The Past and Present of 15th Avenue East, Seattle

In the fall of 2017, architect Jeff Pelletier at Board & Vellum, another architecture firm on 15th, approached EW to discuss the impending sale of the Hilltop Service Station property at 15th and Mercer, and other imminent changes on the street: the QFC block is slated to be the site of new development, and Kaiser Permanente is planning to carry out $400 million in improvements on its sizable lot. Jeff noted that the people who live and work on 15th have lacked a means to contribute to plans for its future. EW and Board & Vellum decided to engage the neighborhood in a conversation about community hopes and dreams for 15th.

Volunteer opportunities from some great Seattle-area nonprofits:

Beacon Food Forest. “The goal of the Beacon Food Forest is to design, plant and grow an edible urban forest garden that inspires our community to gather together, grow our own food and rehabilitate our local ecosystem.”

El Centro De La Raza. “As an organization grounded in the Latino community, our mission is to build unity across all racial and economic sectors, to organize, empower, and defend our most vulnerable and marginalized populations and to bring justice, dignity, equality, and freedom to all the peoples of the world.”

Homeless Remembrance Project. “Since 2003, the Homeless Remembrance Project—a collaborative effort of homeless women, faith community leaders, designers, artists, social service providers and other friends—has worked to create places of hope, healing, and beauty to honor and remember homeless people who’ve died in King County.”

Parkview Services. “Parkview Services creates inclusive housing solutions that promote stability, community and opportunity.”

Seattle Parks Foundation. “Parks belong to everyone. Seattle Parks Foundation connects people across the city who are working together to fulfill that promise.”