Bridge Inspections / Opus Project /
Ballard Apartments / Dexter + Chaney

Bridge Collapse May Help Transportation Levy

Olympia - The Minnesota bridge collapse could be the extra nudge Puget Sound area  voters need to approve a $17  billion road and transportation levy in November. Addressed to King, Pierce and Snohomish County voters only, the levy would partially pay for repairs on two of the state’s most vulnerable bridges: the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge.

 “The bridge collapse in Minnesota weighs heavily on people’s minds and may help (pass) the funding measure that would repair these two bridges,” says Jugesh Kapur, Washington State Bridge Engineer.  In addition, the November ballot measure would pay improved light rail and transportation needs throughout the Seattle area.

Washington state uses magnetic particle testing and ultrasonic testing as part of its routine inspection program.  Inspectors will be following state governor Christine Gregiore’s mandate to inspect all state bridges. One of the tallest in the state,  the 618-ft tall Aurora Bridge in Seattle, is similar in construction to the failed bridge in Minnesota

“We will test every member, every connection and every connector,” says Kapur.  “I am well satisfied with the completeness of our program.”

New Office Space Comes To Downtown Core

Seattle - Opus Northwest will soon begin construction of 7th & Madison, a nine-story Class A office building at the gateway to Seattle’s central business district.

Designed by NBBJ Seattle, the mid-rise building is located at the doorstep to downtown, immediately adjacent to the Madison Street exit of Interstate 5.  

Mixed-Use Apartments Under way in Ballard

Seattle - Ballard Apartments, LLC, an affiliate of the Pacific Northwest division of Trammell Crow Residential (TCR), announced the development of the Alexan Ballard apartments in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.

The two building, mixed-use project, which broke ground last month, is expected to be completed in early 2009. Alexan Ballard, located on the south side of Market Street between 15th and 17th Avenues, will blend TCR’s urban lifestyle residential design with a unique outdoor plaza. The mixed-use community also includes 6,736 sq ft of ground floor retail space located along Market Street.

As the builder and developer, Ballard Apartments, LLC includes BlackRock, and has secured construction financing from Bank of America.  The design team is lead by GGLO.

Alexan Ballard will include 260 apartment homes in two buildings - one eight-story and one six-story building - over a two-level, fully secured underground garage. The project will offer 21 studios, 162 one-bedroom homes, 68 two-bedroom homes and nine live-work lofts.

Blue Mountain Mall Redevelopment Considered

Walla Walla - Submittals have been made to the City of Walla Walla, Wash. for the proposed redevelopment of Blue Mountain Mall. Western Development Partners (WDP) plans to revitalize the mall, which was built in 1989.

The redevelopment plans include demolishing the enclosed mall portion of the center and the constructing over 300,000 sq ft of new retail. According to Greg Geertsen, managing partner of WDP, Sears, ShopKo and Gottschalk’s will continue to anchor the center and will remain open during the mall’s redevelopment. All three anchors will be participating in the remodel and updating their existing stores.

Once complete, the new Blue Mountain Mall will feature over 520,000 sq ft of retail space including midsized anchor spaces, pad sites and in-line shop space.

Dexter + Chaney Plans Expansion at Seattle Campus