Seattle, WA
Seattle crime may have just killed a massive residential project
Kevin Corbett, the CEO of Plus Investment (USA), waited over eight years for a master-use permit to build a 46-story residential tower near Pike Place Market. But he’s indefinitely paused the construction over the Seattle crime crisis.
“Unfortunately, I don’t see us going vertical anytime soon with the continued public safety concerns in the neighborhood,” Corbett told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “Open-air drug markets are still visible day and night on Second and Third Avenue. I know the city needs more resources, but I don’t see much new downtown commercial development happening until there is a stronger crackdown on these illegal activities.”
The Pike Towers project was slated to be two glass towers, one 46 stories and the other 16 stories. A rendering of the project, per the Real Deal, suggests ground-level retail.
More from Jason Rantz: Prominent Seattle business leaders fed up with crime plaguing city as major Starbucks shuts down for safety
Why did the developer pause a massive construction in downtown Seattle?
It’s not surprising that a developer would pause a project in the downtown core. While tourism is recovering thanks to cruise season, the area can still feel like a ghost town with many workers still remote. Perhaps “ghost town” is less appropriate than zombie wasteland where fentanyl addicts waste away near the most used metro and light rail stops downtown. It’s fueling the area’s crime crisis.
Homeless addicts openly buy and use their drug of choice, usually fentanyl but sometimes meth, across the downtown core. Some stand tall, swaying back and forth, stuck in their high. Others have bodies contorted into shapes and positions you didn’t think possible. Others are so blissfully high, they don’t even notice the oozing, festering wounds on their arms or legs.
There’s trash everywhere. The smell of urine near on 3rd between Pike and Pine is so pungent you can taste it in the back of your throat. It’s what tourists first experience if they walk to Pike Place Market or take the light rail from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Locals don’t want to even walk near the area. Why would they want to live there?
Is there a plan to address Seattle crime?
The residential project already had to pivot because of the deteriorating conditions in downtown. Originally slated as condominiums, the project switched to rentals. But now the project is paused, leaving needed housing units off the market because of city mismanagement from the mayor’s office.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has prioritized building more housing in the downtown core. Rather than address concerns from developers like Corbett, however, Harrell seems more interested in transforming offices — vacant because of the crime crisis — into housing. They’re “practically begging” developers to take on these office-to-housing conversion projects by offering incentives that they should be offering all developers. It’s a foolish plan that will only further stall downtown’s resurgence.
About a third of offices remain either empty or available for sublease in the downtown core. By replacing the office space with housing, you’re ensuring the downtown core won’t be able to attract businesses again. This effectively displaces businesses to other Seattle neighborhoods where they won’t have the same access to the metro or light rail for commutes. Worse, it could encourage businesses to stay remote.
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Where’s the media coverage?
Normally, news of such a high-profile project being put on pause would generate media coverage. For this one, not so much. It’s been relegated to business and real estate outlets.
Local media, like The Seattle Times, have gone out of their way to not blame the crime crisis for the problems in downtown Seattle.
Reports in The Seattle Times in June painted grim pictures of the commercial and residential real estate market in downtown Seattle. One article pointed to astonishingly low price tags for previously pricey commercial buildings, including the near-empty Pacific Place Mall and the Downtown Hilton. A second article noted the price of homes downtown is trending lower than the costs citywide.
Other reports noted that downtown housing prices took a nosedive and are now cheaper than the citywide average.
But these reports blamed COVID-19, not even mentioning the Seattle crime crisis.
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Sounding the alarms over Seattle crime
It’s not just projects that are quietly put on pause that should worry locals. High profile business leaders have been sounding the alarms about downtown as well.
Jeffery Judson-Baker, Investment Manager at Lake Union Partners, recently penned an open letter about the conditions downtown. He blamed the crisis on “misplaced compassion” that left “addicts to rot in doorways and the mentally ill to suffer on the streets.”
“I’ve had these conversations for a long time, kind of behind closed doors,” Judson-Baker explained on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “Business leaders are often doing things behind the scenes, lobbying with local groups. Those are all things we certainly do, and at a certain point, me and my peers have just gotten fed up.”
‘This person’s fully naked, running around the street, screaming at six in the morning’
Judson-Baker said a recent walk from his home in Pioneer Square to a business meeting prompted his letter.
“I get up early in the morning and I wake up to somebody having a manic episode right outside my door, screaming at nothing,” he explained.
An hour later, it happened again.
“This person’s fully naked, running around the street, screaming at six in the morning,” he said.
He said his walk to a light rail station was a tour of human misery.
“Every person I see is either folded in half, looking for drugs, having a mental breakdown or asking for money to go, who knows,” he recalled. “And I finally get to the Third and Cherry light rail station, and there’s human waste in front of it, needles, people sleeping directly in front of the escalator, as you’re watching all of these commuters that are coming to the CBD core, which is dying actively. You see office occupancies way down.”
He called the area a “war zone.” And he’s speaking up because he loves his city and doesn’t want to see it continue to deteriorate. Now, he’s waiting for more local leaders and the mayor’s office to act.
Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SEATTLE – Western Washington is staying locked into a cool and unsettled weather pattern as we head into the second half of the week.
Showers will continue to rotate through the region over the next several days as a series of weather disturbances move overhead, keeping skies mostly cloudy and temperatures running below average for mid-May.
Thursday will bring a brief break in the action before the next weak system arrives later in the day. Expect scattered showers to redevelop with plenty of cloud cover sticking around. Temperatures will remain cool, with highs near 60 degrees.
It will be cool on Thursday in Western Washington with increasing clouds and showers. (FOX 13 Seattle)
What’s next:
The weather turns a bit more active Friday as the next system swings into the Pacific Northwest. Western Washington will see widespread showers and even the possibility of a few isolated thunderstorms. While not everyone will hear thunder, a few heavier downpours and small hail can’t be ruled out if any storms manage to develop during the afternoon.
Rain showers will push through Western Washington again on Friday afternoon. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Saturday will be cool with scattered showers and another chance for isolated thunderstorms, especially near the Cascades. Afternoon highs will struggle to make it out of the 50s across many lowland Puget Sound area communities.
Mountain travelers should also be prepared for a dramatic change compared to the recent warm spell. Much colder air will filter into the Cascades this weekend, and while significant snow accumulation looks unlikely, higher elevations could still see snow showers and sharply colder conditions. Anyone planning outdoor recreation in the mountains should be ready for winter-like weather at times.
Snow levels will drop to near pass levels in the Washington Cascades Friday through Sunday. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking Ahead:
The pattern finally begins to improve late in the weekend and into early next week. High pressure is expected to rebuild over the northeastern Pacific, bringing a return to drier weather and some sunshine. Temperatures should gradually rebound back into the 60s by Monday and Tuesday, although the ridge may remain weak enough to allow for occasional clouds at times.
Temperatures will be cool the next three days with showers in Seattle, but next week will be drier and warmer. (FOX 13 Seattle)
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
SEATTLE – Remember that iconic Gap advertisement with the girl group dancing to “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” that took the internet by storm in August?
What we know:
Katseye, the girl-group in the ad, are taking center stage at Climate Pledge Arena on Nov. 17, with ticket sales dropping on Thursday, May 21 and their new EP, Wild, is set to release on Aug. 14 via Hybe x Geffen Records.
The global girl group announced their WILDWORLD TOUR on Wednesday, bringing Katseye to arenas across Europe and North America this fall.
Katseye’s tour will kickoff in Dublin, Ireland on September 1, at Dublin’s 3Arena, while the North American portion of their tour launches Oct. 13 in Miami, Florida at Kaseya Center. Other honorable tour venue mentions include UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The WILDWORLD TOUR will conclude at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on Nov. 27.
Keep reading for ticket information and the full tour itinerary.
Ticket Information
What’s next:
Tickets will be available beginning at the end of May. Specifically, Weverse Artist Presale tickets will be available on Wednesday, May 20 at 11:00 a.m. local time, before the Katseye.World Presale at 3:00 p.m. local time.
General onsale begins Thursday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m. local time at www.katseye.world.
Tour itinerary
KATSEYE – WILDWORLD TOUR
UK/EU
9/1 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
9/3 – London, UK – The O2
9/6 – Manchester, UK – Co-Op Live
9/9 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
9/11 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
9/13 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
9/15 – Antwerp, Belgium – AFAS Dome
9/17 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
North America
10/13 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
10/15 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
10/20 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
10/22 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
10/24 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
10/28 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
10/30 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
11/1 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum
11/3 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
11/5 – Chicago, IL – United Center
11/7 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
11/10 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
11/11 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
11/14 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/17 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
11/19 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
11/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11/24 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Center
11/27 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
2026 Festival Dates
6/5 – New York, NY – The Governors Ball Music Festival
7/30 – Saint Charles, IA – Hinterland Music Festival
8/8 – Pasadena, CA – 88rising Festival: Head In The Clouds
The Source: Information in this story came from a press release from Katseye and the katseye.world website.
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
SEATTLE – An upper level low will increase showers and isolated storms overnight. Some storms that develop could produce locally heavy rain, thunder and lightning along with gusty winds. The best chance will be along and east of the I-5 corridor. Scattered showers will be possible during the day. There is also a chance for a light dusting of snow in the higher mountains.
Upper level low will increase showers and isolated storms overnight with scattered showers possible during the day. (FOX13 Seattle)
Wind Advisory in Eastern Washington
As the disturbance crosses through the region, winds will be especially gusty in Central and Eastern Washington. A Wind Advisory will be in effect for many of these locations through late Wednesday night.
Winds will be picking up on Wednesday with gusts nearing 50 mph. (FOX13 Seattle)
What’s next:
After warming into the low 80s on Tuesday, Wednesday will feel quite a bit different. Afternoon highs will only be in the upper 50s and low 60s, a good 20 degrees cooler than just 24 hours ago.
Afternoon highs will be significantly cooler on Wednesday.
Looking Ahead:
Even after Wednesday’s early morning rain, the rest of the week will remain unsettled. Additional chances for showers and cooler into the weekend. We will again near 70 degrees by early next week.
Cooler and wet for Wednesday with additional showers possible this week.
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How to get tickets for Journey’s new Seattle concert date at Climate Pledge Arena
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
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