the youth in Kirkland. Here is their website: http://www.ktub.org/
  • A new PCC store. (Puget Consumers Coop). A walkable/bikeable source of excellent food.
  • A gym/health club. A friendly neighborhood pub, classier than Goofy’s. Some really good Chinese food.
Our Crown Hill

The results are in for question #2, “”If you could grant one wish for the QFC building what would you like to see there?”   By far, neighbors in Crown Hill wish most for a

community grocery store, an alternative to Safeway they can walk to.  Topping the list were either a PPC (Puget Comsumers Co-op) or Greenwood Market (possibly

renamed Crown Hill Market?).  Other stores on the wish list were a natural food store, Queen Anne Thriftway, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s.  The most local

sustainable wish was for a big greenhouse/farmer’s market as it would employ farmers and marketers, contribute taxes, zero transportation costs for the food, and could

generate  solar energy!! Win, Win, Win.  Now if there were a developer…

Indoor recreation activities were another big catergory.  Surprise, five people are wishing for a bowling alley! Other recreation desires include  a roller skating rink, play

area for kids (that’s profitable), and a gym.  Another idea was for community center that focuses on teens (check out the Kirkland Teen Urban Building www.ktub.org) or

a community center with a coffee shop.

Several wishes were for restaurants, for example a neighborhood pub with cheap food or a really good chinese food (yum!); housing, more retail options; and either artist

lofts with a gallery or condos with retail below.  Interestingly, one idea was that the increased density would make the neighborhood more lively and support the local

retail.  Another wish was for no condos.

To read everyone’s responses
WWF arena
Move Greenwood Market there when Fred Meyer expands
I know there’s already one in Broadview but wouldn’t a roller skating rink be fun?  Or maybe they could turn it into a bowling alley since both in Ballard have disappeared

for condo development.  Or maybe it could become a community center – okay maybe not.  How about artist lofts – a place where artists in residence could live and then

a store front to sell their wares?
I would like PCC to take over the store.
a community grocer and  a neighborhood bar, with cheap food
A big  greenhouse and combo indoor farmer’s market. The city should build them (hey developer-friendly mayor are you listening ?) and hire farmers and marketers and

collect taxes. Solves lots of problems. A good greenhouse will also generate some solar energy. Also, local food has zero transportation costs. Ooh! Green stuff at the

85th and 15th ugly intersection.  So ok, it’s probably a pipe dream.
Ideally–if it’s going to close anyway–Greenwood Market would move there.  The QFC is the closest grocery store to our house so we often use it out of convenience

though the Greenwood Market is our preferred grocery store for its local-ness.  The location of these two stores was a huge reason we decided to move to the

neighborhood; the loss of both would be extremely unfortunate.
Whatever ends up taking its place, I hope the new tenants do a better job of upkeep! The parking lot and sidewalk are always strewn with trash. And the planting areas

are always overgrown with weeds.
Natural food store??
Either a PCC or Central Market
a park or a garden space.   that part of 15th is very very ugly and greenspace will be a vast improvement.  besides we dont have enuf park space.
Bowling alley.
That used to be a bowling alley in there. Put it back. We need more rainy day kind of recreation around here.
I would like to see the QFC stay there as it is so easy for me to walk to and I don’t like shopping at Safeway. But if it does go away, I would like to see a Whole Foods or

Metropolitan Market. Definitely no condos!!!!
a bowling alley, a park and ride for the new fast 15th Ave bus–I guess they would need a bridge to get to the s-bound side, a trader joes, pizzeria & other restaurants and

shops, somehow use that big indoor space as a play/exercise area for kids that could be profitable–a Little Gym? Lil’ Kickers?
Assuming the building remains I am not so sure what could go in there that would look like it actually belongs.  Since we already have a Value Village that won’t work.  I

am hopeful the building will be leveled and someone will build a huge condominium complex there with retail spaces on the ground floor for businesses, maybe a couple

more good places to eat.  If we could get some more density up here I think we would see our local businesses clean up a bit and it would make Crown Hill a more lively

place.  Wouldn’t it be great if the cheesy strip club went away?  .
PCC – the space is much larger than the Greenlake location, and would attract a new segment to the PCC. Also would maximize on a product that is currently

underrepresented in the area.
REI – great to have more retail options in the area, and lots of folks in the neighborhood enjoy outdoor activities.
The Crown HIll Community Center and coffeehouse.
Queen Ann Thriftway!
A PCC
I wrote a letter to the PCC Board and management, similar but not identical to the one from Bill Bryant, suggesting a PCC at the former QFC site.
How about a bowling alley?
A Wendy’s and an Outback Steakhous or Bucca De Beppo Restaurants.
Community center that focuses on activities for teens. Like the Kirland Teen Union Building (empowers young people to become active, caring and responsible members

of the community). It is sponsored by joint non-profit community organizations that serve the youth in Kirkland. Here is their website: http://www.ktub.org/
A new PCC store. (Puget Consumers Coop). A walkable/bikeable source of excellent food.
A gym/health club. A friendly neighborhood pub, classier than Goofy’s. Some really good Chinese food.

2 thoughts on “OUR CROWN HILL Question #2 Wishes for the QFC building”

  1. What’s wrong with condos? More population density means less commuter traffic, a richer community, and less suburban development. Those people have to live somewhere – better to put them where there already are not trees to cut down or pipes to lay!

    My choice would be for multiple small businesses in a single space ala Crossroads in Bellevue, with a central community space in the middle.

  2. Indeed. The location under discussion is located within the Crown Hill Residential Urban Village, and as such the whole area is eventually slated for more density. Ballard’s Hub Urban Village is an example of increased density doing all of those things. It is more efficient to provide city services, transportation, amenities, etc. to dense developments (high-rise, condos, apartment blocks) than to sparse developments (single-family residential). The trick to making the dense developments work is to provide the services (particularly transportation) and amenities (e.g. open space/gathering spaces) that make it workable.

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