Also, they likely only have a 10 year lease with some 5 year options. I’ll be surprised if that business is around in 10 years, but the building will be. 10 years is not that long in the history of the city, but the types of changes it could help facilitate in that time could last much longer. When it goes out of business, Urban Visions will have a much better building w/fewer TIs to amortize into a lease and therefore more leeway in who they can lease it to. City development is all about the long-game.

While the HRC might not be the absolute optimal choice, I wish them luck and success. Those blocks of Pike and Pine are embarassments.

“Police and prosecutors said Levy, the longtime owner of Liberty Loan Pawn shop on Pike Street, and his relatives directed addicts to steal particular items from downtown shops, including 52 Armani suits from Nordstrom and hundreds of pieces of glass art. They then fenced those stolen items through the pawnshop or through an eBay account, police and prosecutors said. Police said they were tipped off to the operation more than two years ago, but believe the criminal activity has been going on for at least 13 years.”

That’s your idea of “colorful, authentic character”? I bet if you were one of their victims you’d feel different.

And the Hard Rock Cafe is evil?

If it was part of the Market or a local restaurant that was being replaced by the Hard Rock then I’d be right with you, but in this case I think you’re a little off base.

Regardless, it looks like they’re doing a good job preserving and fixing up the old building, and look like an improvement over the previous uses. For everyone nostalgic over the loss of the Pawn Shop…do you actually live in the neighborhood?