Sunset Bowl

21st Century Viking: What happened to Sunset Bowl?

Guest — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:53:14 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 03/18/2013 - 10:53am

Photo by Brian LeBlanc

By Brian LeBlanc

In February 2013, the first residents started to move into the AVA Ballard complex on NW Market St and 14th Ave NW where Sunset Bowl once stood. Back in 2008, there was hope that the Sunset could be saved and moved to a new location in Ballard or that a new bowling alley would open in the new building. What happened to those ideas? How are we going to create similar communities in the Ballard of the future?

In early 2008, the owners of Sunset Bowl sold the property to AvalonBay for $13.2 million and the bowling alley closed later that spring. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is a publicly traded corporation that, according to their website, “is in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing high-quality apartment communities in the high barrier-to-entry markets of the United States.”

Ballard resident Jim Bristow saw the 24-hour bowling alley as a vital part of the neighborhood and started the “Save Sunset Bowl” campaign. He gathered over 4,000 signatures and offered to put up $100,000 of his own money to step in and purchase the Sunset Bowl. AvalonBay offered Bristow a one-year lease on the building while he tried to find another location in Ballard or Interbay. At the same time, the economy was tanking and taking over a bowling alley was going to be a big risk. A contractor by trade, his goal wasn’t to manage a bowling alley but to keep one in Ballard and “hand over the reins.” Alternate sites were considered, including the old Nelson Chevrolet building (now the Hilliard’s brewery) on NW 49th St and the property next to the Hjarta building on Market Street, but unfortunately nothing materialized. “If the economy hadn’t gone the way it did at the time, I was 80 percent sure something would have happened,” Bristow said.

Bristow also talked with AvalonBay representatives about designing a bowling alley that could operate in the AVA Building, and even talked to architects about the idea. While AvalonBay representatives verbally promised him -- and the News-Tribune -- that they would consider the idea, Bristow is not sure how serious they were. Bristow said he understands that AvalonBay is a business that builds high-end apartments and that having a bowling alley in the building might have been a concern for potential renters. His intent was never to disrupt the project but to work with them to keep a bowling alley in Ballard.

I contacted the AvalonBay to ask what retail stores were scheduled to open in the AVA building and whether a bowling alley was ever considered but was unable to talk with any representatives on the record before this piece was submitted.

Now, where a uniquely Ballard hangout spot once stood is an apartment and retail complex that is not much different from the others that have sprung up along Market Street in the past five years. I don’t begrudge the owners of the Sunset for selling their land nor AvalonBay for building their newest complex on what is now prime real estate. The question now is how and when are we going to create a similar community resource for Ballard in the 21st century?

The opening of the AVA is the sign that the Ballard of the future is already here. Ballard is no longer a quiet Norwegian fishing neighborhood, but rather it is rapidly becoming part of Downtown Seattle. Part of this rapid change means that a lot of things that used to make Ballard unique are passing from the scene. At the same time, the fact that our community is changing means it is still alive and evolving!

In the end, you can't wait for someone else to create the next Sunset Bowl. You need to put yourself out there and make an impact on the Ballard community.

We also have to welcome our new neighbors who live in places like the AVA and get them to fall in love with this neighborhood like I did when I first arrived. We can forge the Ballard community of the 21st Century together.

With some luck, maybe we’ll get to talk about it someday after we bowl a couple of frames.

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Hotel Ballard to open in May

Guest — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:09:36 +0000

Guest (not verified) Thu, 02/21/2013 - 10:09am

Artist rendering courtesy of Hotel Ballard

Say hello to Hotel Ballard.

Ballard's first four-story, four-star hotel will be officially be opening in May at 5216 Ballard Avenue NW by the Olympic Athletic Club, which owns the hotel, bringing "classic old world charm to Ballard."

With 29 rooms, the guest rooms and suites range from $189 to $429 a night, and feature a king bed, ample room to work with a desk and complimentary wi-fi, in-room entertainment on HD plasma screen TVs, "exquisite" linens and down comforters, and more. Hotel Ballard also boasts panoramic views of the city and the Olympic Mountains. Underground parking will provide space for 60 cars.

Since it will be in the Ballard Ave Landmarks District, the owner said the design both distinguishes itself from the historic buildings and pays tribute to them, using handmade stucco, sandstone and wood panels as a modern interpretation of the "notable neighbors" it stands next to.

"We wanted to build a hotel that would not only be an extension of the Olympic Athletic Club and offer a respite for locals, but a place where travelers can come and celebrate special occasions as well as enjoy all that Ballard has to offer," said Hotel Ballard owner and developer James Riggle in a statement. "The hotel truly will have a ‘home away from home’ feel."

On street-level will be a restaurant, Stoneburner, which will be run by Bastille Cafe and Bar's own chef Jason Stoneburner. Jason was just nominated hottest chef in Seattle by Eater.com. According to Seattle Met, the new restaurant will focus on handmade pizzas and pastas. It will also have an event space on top of the hotel.

However, the hotel has not been without its controversy. A local attorney, Mike Kahrs (who now heads the Central Ballard Residents Association) attempted to appeal the design, citing concerns about parking and traffic. He later dropped the appeal, saying he and the Olympic Athletic Club owner Jim Riggle were working together to address the issue.

Puget Sound Business Journal also reports the hotel is being built on the site of Ballard's first bowling alley, but we're not sure what they are referring to. In any case: No, they don't mean Sunset Bowl, and no a new bowling alley is not being built on the bottom floor.

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Ballard Big Picture: F is for...

michaelh — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:04:39 +0000

michaelh Fri, 06/11/2010 - 1:04pm

Artists Pam Gray and Anne Baumgartner install the F panel, which includes a finch, the flag of Finland, footprints and flowers, of their "On the Fence" project June 10. CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE PANELS.

Michael Harthorne

Local artists Pam Gray and Anne Baumgartner snuck in the installation of more panels for their "On the Fence" project at the Avalon Ballard site June 10 before the rains set in.

"On the Fence" is a series of collage panels, each inspired by a different letter of the alphabet, that will decorate the fence surrounding the vacant lot on the corner Market Street and 14th Avenue Northwest where the Sunset Bowl once stood.

In the first few days "On the Fence" panels have been up, Gray and Baumgartner have already learned a handful of lessons.

For example, what goes up on the fence may not stay on the fence. The beaver from the B panel was stolen soon after the panel was put up.

Also, cardboard does not withstand rain well. Baumgartner and Gray will be moving forward with waxed cardboard and plastic parts donated from a nearby sign shop to combat the weather.

The artists eventually plan to install a panel for all 26 letters of the alphabet.

Ballard Big Picture is a column of scenes from around the neighborhood. If you would like to submit a photo for use on this site and in the Ballard News-Tribune, please send it to Michael Harthorne at michaelh@robinsonnews.com. Be sure to include your name and information about your photo.

Weather delays vacant lot art installation

michaelh — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:15:26 +0000

michaelh Thu, 06/03/2010 - 9:15am

Ballard artists installed a test panel for their piece "On the Fence" at the vacant lot at 1400 N.W. Market St. on April 29. The June 1 installation of the project has been delayed due to weather.

Courtesy of Anne Baumgartner/Pam Gray

The recent inclement weather has forced local artists to delay the installation of their piece "On the Fence" at the vacant lot on the corner of Market Street and 14th Avenue Northwest.

Anne Baumgartner and Pam Gray originally planned to begin installing the collage panels, each one representing a letter, on the fence surrounding the lot June 1. Because of the rain, Baumgartner said they will now wait until next week.

In the first wave of installation, Baumgartner and Gray will be installing four or five panels. They said they hope to eventually have panels for all 26 letters.

The lot, the former home of Sunset Bowl, is owned by AvalonBay Communities. The six-story, 271-unit, mixed-use Avalon Ballard development passed final reviews in November 2009, allowing construction to begin at any time, but there is no set timeline for development of the site.

Artists turning vacant lot into Ballard collage

michaelh — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:21:32 +0000

michaelh Wed, 05/26/2010 - 11:21am

Artists Anne Baumgartner and Pam Gray hold up components of the B panel, part of their "On the Fence" project that will be installed in the vacant lot at the corner of 14th Avenue Northwest and Market Street June 1.

Michael Harthorne

For Anne Baumgartner and Pam Gray, two artists sharing a cramped and cluttered Ballard studio around the corner from Cafe Bambino with a handful of other artists, it must be hard to see good space go to waste.

On June 1, Baumgartner and Gray will be putting up the first stages of their "On the Fence" installation at the future Avalon Ballard and former Sunset Bowl site at 1400 N.W. Market St., which has sat vacant since the former bowling alley was torn down in January.

The two artists, who have shared their studio space for three years and known each other for a decade since they were Seattle Public Schools teachers, had an idea they thought would be cool for an empty lot.

After receiving one of four grants for outdoor installations from Seattle Print Arts in March, Gray and Baumgartner set out to look for a usable lot in Ballard.

Baumgartner said they didn't think the project would happen at first because coordinating with property representatives and liability issues were proving to be difficult.

But, a friend in real estate knew the Avalon Ballard representatives, and after Baumgartner and Gray showed what they were about as artists and that they weren't going for shock value or a political message, Avalon Ballard agreed to the project, Baumgartner said.

She said AvalonBay Communities, developer of Avalon Ballard, wanted to give back to the community and is supporting the project via supplies and maintenance. One representative said he can't wait to bring his children to see "On the Fence," Baumgartner said.

"On the Fence" will cover sections of the chain-link fence surrounding the site on the corner of 14th Avenue and Market Street with panels. Each panel will use cardboard and found paper and plastic materials to create a collage representing a letter of the alphabet and incorporating some Ballard imagery.

Gray said it is hard to start a project this big, but centering it around letters gave them a starting point.

They wanted the panels to be cohesive and relate to each other while being accessible to everyone, including children and people who only have a moment to glance at the project, Baumgartner said.

She said they will be installing the first four or five panels June 1 but hope to have all 26 letters eventually.

"I'll tell you right now, X and I are not easy," Gray said.

Despite the difficulties of working on such a large installation in such a small studio, Baumgartner and Gray said the project has already been rewarding.

When the artists put up a sample panel for two hours on April 29, it was a traffic stopper, Gray said. She said everyone wanted to know what was going on.

Through preparations for the project, Baumgartner and Gray have gotten to know the community better, including the East Ballard Community Association and local business owners, which has been rewarding, Gray said.

The East Ballard Community Association's Shannon Dunn said she is excited for the project to go up.

"I appreciate it," Dunn said. "That someone is taking the time and energy to turn this dead space into something vibrant."

She said "On the Fence" is an excellent demonstration of civic action and civic pride in one's community.

"I hope that it's an example to other people in the community who have ideas they would like to see realized," Dunn said.

Baumgartner said she hopes the community will take ownership of "On the Fence" and help maintain it. They applied for a grant from the city they hope to use to provide more community aspects for the project, including a July party for the neighborhood, she said.

Baumgartner encouraged Ballard residents to visit the "On the Fence" blog to suggest Ballard imagery that could be used with each letter.

Though the six-story, 271-unit, mixed-use Avalon Ballard development passed final reviews in November 2009, allowing construction to begin at any time, AvalonBay representative Derek Bottles told the Ballard News-Tribune in January that there is no timeline for when construction get underway.

For more information on Gray and Baumgartner's "On the Fence," visit the project's blog or stop by the lot at 1400 N.W. Market St. starting June 1 to see the first panels.

SLIDESHOW: Dozens watch as Sunset Bowl is demolished

michaelh — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:13:37 +0000

michaelh Wed, 01/20/2010 - 2:13pm

Demolition crews take their first swing at the former Sunset Bowl Jan. 20. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS.

Michael Harthorne

There was sadness on the face of Roy Lynch, a 25-year employee at Sunset Bowl, as the vacant bowling alley was torn down Jan. 20 to make way for the six-story, mixed-use Avalon Ballard apartments.

"It's really depressing," said Lynch, a former graveyard-shift manager. "This was my first place of everything. I asked my first wife to marry me there. It was my home."

Lynch and dozens others, including many former employees, watched as demolition began on the 51-year-old Sunset Bowl at shortly after 1 p.m. on Jan. 20.

Demolition was meant to began Jan. 19, but was delayed. A crew member said it will take three to four days to fully demolish the building.

Hours before Sunset Bowl came down, Lynch and other former employees and family were allowed to take one last visit inside the building.

Lynch said he wanted to take a final look inside and also grab a few remnants, such as tinted windows for his van.

"It's sad," he said. "It's gutted. It's not how I remember it."

Lynch's Jan. 20 tour wasn't his first trip inside the shuttered Sunset Bowl.

A few weeks after it closed, he said he was feeling down and decided to visit the bowling alley. His keys still worked, and he spent a few peaceful hours in the deserted alley, he said.

Lynch said Ballard is turning into little Bellevue now and wonders where young people will hang out with the absence of places like Sunset Bowl, which closed in April 2007.

Now that the building is being torn down, hopefully he can move on with his life, he said.

Dawn Hemminger, president of the East Ballard Community Association, said she was frustrated Sunset Bowl was closed only to sit vacant for two years before being demolished.

"After such a long wait, I'm now relieved that this sorely neglected building is being put to rest and excited that we can now focus on the future," she said.

The East Ballard Community Association is encouraging AvalonBay Communities, the owners of the property on Market Street and 14th Avenue Northwest, to work with the neighborhood to ensure that the Avalon Ballard project benefits the community, Hemminger said.

She said the wants AvalonBay to implement sidewalk and street improvements that fit into the community association's plans to turn 14th Avenue into a park boulevard.

Derek Bottles at AvalonBay said they have no timeline for when construction will begin. The building was torn down because the neighborhood wanted it to be, he said.

Community members interested in getting involved in the East Ballard Community Association's work with AvalonBay can email Dawn Hemminger at eastballard@gmail.com.

Sunset Bowl coming down tomorrow

michaelh — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:13:01 +0000

michaelh Tue, 01/19/2010 - 11:13am

A demolition crew prepares equipment to tear down the vacant Sunset Bowl property. The building is scheduled to be demolished Jan. 20.

Michael Harthorne

The former Sunset Bowl building, which has stood vacant and fenced off since April 2008, will be torn down Jan. 20 to make way for the mixed-use Avalon Ballard development.

Demolition was set to begin Jan. 19 as soon as crews finished removing asbestos from the interior and cut the power lines to the building. But, the demolition was pushed back because of remaining freon in the building.

Jim Bristow, who led the Save the Sunset Bowl campaign, said the empty building makes him sad whenever he drives by it.

"It's a shame," he said. "But, at the same time, it's better than having a vacant lot."

Nancy Sullivan, front-end manager at Ballard Market across the street, said the building was a kind of landmark for the neighborhood, and she is sad to see it go.

Jon, the manager at the Burger King next to Sunset Bowl, used to work at the 51-year-old bowling alley. He said he was sad when it closed, but demolition is the necessary next step.

"It has to be done," he said. "That's progress."

The closure of Sunset Bowl, located on Market Street and 14th Avenue Northwest, caused a wave of support from inside and outside Ballard.

More than 2,500 people signed a petition to save the Sunset Bowl. In May 2008, supporters turned out to purchase a part of the bowling alley at an auction for many of its interior fixtures.

"I'm as sad about it today as I was two years ago when it closed," Bristow said.

He said he hopes the new mayor and city leaders will start taking into account the importance of local businesses before allowing them to be destroyed.

More and more entertainment venues are being shuttered around Seattle, leaving people, especially teenagers, with few options for healthy activities, Bristow said.

Avalon Ballard passed final design review stages in April 2009 and was given the go-ahead to begin construction two months ago.

AvalanBay Communities, the developers behind the apartment and retail development, did not return calls about a construction timeline for Avalon Ballard.

Avalon Ballard passes SEPA review

michaelh — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:28:55 +0000

michaelh Mon, 11/23/2009 - 12:28pm

Development on former Sunset Bowl site can proceed

Construction on Avalon Ballard is free to get underway after a city decision stating that the project will have no outstanding negative environmental impacts. Click image for more designs from the the project's final design meeting April 27.

Images courtesy Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects

Construction of the six-story, retail and residential Avalon Ballard development on the site of the former Sunset Bowl is free to get underway after it passed its State Environmental Policy Act review Nov. 23.

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development gave a determination of non-significance, meaning there are no outstanding negative environmental impacts, for the project at 1400 N.W. Market St.

The complete decision can be viewed with the link to the right.

Avalon Ballard, an AvalonBay Communities development, passed a final design review meeting April 27.

Since that meeting, the number of residential units has risen from 233 to 271, and the number of parking spaces in a two-story, underground garage has gone from 277 to 320.

The project now includes 12,200 square feet of ground-level retail space instead of the previous 13,000.

The 51-year-old Sunset Bowl closed in April 2008 and will be demolished to make room for the new apartment building.

The apartments will rent at market rate, AvalonBay representatives have said.

AvalonBay has built across the country, from New York City to southern California.

A local example is Avalon Belltown, at 2800 Western Ave. Rents there range from $1,125 to $2,495 per month, according to the company's Web site.

Appeals to the SEPA decision can be made to the City Hearing Examiner until Dec. 7.

Sunset Bowl

AvalonBay Communities

Avalon Ballard passes design review

Guest — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:00:54 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 04/27/2009 - 9:00pm

The Northwest Design Review Board has approved the design of Avalon Ballard, which will replace the Sunset Bowl. Click the image for more views of the planned six-story project.

Images courtesy Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects

At its third design review, developers of Avalon Ballard were given the green light to apply for a master use permit with the city after the Northwest Design Review Board approved the six-story development set to replace the shuttered Sunset Bowl at 1400 N.W. Market St.

In past reviews, the biggest issue the board had was the scale of the development and treatment of the north and west walls.

While the board members, all architects, said they liked the overall design of the building, they took issue with the design element of a blank wall portion of the west facade.

"It's so different than anything else," said board member Mark Brands.

Board member Bill Singer said special attention should be paid to that side of the development since it would be so visible from Market Street.

"There's an opportunity to do something very contrasting that wouldn't feel out of place," said Singer.

They said the current design is too loud and dominates that side of the building.

The mixed-use building will contain 233 apartments and about 13,000 square feet of retail, as well as parking for 277 vehicles.

The board also wanted additional stoops on the north side of the development along Northwest 56th Street. That street, which has less traffic, should have a more "residential" feel, they said.

"Stoops really enhance the pedestrian experience," said Singer.

Derek Bottles, project manager for developers AvalonBay, said his development company has met with several community groups in the area, including the East Ballard Community Council and the 14th Ave NW Visioning Project, whose goal is to turn a one-mile portion of the street into a green boulevard and increase traffic and pedestrian safety safety.

"I think these meetings have been very productive for all involved,” said Bottles.

Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects, is the firm designing the building.

One woman who attended the design review meeting said she was concerned about additional traffic a development of that size would bring. Another woman suggested putting planters at the top of the building to "soften" the horizon.

The location of the project is in a prominent area of Ballard, just south of Ballard Market, north of Safeway and a block east of the major arterial 15th Avenue Northwest. Parker Paint sits to the east with Burger King at its west.

At the October design review, Bottles said the new massing plan provided more “movement and liveliness” along Market and 14th. Where the building was designed to the property line along those streets, it has been revised to step back.

Another major element to the project that was highlighted by AvalonBay was a 60 by 40 foot public plaza that would be built on the southeast corner of Market Street.

The plaza’s major feature is a grand stairway and outdoor seating for the public. It will be a place to wait for the bus and gather, said the architects.

The 51-year-old Sunset Bowl has sat empty since for just more than a year and will be demolished to make room for the new building. The new apartments will rent at market rate, AvalonBay representatives have said.

AvalonBay has built across the country, from New York City to southern California. A local example is Avalon Belltown, at 2800 Western Ave. Rents there range from $1,125 to $2,495 per month, according to the company's Web site.

Sunset Bowl

Northwest Design Review Board

AvalonBay Communities

Design review scheduled for project at Sunset Bowl site

Guest — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:22:23 +0000

Guest (not verified) Fri, 04/10/2009 - 1:22pm

Cell phone antennae proposed for apartment building

A design review meeting is scheduled for the six-story development that will likely replace the shuttered Sunset Bowl at 1400 N.W. Market St.

Brian LeBlanc

1400 N.W. Market St.
Project: 3009098

The Northwest Design Review Board is scheduled to review a proposal for a six-story building containing 13,000 square feet of retail at ground level and 233 residential units above at the site of the shuttered Sunset Bowl on Monday April 27, 6:30 p.m. in the Ballard High School Library. The meeting is open to the public.

Parking for 277 vehicles is to be provided in two levels below grade according to the project description. The existing structure to be demolished.

The project is named Avalon Ballard and is being developed by AvalonBay Communities.

At the Design Review Board meeting the applicant will present information about the proposed design and how it responds to the Design Guideline priorities established at the Early Design Guidance Board meeting on July, 28, 2008 regarding this site. It also went before the board last October.

The public may offer comments regarding the proposed design; and, the Design Review Board members will offer to the Director of the Department of Planning and Development their recommendations regarding the design.

Ballard High School is located at 1418 N.W. 65th St.

Applicant: Derek Bottles, (425)576-2123
City planner: James Kemp, 233-3866

6754 24th Ave. N.W.
Project: 3009980

A Land Use Permit has been submitted to allow a minor communication utility consisting of three panel antennas in a faux vent stack on the rooftop of an existing apartment building (T-Mobile). Project includes new radio equipment cabinets to be located in an existing storage room.

Comments can be submitted from the public up until April 22.

Contact: Gary Abrahams, 282-2357
City planner: Paul Janos, 233-7195

Sunset Bowl

Northwest Design Review Board