Anyone who’s come up 45th St from I-5 is familiar with the mini-festering pit on the corner of 4th Ave NE and NE 45th St. There used to be a hair salon or somesuch there, then developers knocked the building down to build condos, then the economy got knocked down, and the empty lot lay collecting garbage.
Together with the drab Cosmopolitan Apartments (and formerly Office Max) building, the seedy mini-market on the southeast corner and Puffin Glass, the head shop on the southwest corner, it’s made something of a dismal gateway to the neighborhood.
Jeff Garfield to the rescue! We just heard from the owner of Bedrooms and More that he’s purchased the lot, where he plans to build a retail show and a landmark Welcome to Wallingford design:
We have just completed the purchase of the lot and have contracted with the award winning Stuart Silk Architects (N.E. 45th Street and Sunnyside Ave. N.) to design a new, retail building. As you know, Wanda and I own Bedrooms & More and have since 1972 when it opened as The Four Post’r, a waterbed store. We plan to build a new retail building on the site that will have a landmark, welcome to Wallingford, design.
The corner has been used as a dump site recently and has been poorly maintained. It has now been partially cleaned up and a security fence is going up soon to keep it from being used for more dumping and vandalism. Construction will start as soon as permitting is completed. That process will be started right away but can run many, many months. I will update you as we progress. If any Wallyhood readers have questions they may reach me at [email protected].
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All I can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! That lot just makes me sad most of the time. Here’s to lifting up LWF (lowerwallingford)
Now, on to 40th & Stone, the macro-festering pit?
That corner was the bane of my existence!
Anytime we can improve an eyesore, I say CONGRATULATIONS. Thank you, we Wallingfordites appreciate you! Now if QFC could get off their ass, it would be nice to get rid of the PIT. Even a Park & Ride would help!!!!!!!!! Microsoft could pick up their employes there, and a bus could pick up other people who might work across the pond. Figure it out, it looks like hell!!!!!!!!Mimi
“the seedy mini-market on the southeast corner”. That’s a little harsh, I used to go there all the time, and I never found it to be anything other than your average mini-mart.
Hooray! That building was knocked down the week after I moved into said “drab Cosmopolitan Apartments” almost four years ago. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jeff and Wanda! Now, Wallyhood, while the Cosmo may be drab from the outside, it’s quite colorful and lovely on the inside. Particularly the community BBQ area. One shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover.
Awesome! So happy to heart the mini-pit is getting a new facelift. As for the Cosmo, I think my issue with it is that it looks like one of those giant storage containers they drop off in your driveway when you are moving. It may be nice on the inside, but the whole giant building is kind of an eyesore.
Great news, thanks Jeff & Wanda! @Mimi, the park & ride is a great idea! It might keep those Microsoft commuter bus thingies from taking the corners so fast around here in the evenings, getting too close to pedestrians on these neighborhood streets (like 35th & Wallingford).
@FreGirl and anyone else who care to comment, I’m curious what your thoughts are on how the Cosmo could have more curb appeal. I will admit its pale physique is less than appealing, and I’ve wondered what color they could paint it or other things they could do to perk it up a bit. The problem with color is that it’s a GIGANTIC building, and while the inside of the building has lots of it, that could be overwhelming on the outside. Just curious.
Thank you, Jeff and Wanda! Looking forward to the unveiling of the new design!
Woot! It’s about time something actually came of that weedy patch of concrete.
I’ve been at the Cosmo for just under 2 years; it’s a fun place to live and is well-managed. The building has gotta be at least 50 years old, so the exterior architecture is definitely dated and not imaginative. New retail tenants on the mostly-empty first floor would definitely help the block – Office Max took up a TON of space that could be used for *something*. Either that or the Cosmo could expand a little and put in some tenant facilities, like a common room or exercise room (nothing too much though; the Cosmo’s simplicity is actually good). I wonder why it’s taken so long to find new tenants… awkwardly-situated storefronts?