Construction along the Leschi waterfront will be postponed through the end of August while the City and contractor develop a plan to reduce the impact on businesses.
The marina construction project in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood will be postponed until late August while the city and its contractor develop a plan to reduce the project’s impact on local businesses.
KING 5 received the update from the Leschi Community Council on Wednesday night following a community meeting addressing concerns from business owners and residents about the construction.
Dozens of people packed into Grace United Methodist Church, where Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth announced a temporary solution: reopening parking spaces next to Bluwater Bistro during the busy Mother’s Day weekend.
Bluwater Bistro owner Bart Evans told KING 5 the marina renovation project began Monday without warning, eliminating about 140 parking spaces overnight and bringing commerce in the waterfront district to a halt.
“The indifference coming out of the city is deafening,” Evans said.
He said sales dropped 80% on Monday, just as the busy season was beginning for Leschi businesses.
“We scrape by all winter to make it to this sunburst of May, Mother’s Day weekend, and then Monday morning the city just shows up with flatbed trucks and chain-link fences and barricades our business,” Evans said. “It’s insane.”
Evans said the impact could have been reduced if the city and contractor had followed through on previous commitments regarding the project timeline and parking access.
“We were told the lot would be open weekends and nights, we were told the impact would be minimal and we were told the work would be done in the fall,” Evans said. “False, false, false.”
Hollingsworth acknowledged the breakdown, calling it a mistake caused by failed communication between the city and contractor.
“It’s definitely a mistake, and we definitely want to improve that process,” Hollingsworth said. “I’ve been listening to the people in Leschi, and we want to make sure we have solutions.”
According to Hollingsworth, the city will begin reopening parking spaces this weekend, and construction will pause May 15. Work is expected to resume in late August or early September.
Evans said he appreciates Hollingsworth’s intervention and understands the need for the renovation, but said the loss of business during May will still have a major impact.
“It’s still the middle of May. It’s half a month,” Evans said. “We’ve got a gun to our heads here. We’ll take whatever ground we can gain.”
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