Just one month after Nucleus hair salon shuttered its doors, a new business is opening up in the same Lower Queen Anne shopfront, and perhaps not surprisingly, it’s a restaurant. Mo’s Sub Co. will be “coming soon” to the space at 621 Queen Anne Ave N., according to the sign in the window, but beyond that little else is known.

There is currently no website or any online information for the business, and no permit applications have come through the city for that address. But whoever “Mo” is, we’re guessing he’s not from around here, considering the misspelling of Queen Anne (sans the last ‘e’) in the sign.

Still, in the current economy, where vacant storefronts have been sitting empty and idle for months at a time before a new retailer moves in (if ever – just look at both of Queen Anne’s former Blockbusters: the Upper location was left empty for almost two years before reopening as Umpqua Bank earlier this month, and the Lower QA location is still hollow from its March closure), it’s surprising to see a business closure turn around into a new opening so quickly. What do you think – is this a sign that things are looking up for Uptown’s business district?

The city of Seattle agreed to pay $11,000 earlier this month to Lisa McKibbin and Nancy Bostdorff, the owners of a dog that was electrocuted after stepping onto a charged ground-cover plate on Queen Anne Ave N on Thanksgiving Day, according to a report by the Seattle PI.

McKibbin and Bostdorff filed a $60,000 claim over Sammy’s death back in March, claiming physical, emotional and monetary damages. Sammy was a 6-year-old German shorthaired pointer.

McKibbin had been walking Sammy when he stepped on and was killed by 90 volts of “stray voltage” on a sidewalk ground-plate cover. The tragedy prompted an investigation at Seattle City Light, which found that four area streetlamps, including the one that killed Sammy, had been improperly grounded by a private contractor back in 2006. City Light responded by conducting a first-ever inspection of all 37,000 streetlights and associated equipment citywide. By the time the inspection concluded in January the utility had found and repaired 56 sites with elevated voltage.

According to the PI report, as per the terms of the agreement, the city will now post contact voltage “safety messages” on the Seattle City Light website, and is also expected to post a link to a page on electrical safety from a Toronto utility.

The owners’ attorney, Adam Karp, told the PI that McKibbin and Bostdorff “congratulate the city on taking preventative steps to protect the public from future hazards.”

Read the full story at the Seattle PI.

After 16 years in Lower Queen Anne, Monkey Love Rubber Stamps owner Sandy Ono says she has decided to close the store’s physical location and transfer her business over to its online store full-time.

Monkey Love will most likely close on or around next Friday, June 24, according to Ono, though she has not set a definite close date yet. When it does shut, it will make the third closure this month within one block of Uptown’s retail district–following the closures of Nucleus hair salon just down the street last week, and Wanna Noodle on Mercer the week before that.

Ono says it will be hard to close the store after 16 years on Queen Anne Avenue (11 of those just five doors down from Monkey Love’s current location), but she is ready to move to online-only.

“I decided to just go with my eBay store,” she said, adding that the hardest part about closing will be letting go of the community. “It’s going to be hard not seeing the customers I’ve known for years now, not seeing them as often.”

In the remaining time Ono is clearing out Monkey Love’s stock with a closing sale. The store’s wood mounted stamps are 35 percent off, scrapbook paper and ribbon by the yard are 50 percent off, and almost everything else is at a 25 percent discount, she says.

While Ono will be continuing to sell Monkey Love stock through its eBay store, she says that not everything will be making the transition from the physical storefront to the online one–most of the online store will be made up of wood mounted rubber stamps, with select other items. So if you’re a fan of Monkey Love in need of some of its more obscure items, better stock up now.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is hosting an open house on the Mercer West Project from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at Seattle Center’s Rainier Room, located within the Northwest Rooms Plaza.

At the meeting representatives from SDOT will discuss the preliminary designs for the project, including information on the underpass at Aurora Ave and the two-way conversion of Roy and Mercer streets between 5th Ave N and Queen Anne Ave N. SDOT will also present recommendations for West Mercer Place and West Mercer Street, based on evaluation of the alternatives and input from stakeholders.

The SDOT project team will be available to solicit ideas from the public and answer questions attendees may have about current preliminary design concepts for the following:

• A wider Mercer Underpass at Aurora Avenue North;
• Converting Mercer and Roy Streets from one‐way to two‐way operation;
• And improving intersections, street connections and bike access.

From SDOT:

The Mercer West Project would complete the City’s vision for a direct, two‐way connection between I‐5 and Elliott Avenue West, continuing where the Mercer East Project leaves off. The proposed improvements include:

• Widening Mercer between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N, including the underpass at Aurora to provide three lanes in each direction, left‐turn lanes, wider sidewalks, and a bicycle path;
• Converting Mercer Street to two‐way operation with two lanes in each direction and turn pockets between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
• Converting Roy Street to a two‐way street with one lane in each direction and bicycle lanes between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
• Creating a new Sixth Avenue N connection between Mercer and Harrison Streets; and;
• Closing Broad Street to re‐connect the street grid between Ninth Ave N and Fifth Ave N.

Read more about the Mercer West Project on the project website, and in our ongoing coverage.

A new business is opening up on Queen Anne Ave N, in the former Oslo’s storefront, which closed its doors back in March–the Jamie O’Neill Salon.

There is no website for the business as of yet, but according to its Facebook page, the salon will specialize in cuts and color for men and women, as well as styles for special occasions such as weddings and print media.

There’s no word yet on when the salon will be opening, but I’ve put in a word to the owner and will update this story as soon as I hear back. In the meantime, follow updates on the salon’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

At approximately 1:46 a.m. on Saturday, March 14 Seattle Police were called to the 1800 block of Queen Anne Ave N, the site of a robbery and assault. The victim was walking to her home, just two blocks away, when the suspect, described only as a black male wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and with long black hair, grabbed her purse, according to the police report.

The victim managed to dial 911 on her iPhone, but while on the phone the suspect grabbed her and dragged her about 20 feet, according to the report. The suspect took the cell phone out of her hands and proceeded down W Howe Street, however the victim was able to wrestle her purse back from the suspect before he left the scene.

A witness to the robbery told police they saw the crime unfold, but was afraid to get involved in case the suspect had a weapon.

The victim, who reportedly had scraped knees and elbows from the attack but no further injuries, declined medical attention and told police “she just wanted her phone back,” the report said. A couple of units reported to the scene of the crime and conducted an extensive area check, but were not able to locate the suspect.

If you’ve walked by Flame on Queen Anne Avenue N recently, you may have noticed the paper covering the windows and the sign on the door directing patrons to Elliott Bay Pizza Co. two doors down.

That’s because the two restaurants have merged, according to an Elliott Bay Pizza Co. employee who spoke to us over the phone this morning.

While the sign on the door at Flame says it is only closed for renovations, adding “Y’all kin get yer got juicy delicious flame broiled burgers next door at Elliott Bay Pizza,” in fact the restaurant changed ownership this week, the Elliott Bay Pizza Co. employee confirmed.

The man who owned both Elliott Bay and Flame decided to consolidate the two restaurants – and their vastly different menus – and sell the Flame location. The renovations inside are on the part of the new owner, he said, adding that he does not know what the new owner plans to do with the restaurant.

A call to the new owner has not yet been returned. In the meantime, most of the original Flame menu (burgers, fries and onion rings, chicken tenders, BBQ sandwiches, and salads) can be found at Elliott Bay Pizza Co. alongside its existing pizzas, pastas, salads, calzones and subs. The only items not available in the new merger are Flame’s tacos and shakes.

And as for the fate of Flame’s old homestead, we’ll keep you posted as we learn more about what will be moving in.

After months of sitting vacant, we reported earlier this week that a tenant would be taking over the former Blockbuster building at 1630 Queen Anne Ave N–Umpqua Bank.

After discovering that the bank had applied for a construction permit with the Department of Planning and Development, we reached out to representatives at Umpqua to find out more about the new branch.

The bank plans to finish construction and open the new Queen Anne location in June 2011, according to Upmqua executive assistant Jessie Barth.

The Queen Anne branch will be a “full service store,” including both mortgage and small business services.

“We also intend to house space that will serve as a community center resource for small businesses or individuals within the community to utilize for their needs,” Barth says.

“We strive to search for very specific locations to best serve our customers. Queen Anne is a distinct neighborhood, where the residents live, work, and play. We love being a hub in communities with this unique feel, and feel that Queen Anne is a perfect location for us to grow,” he added.

Picture Perfect Queen Anne, the local volunteer-based organization that has charged itself with the task of revitalizing the streetscape of Queen Anne Ave N from Galer to McGraw, is looking for new community members to join its board of directors.

Our goal is a pedestrian and family-friendly, safe and vibrant main street that everyone in our community will enjoy.

If you spend a considerable amount of time at the top of the hill, you’ve likely noticed some of the work PPQA has done to beautify the neighborhood’s main retail thoroughfare over the last few years. Helped along with community support, and grants from the Department of Neighborhoods, the organization has built benches, consolidated newspaper boxes, and greened curbside bulb beds along Upper Queen Anne. The group’s flagship Green Gateway project was completed last spring, after Key Bank and several neighbors pitched in to help.

With another major project completed, PPQA is looking ahead to 2011 for new projects to kick-start in the community. The group outlined plans for several community improvement projects in its Streetscape Master Plan (.pdf). The following ideas are on the table for consideration this year:

• Improvements to the Galer Stairs
• Community Kiosk
• Public Art
• Permanent Signage
• Creating Photo-Op Destination (analogous to Fremont Troll)

PPQA is also looking for community members interesting in joining the team and serving a term on its board of directors. PPQA chair Margaret Okamoto sent the following:

Picture Perfect Queen Anne is looking for people who work or reside on Queen Anne to join our Board. We are an active, hands-on group that works with other community organizations and City government to enhance the public streetscape of the hilltop retail core of Queen Anne Avenue N. Our most recent project has been the redesigned curbs and landscaping at the Galer and McGraw intersections. For further information about us and the Queen Anne Avenue Streetscape Master Plan, please visit our website: ppqa.org.

Interested? Please e-mail Margaret Okamoto at pictureperfectqa@gmail.com.

While last night’s snow was short-lived, that didn’t stop some Queen Anne-ers from having some fun on the slopes.

Reader Ann V sent us a link (via KING5) to this video of a snowboarder who recorded his run down Queen Anne Ave N using a camera attached to a pole, which he held out in front of him as he traversed the icy hillside. No need for a second camera man here!

Though the snow didn’t cause nearly the same amount of chaos on the hill as last time, there were still a few minor incidents of cars slipping around on the ice, and sometimes up on the curbs.

Madeleine sent us this picture of a car that slid up onto the sidewalk, taken at Queen Anne Ave N and W Armour Stat around 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

There’s a new dentist on the block—one that specializes in pediatric dentistry.

Seattle Kids Dentistry has moved into the vacant space at 2223 Queen Anne Ave N, next to the former Hilltop Yarn. Pediatric dentist Purva Merchant says the office will offer specialized services for infants, children and teens (look for a follow-up story on Purva’s vision for the new business later this week).

Currently Seattle Kids Dentistry is open every Saturday, and every other Tuesday and Friday, but Purva says hours will expand as the patient base grows. For now you can find more information on Seattle Kids Dentistry on its website, or by contacting the office via phone at 425.780.KIDZ, or email at info@seattlekidsdentistry.com.

Updated 10:30 p.m.: All King Country Metro buses are now on snow routes. The Seattle Department of Transportation has announced that it will begin to transition to plowing snow routes as they continue to spread salt throughout the city. Though it is still falling hard out there, there is some good news, at least for those who face a morning commute—forecasters expect the snow to transition to rain sometime between midnight and 10 a.m. Wednesday. For the time being, however, Queen Anne Avenue and West Olympic/10th Avenue W are just a few streets drivers should avoid.

If you’re still planning to head up or down the hill tonight, you might want to find a way around Queen Anne Avenue. Just after 9 p.m. this evening the Counterbalance claimed its first victim of tonight’s snowy slope when a vehicle lost control and went over the curb of the southwest corner of Queen Anne Ave N and Aloha.

Several passersby successfully helped the driver push the car off the main thoroughfare and onto Aloha, but the incident is a reminder of just how out of control cars can get on the Counterbalance when there’s snow and ice involved.

Remember, if you have to head up the Counterbalance as the snow piles up tonight, use four-wheel drive and/or chains, keep distance from other cars, and be careful. If you can, take another way up the south slope (5th Ave N or Olympic to 10th Ave W). And if you’re parking on the slope tonight, try to find as flat of a space as possible, and don’t forget to turn your wheels into the curb.

And just one more time for good measure: we don’t want another repeat of last time.

Good luck with the evening snow Queen Anne!

Seattle City Light crews are doing some work along Queen Anne Avenue N today.

As of 11:15 a.m. three City Light trucks were blocking the right-hand, southbound lane along the Counterbalance from Aloha to the bottom of the hill. If Queen Anne Avenue is part of your commute today, keep in mind that it may be a bit slower leaving the hill due to the lane closure.

Update 12 p.m.: City Light crews have finished work on Queen Anne Avenue. All four lanes are now clear for through traffic.

Emerald Bay Equity hopes to break ground in the first quarter 2011 on a long-stalled development project on Queen Anne Ave N, according to a report by the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce yesterday.

Artist rendering of Seven Hills project.

The Seven Hills project, located at 1919 Queen Anne Ave just across the street from Metropolitan Market, was originally slated to be a mixed office/retail building, but as we previously reported, the developers changed plans to mixed-use retail/residential back in August. The four story building will include 57 apartments, some 8,200 square feet of retail space, and two levels or underground parking for 68 cars.

This project is the third of EBE’s four-phase development plan for 2.1 acres of property, called “The Collection,” along Upper Queen Anne’s main drag. The first two phases–the Sweetbrier and Eden Hills mixed-use residential/retail buildings–have already been completed.

Until very recently the Sweetbrier was struggling to fill its retail space, but in the last 16 months a number of new tenants have moved in, including Key Bank, Twirl Cafe, and most recently, Menchie’s frozen yogurt.

The plans to move forward with the Seven Hills project comes only eight months after EBE put The Collection of properties from 1911-1919 Queen Anne Ave N up for sale, a package that included both the Sweetbrier and Eden Hills developments, and the half-block where Metropolitan Market is located, EBE’s phase four project.

Artist rendering of Met Market project.

The group still plans to redevelop the final plot into a four-story, 125-unit apartment complex with 40,000 square feet of ground-floor space for the longtime neighborhood grocery and other retailers, and 200 underground parking stalls. According to EBE principal Joe Geivett, the company plans to start this phase in 2012.

When The Collection developments are completed, they will amount to more than $140 million in property value, in 250,000 square feet of mixed-use retail and residential space at the top of the hill, according to a Jones Lang LaSalle report published in April.

Currently EBE is working with an “unnamed partner” to finance the Seven Hills project, according to the DJC. The City of Seattle has tentatively scheduled a design review meeting on the new version of the project for January 19. Read up on past design review recommendations on the project here. Review the project’s permit status here.

Update 12/1 2:30 p.m.: “We are shooting to open up on Saturday,” says Menchie’s representative Elizabeth Garner.

We first told you that frozen yogurt chain Menchie’s would be moving into the corner spot of the Sweetbrier building, at Queen Anne Ave N and W Crockett St, back in September.

Well I have good news for all you frozen yogurt fans out there—according to Menchie’s representative Elizabeth Garner, the new cool sweet spot is less than a week out. The shop will be “opening within the next week (if everything goes as planned),” Garner says.

California-based Menchie’s has locations all over the U.S. and Canada, including two in Washington—in Federal Way and Vancouver. The Queen Anne store will be the first location in the Seattle area.

Menchie’s offers a rotating selection of frozen yogurts and toppings, from classic sprinkles, to local fruits. Read more about the frozen yogurt shop in our past coverage.

We’re waiting to hear back on exactly what day the store is planning to open, and will keep you posted.

There’s been a lot of turnover in Queen Anne businesses lately. However, while many have been closing up shop, new leases are also coming in. The most recent addition in Uptown: Piece of Mind is opening up a new location, at 623 Queen Anne Ave N.

This will be the fourth Seattle location for the specialty glass pipe and smoke shop, and the ninth in the Northwest, according to part owner Quinn Sharpe. The other locations are in Fremont, Lake City and the University District. Sharpe writes,

We are shooting for Oct. 30th for opening and probably will do a soft opening before that.

After months of slow moving real estate on Queen Anne Ave N, it seems things are finally picking back up. Homegrown is moving into the former Pete’s Coffee & Tea space on caffeine corner, and ‘for lease’ signs are dropping like flies (look more updates on what else is moving into Queen Anne soon).

One prime piece of retail space in Queen Anne that has just been snapped up is the corner spot in the Sweetbrier building (at Queen Anne Ave N and W Crockett St), which will soon be home to Seattle’s first Menchie’s frozen yogurt outpost.

California-based Menchie’s has locations all over the U.S. and Canada, and is expanding like crazy. (According to their website, the franchise is opening new outposts right and left, including locations in Japan, Dubai, Australia and Mexico).

An anonymous reader tipped us off to Menchie’s moving in at 2101 Queen Anne Ave N. They wrote:

These folks came all the way from Tacoma and were disappointed, showing me their iPhones, that they store wasn’t open. They said it is the best yogurt, like Greek yogurt, thick and tangy!

Menchie’s offers a rotating selection of frozen yogurts and toppings—”from fresh, locally grown fruits to classic rainbow sprinkles,” according to the company website. Customers mix and match whatever they want, and pay by weight, not topping number or cup size.

Up until this point the Queen Anne Farmers Market has been using the space as storage for the weekly market through an in-kind donation from the Sweetbier building. Market director Julie Whitehorn confirmed that the non-profit is currently looking for a new storage space.

Menchie’s already has two locations in Washington state—one in Federal Way, and another in Vancouver. According to its website, it will also be opening a new spot on Broadway, though the exact location has not yet been announced. We sent a note to Menchie’s asking when they plan to open the Queen Anne store, but have not yet heard back. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more!

Picture Perfect Queen Anne has been working to beautify the entrances of the Upper Queen Anne business district along Queen Anne Ave N at Galer and McGraw through the Green Gateways program. Beginning with the construction of curb bulbs last year, the group has been busy raising money and organizing volunteers to help “green” these intersections and make them more friendly for pedestrians and passersby.

(Photo courtesy of PPQA).

Last week PPQA reached its fundraising goal of $16,000 to complete the Green Gateways project and cover landscaping and maintenance for the 2,200 square feet of garden space for the next two years, a feat PPQA Treasurer Elaine Talbot attributes to “the overwhelming generosity of our neighborhood residents, organizations, and business people,” alongside support from the Office of Economic Development and SDOT.

To commemorate the completion of the project, PPQA has planned a community celebration at the Galer gateway (meet at the foot of the Galer Stairs, at the intersection of Queen Anne Ave N and Galer) this Saturday, May 1 at 12:30 p.m., where they will unveil the paving stones and fully landscaped curb bulbs.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of the Green Gateways Project,” said PPQA founder Kathy King in a press release last week. “Queen Anne is one of Seattle’s most walkable neighborhoods. Pedestrian safety and a family friendly environment are important to our neighborhood and the city. Not only will we have welcoming spaces, we will, with the engraved paving stone walkway, have a historic reminder of the people who made our neighborhood what it is today.”

Alongside the new four-way stop at Queen Anne Ave N and W Crockett St, a representative from SDOT says they will be painting new crosswalks on all four sides of the intersection either tomorrow or Saturday, March 20.

SDOT anticipated that the new crosswalks will help motorists get more accustomed to the new stop.

“I know some people have been accidentally speeding through, even though the street is marked with stop warning signs,” one SDOT representative said.

But this isn’t the only intersection to get a face lift this week. A new marked crosswalk has also cropped up today just down the street at Queen Anne Ave N and Garfield.

Though one reader, Anna, admits the new crosswalk will help people going to and from the gym to their cars and other businesses along the block, she wonders if the new stops and crosswalks aren’t getting a little excessive. She wrote,

I am all for pedestrian safety, but isn’t this getting kind of ridiculous?  It seems like all the drivers up here are cautious and aware of all the pedestrians.  I live on QA Ave and the only problems I run into are the people who don’t know where they are going so don’t realize they have to drive 15 mph down the Ave.  What’s next – making QA Ave into a pedestrian boulevard?

What do you think? Should SDOT relax their recent pedestrian safety efforts and trust drivers to look out, or should they continue to line Queen Anne Ave with marked stops and crossings? Comment below.