Eastside Transit Fantasies: Gondolas and Mosquitos

Interesting thought piece yesterday on the Seattle Transit Blog speculating about the value of a gondola connecting key destinations in Issaquah as a way to reduce street traffic. Very cool idea, particularly in light to the lack of walkable connections between the Issaquah Highlands and the commercial areas of lower Issaquah. As one commenter noted, even a single connection between Swedish Hospital and Front St would be a good start. I would also think it would be worthwhile to consider connections with Issaquah communities like Providence Point, where retirees currently rely on cars or infrequent shuttle services to access shopping areas in Issaquah (and Sammamish). Gondolas have proven to be cost efficient (one commenter estimates between $4M-$12M per mile), environmentally friendly alternatives to buses and light rail infrastructure in urban areas with steep terrain. Examples include the Portland Aerial Tram and the Medellin Metrocable in Colombia. Excited to see if this innovative concept gets any traction at the city or regional level.

Issaquah Gondola

A post the day before on the Downtown Bellevue blog discussed a new bill being considered in the Washington State Legislature that could facilitate small, fast passenger ferry service (a "Mosquito Fleet") connecting cities on the eastside of Lake Washington with Seattle destinations like the University of Washington.  Theoretically this could help ease vehicle traffic congestion on I-90 and SR-520 and create additional walkable city opportunities on both sides of the lake. Back in the day I used to joke with my wife about kayaking from my neighborhood near Lake Washington to my office at Amazon in South Lake Union... I never did do that, but I definitely would have considered hopping on a ferry in Meydenbauer Bay that would whisk me to the office in 30mins. Here's hoping that this gets some traction and that commuters get one more alternative to using their cars to cross the lake.

Bellevue Could See Expanded Water Transit Under New Legislation

Two Highly Anticipated Restaurants Axe Plans for Downtown Bellevue

Double bummer! As reported in two separate stories in the Puget Sound Business Journal this week it looks like a couple of very different, but equally significant restaurants planned for downtown Bellevue have pulled the plug on their plans. One is the fine dining Angler concept that was being developed by San Francisco Michelin Star chef Joshua Skenes, planned for the visually interesting, but commercially challenged Avenue Bellevue development on NE 8th. The other is Pinstripes, a large format activities (bowling/bocce) and pizza casual dining format that was intended for the large street level pavilion attached to the recently completed, Amazon occupied 555 Tower on 108th NE.  This is not a total surprise to downtown watchers, since there hasn't been much activity associated with the development of either project since their announcements... and the Pinstripes site has had For Lease signs up for a few weeks. 

I'm sure there are some company and site specific issues associated with each of these situations. However, in general this points to challenges that restaurants are facing across the board. On the national level increased cost of goods, expensive financing, labor shortages and the ratcheting back of corporate expense accounts have caused pain. Locally the exceptionally high cost of labor and rents just compile the pain. I'm also convinced that people are eating out less often, due to higher prices restaurants need to charge to make their businesses work and, to some extent, due to folks becoming more adept in the kitchen at home.. a trend that started with the pandemic and continues to be fueled by TikTok, YouTube, etc.

That said, I hope we see new concepts for both of these locations show up soon. The 555 Tower location particularly should become increasingly attractive as Amazon brings more workers into the office in downtown Bellevue and as the light rail deposits commuters from Seattle a block east later this year (fingers crossed) and new tenants fill the void left by Microsoft at City Center. The Avenue Bellevue space might take a bit longer, as new ownership develops a holistic strategy for the property.

Michelin-starred chef scraps plans for Avenue Bellevue restaurant (paywall)

Pinstripes space at Amazon-leased Bellevue tower goes back on the market (paywall)