The aerial view of Greenbridge is courtesy of West Seattle pilot/photographer Long B. Nguyen, who often shares spectacular views with our partner site West Seattle Blog. In this case, his image of Greenbridge landed in our inbox about the same time we received a note from King County Housing Authority project manager James Rooney, announcing a milestone – the first homes sold at Greenbridge.

The development’s status had been a source of some controversy with local community activists, since it was intended to be more a mix of owned and rented homes, like West Seattle’s High Point. Last fall, construction of the first seven homes intended for sale began at 8th and 100th. And now, Rooney tells WCN, they’re done, and sales have closed on four of them, with one more under contract, leaving two up for sale. He adds, “Although these homes are available for all buyers, HomeSight is offering up to $45,000 in down-payment assistance to buyers earning up to 80% of area median income.” (In case you’re househunting – here’s the official flyer.)

30 new apartments have officially joined the White Center community, now that Unity Village has celebrated its grand opening. You might recall the affordable-housing project at 13th SW/SW 100th for its previous name, “Strength of Place Village”; the name change, says project sponsor White Center Community Development Association, came from its new residents as well as other White Center community members. Wednesday’s celebration included tours:

And of course, a celebratory cake:

Though the weather was a little too drippy for anyone to be using it, visitors got a good look at Unity Village’s sparkling playground.

Blessings for the ceremony were given by ministers from Seattle’s Choeizan Enkyoji Nichiren Buddhist Temple, Revs. Kanjin Cederman and Ryujin Sorenson:

Among the dignitaries on hand: White Center/West Seattle’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott:

Also involved in the $9.5 million development along with WCCDA are Capitol Hill Housing and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. You can read more about it here.

As of November 2nd, the property is 100% rented! Thirty families are moving into beautiful Strength of the Place Village which the tenants have now renamed Unity Village. Please join us and our partners, Capitol Hill Housing and White Center Community Development Association, in celebrating the grand opening, Wednesday, November 16 from 3 pm to 5 pm. You will be treated to tours the first hour followed by a reception and program including remarks from King County Executive Dow Constantine. These new gorgeous units of affordable housing include rare affordable three bedroom units for the multi-generational families in our community.

Funding for this 30 unit project was provided by Impact Capital, King County, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Tax Credit Assistance Program, the State of Washington, National Equity Fund, Bank of America, the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound and the Bill & Melinda Gates Sound Families Initiative in conjunction with the King County Housing Authority.

Join us at Unity Village on the corner of SW 100th Street and 13th Avenue SW in White Center.

A similar announcement on the WCCDA website has additional details.

It looks a little more done on the outside than the inside, but community members were invited to come over this afternoon to tour Strength of Place Village, the new 30-unit low-income housing complex at 14th SW and SW 100th. You’d have to use your imagination to think about the possibilities of the still-being-built interiors – this is going to be a community room:

The living spaces are taking shape – note the windows and brightness in this one:

As reported here earlier this month, applications are now being taken for prospective tenants. Strength of Place Village is a partnership between Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, White Center Community Development Association, and Capitol Hill Housing, whose Kate Gill de la Garza was a tour guide this afternoon. Ground was broken for the project last September.

(Thursday image from construction webcam at Strength of Place Village)
Updates from Kate Gill de la Garza at Capitol Hill Housing, which is a partner in building Strength of Place Village in White Center: They’re about to start taking applications for people to move into the low-income housing development at 14th and 100th, and there also will be a community tour for anyone interested in taking a look as it gets closer to completion. Here are those two announcements.

Submit an application
Sit down with a Quantum Management representative to fill out an application for housing & ask questions!
Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Location: YWCA Learning Center at Greenbridge
Address: 9720 8th Avenue SW
Time: 3 pm-7 pm

For that event ONLY, child care, light refreshments and interpretation in Spanish, Vietnamese & Somali will be available, according to the announcement. Also, you can find a housing application by going to this page on the White Center Community Development Association site or picking one up at WCCDA HQ at 1615 SW Cambridge. Meantime, here’s the tour announcement:

Community Tour
Come and see what quality affordable housing looks like!
This tour is open to all!
Date: Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Location: Intersection of 14th Avenue SW & SW 100th Street
Time: 4 pm-6 pm

You can check in on the construction via the site webcam – see it here.

Big turnout in White Center this morning for the groundbreaking celebration kicking off the construction of Strength of Place Village – that’s Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen offering a blessing, in our top photo, which State Sen. Joe McDermott described as,
“I think it is terribly fitting that we started today with greetings from the Chairwoman of the Duwamish Tribe. Native Americans have been in this area for at least 10,000 years. And on November 13, 1851 the Denny party arrived in West Seattle, not far from here. Back on the 4th of July a bunch of people gathered near there, in front of an institution that is now closed, and talked about how much “this place” matters. And I think that lesson is exceptionally important to remember today. This place does indeed matter. The partnership that we’re celebrating today talks about the strength that can be harvested in this community at coming together to make this place as valuable as it can be to further enrich the value that is already here. I’m pleased the State had been able to play a role in housing this project. And I’m look forward to not only coming back to cut the ribbon, but to move boxes into the new homes next summer.”

It’s a 30-unit housing complex at 13th SW and SW 100th for low-income families (income no more than $55,000/year). It’s also a collaboration between agencies including the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, the White Center Community Development Association, and Capitol Hill Housing. From those three agencies, with County Executive Dow Constantine, in the next photo, are WCCDA’s Aileen Balahadia, DNDA’s Derek Birnie, and CHH’s Chris Persons:

Balahadia said at the ceremony, ““As you can see, the strength of place here really isn’t about place at all…of the bricks and mortar of a building…or the dirt and soil that we’re going to be breaking ground on today. White Center is truly special because our people make it so. And we choose to work the White Center way where community works side by side with partners, policymakers, institutions, to lead the kind of change residents want to see in their community. SOPI is part of a greater White Center neighborhood action plan designed by residents. This property was initially identified and brought to our attention by the King County Sheriff’s office due to some public safety concerns on the site. They asked if we could do something together on this? The CDA and DNDA worked closely with the original owners of the property on those safety issues. And the neighbors and local residents were all informed and were part of co-designing this project. So it has been a tremendous accomplishment.” Of course, there was the ceremonial shovel-turning – can’t have a groundbreaking without that:

(With the shovels, from left, were White Center resident Laushonda Barquet, Impact Capital director Heyward Watson, Dow Constantine, Aileen Balahadia, Derek Birnie, Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, Chris Persons, King County Councilmember Jan Drago, State Sen. Joe McDermott.) Barquet, a 25-year White Center resident, said, “When I think about a neighborhood where I would want to raise my son I think of a place like this. Where my son and I have a place to grow and accel safely. Also have stable housing. I can catch the bus or even walk to work. You can walk to school. White Center is a place where you can get fresh produce and all different types of ethnic food. This is also a neighborhood that is a safe place for my child to play and a safe place to leave my doors open when I’m cooking or cleaning. That’s why I participated as a resident in the design of SOPI Village and in raising awareness for the project. It is important that my voice and our voices provide the heart and soul in the leadership of a place like this, in White Center.” Here’s a closer look at the “I (Heart) White Center” hardhats:

This is one of the renderings showing what Strength of Place will look like:

Demolition work continues at the site now.

The date’s now set for the groundbreaking ceremony at the 30-unit housing development Strength of Place Village, a collaboration between White Center Community Development Association, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, and Capitol Hill Housing. It’ll start at the project site, 13th SW/SW 100th, at 11 am, followed by a barbecue at Steve Cox Memorial Park (one block away) at 11:45. Lots of info here.

Ms. Hutchison has never held public office.  She has never had to struggle with the political realities of governing a complex political entity whose ambits include not only roads and sewers but social services, neighborhoods and law enforcement.  It is difficult to see how her experience on the board of the Seattle Symphony prepared her, in the slightest way, for such a weighty role.

If anyone had any doubt about Ms. Hutchison’s lack of specificity on issues, policies or even advisors, it is worth a listen (available on podcast).  Pressed by the moderator to name a single advisor who she consults, or who she would bring to her administration, she flatly resisted naming anyone, except to say bus drivers.  Her conclusion was “trust me” they will be great people.  I have nothing against bus drivers, but maybe she could have named a couple of the guys that she intends to bring to the Hutchison administration that will “bring people together.”  I’m sorry but calling Hutchison a “lightweight” does not begin to describe the chasm that is her lack of qualification to hold such an important post.  Listen for yourself.

Jobs & the Economy:

Susan will help give small businesses the tools they need to create jobs…

Improve Transportation:

Susan will quickly implement simple changes to encourage transit ridership…

Budget Reform:

Susan will identify waste and restructure the budget to ensure our tax dollars are being spent effectively.

Protect Our Environment.

Susan will forge partnerships between environmental, labor and business groups as we work toward our common goal…

That’s it folks, Susan Hutchison’s platform for managing one of the biggest governmental entities in the country. In her defense, it might be said that she is offering as much detail as the two lightweights who are currently vying to be Seattle’s next mayor.  But then, that’s not much of a complement.

I will forthrightly state that I do not like Ms. Hutchison’s right-wing politics and that on that basis alone, she should be disqualified for the position.  Seattle and King County residents are a tolerant, liberal community.  To have a George Bush conservative speaking for us, just does not sit well.  But what about her competence?

Ms. Hutchison has never held public office.  She has never had to struggle with the political realities of governing a complex political entity whose ambits include not only roads and sewers but social services, neighborhoods and law enforcement.  It is difficult to see how her experience on the board of the Seattle Symphony prepared her, in the slightest way, for such a weighty role.

I often disagreed with former King County Executive, Ron Sims, but I found him thoughtful, intelligent and most importantly, quite knowledgeable on any issue relating to his role as Executive of the very large and expansive King County.  On the issue of affordable housing, we know nothing as to where Hutchison stands?  Does she support the Greenbridge and High Point housing/community developments?  If so, on what basis?  If not, why not?  Where does she stand on the issue of incorporation which raises the hackles of so many of White Center’s residents?

And what of her experience dealing with communities of color or economically distressed areas?  How does her “bringing people together” chirp really address the many challenges that White Center faces?  The fact is, nothing in her background begins to give her a serious understanding of White Center or similar communities.  There is no on-the-job training for such issues.  And Ms. Hutchison has given no indication that she even remotely cares about such issues.  In the end, Hutchison is what she was in her prior role as newscaster, a pretty face with a vacuous resume.