Holding symbolic ice axes, the core constituents for The Whittaker multi-use project at Fauntleroy Way SW and Alaska Street SW, were there for the official groundbreaking of the project. From left they are, Tee Ayer, Whole Foods lead store designer, Lance Sherwood, Senior Development Manager at Weingarten Realty Investors, Dianne Roberts, Jim Whittaker, Brad Reisinger, president of Lennar Multifamily Communities, and Nancy Woodland, President of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the multi-use project, future home of Whole Foods and and hundreds of apartments called the Whittaker was held on Nov. 13 on the site at Fauntleroy Way SW and Alaska Street SW with community members, and the project's namesake in attendance.
When complete in 2015 the 68,617 SF mixed use development will be anchored by Whole Foods with 276 on-site parking stalls designated for retail. The West Seattle Triangle that this site is part of has been growing by over 3.2% since 2010 within 2-miles and mid-rise residential developments are under construction or planned that will continue to spur growth in the area.
It is expected to generate 1,000 construction jobs during development along with 400 new retail jobs.
Speaking at the ceremony were Tee Ayer, lead store designer for Whole Foods Brad Reisinger, president of Lennar Multifamily Communities, Lance Sherwood, Senior Development Manager at Weingarten Realty Investors, Whittaker's wife, Dianne Roberts, Jim Whittaker, Brad Reisinger, president of Lennar Multifamily Communities, and Nancy Woodland, President of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
The event was mountain themed, with several references to this being the "basecamp" since it's namesake Jim Whittaker is famous for being the first American to summit Mt. Everest. Whittaker recounted growing up in West Seattle, where he first learned to climb and gained his love of the outdoors when his parents said, "go outside and play."
Though he and his wife Dianne Roberts now live in Port Townsend he recalled that he had three homes in West Seattle which he still considers home.
He noted that one of the conditions to putting his name on the project was to "connect this place with nature" and that he and his wife both believe that "No child should be left inside."
He thinks the development in West Seattle is "great" since in his memory he recalled swimming in a mud hole on the site of Colman Pool, and has seen the community grow.
"From this base camp we go out from here, you can sail from here to all the cities in the world, " Whittaker said.
Whittaker concluded, "It took us three years to climb Everest, so we've got two years here, no big deal, working together it's going to be a hell of a program."
