Lease lid voted to end

Last Monday, a 6-3 Seattle City Council vote passed legislation that ends a 25-year restriction on the University's ability to rent off-campus property. It is a resolution that aims to revitalize the U-District's economy by allowing the UW to rent spaces for offices and labs, and also to increase family housing for faculty and staff.

"It gives the University the flexibility to lease more space in the U-District," said Jeanette Henderson, UW's director of real estate.

According to Weldon Ihrig, executive vice president of the university, the resolution allows the UW to actively talk to developers in the area, specifically on the Ave., to provide more residential and office options and look into housing options since space on campus is at capacity.

"We're working to find ways to have the University's needs met and rejuvenate the economy of the Ave.," Ihrig said.

He attributed the U-District's current economic instability in part to the departure of students during the summer. He says that an inflow of more long-term residents, such as faculty and staff, would remedy the situation. He foresees the creation of "mixed use" units consisting of businesses on the street level and housing for staff and faculty above.

"If there are more housing opportunities to faculty and staff, there will be more balance in the U-District," Ihrig said. "If there's more diversity of people the economy will be more stable."

Business owners and managers are skeptical of the impact of the lease lid's removal.

Jasmine Takanikos, manager of the shoe store Five Doors Up, said the influx of staff and faculty residents might help but isn't enough.

"There need to be other improvements as well," she said.

Joanne Mafune, owner of Melrose Florists, said the focus should be on retail stores, not on housing.

"To have people come and go, it's important to have stores that offer a product," she said.

Staff and faculty members find the proposal worth pursuing.

"In this area, there is such a tremendous need for space, I can see the plusses there," said Millie Russell, a lecturer in the biology department and assistant to the vice president for minority affairs.

Eleanor Chase, librarian and head of government publications at Suzzallo Library, finds the proposal appealing, but said that many staff members currently choose not to live in the area because of the noise, something that would need to change to attract faculty and staff.

Addressing this concern as part of its effort to revitalize economic development, the Seattle City Council passed another resolution last Monday to change the city's noise ordinance. A $250 fine will now be imposed for late-night noise from residential property that is continuous or recurrent and can be heard from 75 feet away.

According to Henderson, programs and departments that may benefit from this end of the lease lid include the Educational Outreach Program, whose office burned down this past winter. She added that the Evans School of Public Affairs is looking to consolidate facilities. The resolution will go to the regents for review and endorsement in July.