The Uptown Alliance’s monthly meeting is happening this Thursday, June 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space. This month the agenda is brimming with transportation issues – from Metro’s D-Line RapidRide stop placement, to its new trolley buses – as well as other hot topics, including the Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Program and a potential site for low-income housing in Uptown. Check out the full agenda:

• Greetings and introductions
• Adopt Minutes of 5/12/11
• Metro Transit D-Line RapidRide stop placement – Jonathan Dong (SDOT) & Paul Roybal (Metro)
• Committee Reports:

1. New LED lighting in Counterbalance Park: it’s getting better.
2. Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Area program – Christa Dumpys TBC
3. 8th Ave. N. and Roy St.: Possible near-Uptown, SLU site for low cost housing: Will UA support this site? If so, how best? – Rick Hooper
4. A new generation of trolley buses in Seattle.
5. Letter supporting Alcohol Impact Area Program.
6. Uptown Alliance participation in proposed Center City Neighborhoods group.

• New Business: bring your own topics and comments.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jul4 14. All future meetings will be held at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market until further notice.

Want to learn more about the Uptown Alliance and it’s work in the Lower Queen Anne community? Check out its Facebook page for updates and neighborhood information, or contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net, or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.

Lower Queen Anne’s Nucleus hair salon, at 621 Queen Anne Ave N, is closing up shop at the end of the week, according to owner Will Francalangia. The last day the salon will be taking appointments will be tomorrow, Wednesday, June 8.

Francalangia, who opened the Queen Anne Nucleus two years ago, says he was growing tired of running his own business, and the neighborhood’s customer base never really took off at this location. For ten years Francalangia owned a second Nucleus in Capital Hill, which he sold last year, and he says that location had greater foot traffic and more community interest in the business.

“This particular part of the neighborhood is not really conducive to a cool hair salon,” he said.

“Nucleus was put up for sale on May 5th, and after entertaining a few interested buyers, a suitable offer was not made, and I’ve decided to close up shop,” he said. “Not exactly the way I would have liked to end things, but fortunately, things are working out.”

Francalangia will be taking appointments at Nucleus through Wednesday, moving out by Friday, and will be taking clients at another local hair salon – Mars Hair/Art/Life, located on Lake Union on the east side of Queen Anne at 2046 Westlake Ave N #202. Mars Hair is the new project of former Nucleus stylist Jake Gravbro, and it is becomming home for 3/4 of Nucleus’ staff. Along with Gravbro and Francalangia, Nucleus stylist Kala Armijo has also moved over to the new salon.

“Jake had been working toward opening his own salon for awhile, and when he left, I put Nucleus up for sale,” Francalangia said. “Jake, has all the desire in the world to be a salon owner, and promote the online portion of the salon as well, so I feel like we’re in good hands.”

No word yet on what, if anything, will be replacing Nucleus. But for the time being if you’d like to take a piece of the hair salon home with you, Francalangia is selling the one-of-a-kind vanities (pictured above) that he decorated with favorite hair styles and old family photos for $100 each. There are three left, so if you’re interested in snatching one up, swing by Nucleus this week.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is scheduled to begin construction on the West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass, a project designed to improve safety and provide direct access to Myrtle Edwards Park from the Lower Queen Anne area for pedestrians and bicyclists, next month. The project was originally slated to begin in August, but was pushed up after a lawsuit over the project’s schedule, which conflicted with Seattle’s annual Hempfest festival and rally.

In advance of construction time SDOT is inviting the public to learn more about the project, including information on traffic detours and area impacts throughout the construction period, from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, May 26 in the Elliott Bay Room of Homewood Suites, located at 206 Western Ave W, near the overpass site. From SDOT:

SDOT project staff will be available to explain design and construction details, and answer questions. There will not be a formal presentation, so participants may show up any time between 5 and 7 p.m. Complimentary parking underneath the Homewood Suites building is available by checking in at the front desk and obtaining a key card to enter the secure parking garage.

When the overpass is completed it will provide access over the very busy Elliott Ave W and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks to Myrtle Edwards Park. It will also serve as a connection for bicyclists, part of a future Lake Bay Loop – a planned bicycle route that will run between South Lake Union, Seattle Center and the existing bicycle trail in Myrtle Edwards Park.

The project, part of the Walk, Bike, Ride initiative and funded by the Park Levy I and II, grant funds from the Puget Sound Regional Council and King County, and private donations, is estimated to cost a total of $10 million.

For more information visit the project website, or review our past coverage here.

After several years of work, construction on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation‘s new Lower Queen Anne headquarters is now complete, and the international philanthropic organization is preparing to kick off operations in its new home with a community celebration on Saturday, June 4.

Photo courtesy of NBBJ, via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Foundation is inviting community members interesting in touring the 12-acre campus overlooking the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline to attend the opening reception on June 4, which will go on all day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Due to security and capacity concerns attendees must RSVP for the event beforehand and register for an available one-hour slot during the day in which they will visit the campus.

Photo courtesy of NBBJ, via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Foundation will be opening up designated areas on the first and second levels of the North Building for self-guided touring during the reception. There will also be a number of the organization’s local grantees in attendance. Drinks will be served.

While registration will be available day of, but on a first come first served basis, so prior registration is recommended. Attendees may register for a time slot here.

Photo ©George White, courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Though the Foundation says it has completed construction on the campus, it should be noted that it still plans to add a third building at an undetermined time in the future to match the organization’s growth and meet any future needs.

Learn more about the new campus at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation website, download the frequently asked questions (.pdf) about the new headquarters, and look for our coverage of the opening reception in the week of June 5.

This month’s Uptown Alliance meeting is happening this Thursday, May 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space on the far west side of the store.

Among the hot topics this month is the issue of Metro’s RapidRide D line, which aims to connect neighborhoods in heavily used traffic corridors with frequent and fast connections. The RapidRide D line is scheduled to come to Interbay and Lower Queen Anne in 2012.

Take a look at what’s on the agenda this month:

• Greetings and introductions – Approve minutes
• Honoring Uptown Alliance Founder, Janis Ford
• RapidRide D-Line stops

1. West Mercer Street stop consolidation
2. Pedestrian crossings at West Mercer stop
3. Parking loss on West Mercer St.

• Report on pending Small & Simple Grant Application supporting the outreach phase of planning for the Uptown Triangle, bounded by Denny, Broad, and Aurora.
• Committee Reports

1. Parks
2. Events: A drop-in public meeting space store front for Uptown
3. Planning & Transportation: Meeting with Exec. Dir. Kate Joncas of Seattle Downtown Assn. re/urban decay issues.

• New Business: bring your own topics and comments.

The next Uptown Alliance meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, also at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market. For more information, contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net,  or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) arrested a wanted burglar who was caught in the midst of another crime Tuesday night, according to the SPD Blotter.

Even though Club Diamond closed down last year and was replaced by event venue iMusic, it looks like the streak of violence that afflicted the club had has been passed on to the new owners. From the SPD Blotter:

On April 17th at approximately 2:00 a.m. officers responded to a nightclub in the 300 block of 5th Avenue North for reports of a fight disturbance with shots fired.  Investigating officers received secondhand reports that several men were shooting at people in the rear parking lot. The suspects were gone upon the officers’ arrival.

No victims or witnesses were located. Several remaining vehicles in the lot were examined, and no property damage was discovered.

Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Thomas C. Wales Foundation and the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs are hosting a dedication for Queen Anne’s newest green space, Thomas C. Wales Park, at 10 a.m. this Saturday, April 16.

The 1.3 acre park, located at 2401 6th Ave North just off Dexter Avenue, opened quietly back in October in the space formerly known as Dexter Pit Park. When the park was redesigned last fall, artist Adam Kuby created five raised gabion “Quarry Rings”, providing an urban wildlife habitat for many birds and bats that nest in the park, and a design that matches the park’s unique history. The stone and gravel used to make the rings are a tribute to the park’s previous use as a gravel pit in the early 1990′s.

A variety of indigenous, bird friendly plants were chosen to support artist Adam Kuby’s vision of creating avian habitat in the gabion-ring sculptures. The elevated, stone-filled rings echo the history of the site as a gravel quarry, and gesture to its future as a wildlife sanctuary

The park was renamed in December of 2007 after the late Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Wales, who was murdered in his Queen Anne home in 2001.

“Thomas C. Wales Park is a wonderful memorial to Tom, who loved Seattle and his Queen Anne neighborhood,” Rick Wales, brother of Tom Wales and founding chairman of the Thomas C. Wales Foundation, said in a press release. “He was a big believer in supporting and developing public spaces in which people could convene and connect, helping to inspire civic engagement and passionate citizenship amongst neighbors. The Foundation is honored to join Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Queen Anne Community Council in honoring Tom, his vision and dedication to community.”

The dedication Saturday will include a performance by the John Hay Chorus, a chance to learn about birding from Seattle Audubon members, and an official ribbon cutting ceremony with members of the Wales family, the artist, and a number of elected officials, including Mayor Mike McGinn, who will be leading a Q&A in the neighborhood later in the afternoon.

The redesign of the park was funded by the Pro Parks Levy, approved by Seattle voters in 2000. Over the last eight years the levy has provided $198.2 million in funding for more than 100 projects citywide.

After the dedication, Mayor McGinn will be taking a walking tour of Lower Queen Anne and Kinnear Park, followed by a Q&A session from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Bayview Manor, located at 11 W Aloha. Community members are invited to pose questions, voice concerns, or simply share what’s on their minds with the Mayor and city department representatives.

For more information on the Q&A portion of the event please contact Liz Birkholz at liz.birkholz@seattle.gov or 206-233-5107.

Queen Anne startup Urbandipity launched its website today after a year and a half of preparation.

The recently graduated co-founders Nick Talwar, Ryan O’Donnell, Hajime Furukawa, Emmett Nicholas and Zachary and Dustin Conrad have worked out of an apartment in lower Queen Anne bringing their creation to fruition, working long hours on Saturdays around their other jobs.

The website, an online social catalyst for meeting new people and exploring new places in Seattle, has allowed posts since mid-March, but today the site is fully operational, allowing new users to view the posts of others and contact each other.

See our earlier post on the new startup for a closer look at Urbandipity.

Up to 7,000 people are expected to attend the “Amazon.com All Hands” meeting at the KeyArena today, Thursday, March 31. Attendees will be arriving and departing via shuttle buses between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Drivers should expect added congestion around the KeyArena and Lower Queen Anne due to the event.