Is Seattle's best mayor in Bremerton?
Cary Bozeman may have insulted Seattle's leadership, vision, and downtown icons with his blunt critique of the city, but he's mostly right.
The Seattle mayoral race is slow to shape up with good candidates skipping it and others jumping in who are largely unknown or inexperienced. One interesting twist: possibly the best candidate to challenge Dear Leader Greg Nickels for the job is currently mayor of another city.
Some noses wrinkled with offense when Bremerton mayor Cary Bozeman recently made a few criticisms of Seattle during a meeting with state mayors. Bozeman described the Seattle downtown waterfront as an "insult to American ingenuity," complained about Aurora's "visual garbage" and called Pioneer Square a "less-than-mediocre public space."
Worse, his insults are largely true.
Snarky critics point out that Bremerton is no gem. Bloggers at the Seattlep-i.com came to Seattle's defense hurling insults at the little guy across Puget Sound. Bremerton's hometown Kitsap Sun fired back.
But what's Bozeman's credibility? He has managed to spruce up the blue-collar shipyard town with parks, new businesses, a waterfront fix-up in what the Seattle Times described as "the biggest renovation of its downtown since World War II." And he's been helped by the fact that Bremerton has attracted Seattle refugees looking for cheaper by-the-Sound housing, a pretty ferry commute, and a sense that they've landed in the New Brooklyn.
Bozeman comes with another interesting credential: He's also been mayor of King County's second largest city, Bellevue. Bozeman has long been a dynamic, energetic player in civic transformation, a moderate, pro-business Democrat. He's on his second mayoral term in Bremerton and served On the Bellevue city council between 1976 and 1993 where he did three stints as mayor — pushing, among other things, for the downtown central park. Name another mayor who's played a key role in transforming two area cities. Name another guy with experience on both the east and west sides of Puget Sound. Name another guy as restless and civically ambitious as he is.
All of which suggests that Seattle might be foolish not to consider tempting an outside candidate like Bozeman with solid experience to actually tackle the job of running the city. We'd do that for police chief, for schools supe, for city librarian. Why not fish from a bigger pond?
Bozeman elaborated on his critique in a Seattle Times op/ed this week. First, he put his criticism in the context of many American cities that have failed to take full advantage of their waterfronts which are often caught in transition between working ports, tourist traps, and residential development. Seattle, in other words, is not alone. Bozeman writes:
I have a vision of a waterfront with an unobscured view of the water and the majestic Olympic Mountains. I see well-maintained grassy areas with pools of water where the kids can wade on hot days, great picnic areas, and memorable public art set in a forest of fir, alder and cedar. It would be a quiet waterfront where one can hear children's voices and the sound of the water slapping rocks against the shore.
This kind of urban space ultimately drives economic value by drawing investors and development that values such a place. But this can be accomplished only by leaders who have vision, a plan and the passion to make something terrific happen.
It sounds like Bozeman is at least partly inspired by projects like the beach at the Olympic Sculpture Park, which attempts to restore a piece of the shoreline to a pre-urban Seattle. Tough to do on the central waterfront with its piers (many historic landmarks), ferry and cruise ship terminals, etc. etc. But at least he's got an idea that's better than wide boulevards, too much surface traffic, and yuppified retailers.
One advantage of putting a major, forested park right on the water (maybe we could resurface and create a salmon stream too) is that it would serve as a reminder, and perhaps even a metric, of how we're doing with the clean-up of Puget Sound, the kind of metric you won't in old wharves or new condos. His biggest challenge would likely be finding any kids. By the time the project is remade, the last one might have left Seattle and turned out her nightlight.
Seattle is going to need someone with strong vision to reshape the waterfront now that the bored tunnel option is the accepted plan. The Alaskan Way Viaduct is going underground so focus needs to shift to what comes next. Recent history suggests that in addition to worrying about a Big Dig boondoggle underground we should also be worrying about the mess we can make aboveground. The city's track record managing big makeovers is not encouraging: Westlake, for one, was a complete dud, and the recent Seattle Center revisioning is more or less moribund and misconceived. So Bozeman, if nothing else, is putting his finger on a sore point that's bound to get a lot sorer.
His point about Pioneer Square hurts too because it's become downtown's stepchild where once it was a national showcase. Pioneer Square's preservation was, well, pioneering, but it's neglected. It lost its trollies while South Lake Union gained streetcars. Instead of urban vibrancy it has the feel of used goods. Danny Westneat says it's a poster-child of the recession:
No part of this city shows the economic doldrums as visibly as Pioneer Square. Empty storefronts mar most blocks. In the core 12-block area from Yesler to South King Street, I counted 21 shuttered businesses — with more rumored to be on the way.
The Smith Tower is arguably Seattle's most famous address. Yet today, 13 floors in the tower sit completely vacant (about half the square footage.) The street level is empty except for a Starbucks.
Down along Occidental Avenue South, the First Thursday art walk marches on. But "for lease" signs dot the bricked path. Fisher Fine Arts is gone. Last month the Susan Woltz Gallery folded.
"I think most of them are barely hanging on," said Robert Sargent, who runs The Press, an art and design specialty printer. On both sides of his little office/gallery on Occidental are empty storefronts.
But you don't need to be told this; you can see it yourself. Pioneer Square is a mishmash of loft dwellers, the homeless, skeezy bars, funky shops, gawking underground tourists, and spillover amenities for sports fans. Which would be cool except that skeezy, funky, and homeless are three of the least popular seven dwarves. Pioneer Square feels like a second-class neighborhood, a place the city doesn't quite know what to do with. Historic it is, but it's not what it used to be: a source of civic pride, a culturally rich, edgy neighborhood redeemed by its artists and eccentrics.
Bozeman's mini-critique of Aurora isn't particularly useful: sure it's ugly, but every city needs an Aurora or a Totem Lake or a Tukwila. I wouldn't be so quick to call what's there "garbage." Some agree with Bozeman, however. Seattle Times sketch artist Gabriel Campanario picked up on his comments and went out to put it on paper.
Sure, there are cars, wires, and dives, but no big city is without them. Even architect Victor Steinbrueck found a kind of charm in the city's wires, telephone poles, sign clutter, and dumpy districts, which he documented in his own published sketchbooks. But Bozeman's right to the extent that if Pioneer Square feels neglected, Aurora is essentially abandoned to the ultra-libertarianism of commercial design. It's a major highway largely defined by auto shops, scary motels, and exhaust fumes. It exists so the rest of us won't have to live next to what it provides, but it's fair to wonder if we can do better.
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Comments:
Posted Thu, Apr 30, 12:27 p.m. Inappropriate
Knute,
The dwarves made me laugh out loud in the office.
I'd be fine with bringing Bozeman from Bremerton if they promise to take Frank Chopp back.
You and Bozeman are completey right about Pioneer Square. I'm not sure what could be done. I wonder if Charlie Royer has any ideas because he still lives down there. Instead of putting him on a pointless Housing Levy committee with its ridiculous foregone conclusions, the City would be well served by having him on a Pioneer Square Redevelopment Plan.
As for Aurora, what's Bozeman got against the Thunderbird?
Posted Thu, Apr 30, 1:18 p.m. Inappropriate
I love the idea of fur, alder and cedar on a prominent downtown waterfront. How often does one get to experience that? Perfect Seattle mix of big city excitement (historic piers, aquarium, sculpture park, awesome skyline) with northwest beauty and recreation (pine trees, water features, mountain views) Our waterfront could really be the crown jewel of the city- a microcosm of why so many of us love to live here :-)
Another thing the waterfront could really use is more inviting pedestrian connections from downtown that are destinations in and of themselves- Harbor Steps is a particularly outstanding example of how to achieve this.
As for Pioneer Square - that area is on the up and up, but in addition to historic preservation, it needs some new development. The surface parking lot accross from Occidental park is one of the most dissapointing spaces in all of Seattle. What should be one of the vital hearts of the city is completely deflated by having one of the walls enclosing the 'square' a lifeless void of asphalt.
Also, while it's great Seattle has so many resources for the homeless, it is probably unwise to have so many facilities concentrated in one place. Pioneer Square is widely known as a homeless mecca which is really stifling to many people who would otherwise choose to live there or place their business there.
Posted Thu, Apr 30, 2:24 p.m. Inappropriate
Fifty years ago the Pioneer Square area was home to folks on the bottom; alcoholics, day laborers, unemployed single men and a few slumming college men late at night. It was the resurrection of Pioneer Square that was the anomaly. PS has succumbed to social gravity. The night life in Pioneer Square, upscale and chic in the 70s and 80s, (especially before the stadiums) deteriorated quickly. By the 90s the area seemed to be notable mainly for binge drinkers before, after and instead-of, the game. Like 1960 except a meaner bunch.
It's a daunting mix; big sports stadiums, specialized eating and drinking establishments that cater to the fast-moving crowd, social service organizations that cater to the indigent and people with substance abuse problems. Add to this a tiny minority of full time dwellers who really care about the area.
It is going to be hard to fix.
Posted Thu, Apr 30, 2:48 p.m. Inappropriate
Bozeman IS mostly right. And he has a history of being something of a seer. As mayor of Bellevue many years ago, he fought the Seattle-centric assignment of carpool lanes when the "new" I-90 bridge was finished. Turns out he was right -- the "revese" commute now often is the heavier one, thanks to Microsoft, the growth of Bellevue, and much more. Meanwhile, the "regular" commute people are the only ones who benefit from those expensive lanes.
Posted Thu, Apr 30, 8:19 p.m. Inappropriate
Knute,
I don't know where to begin. Why bring Bozeman in to tell us what we already know and hate. Our government has abandoned us for the globalization of the city. It has trampled our values and spirit. It has preyed on our lowerr income residents who have no choice but to leave. Those who are left are the wealthy and tourists. Doesn't sound like the "City for All" that we were pursuing in the 60's and 70's.
This andministration has poured salt on an already open wound. Civic pride is now based on contributions to the local power base by the local power mongers.
Citizens have detached themselves from the open form of government because it no longer is welcome. And the City Council members have been either gelded and/or made unfertile buy the mayor's way of dealing with them.
Those of us who undersrtood the back-to-the-city-movement of the 70's, knew that before others would return, you had to stabilize and protect the ones who hung in there. The current leaders have thrown out that population and replaced it with new residents who never knew what was here before they came, and don't seem to care.
So, if you're going to reach beyond the city's limits to recommend mayoral candidates for mayor, count me in. I'm enjoying Tacoma, which is experiencing the kind of growth and improvement projects that speak to it's values and less about the nation or world. It's like Seattle in the 70's. Come down and check it out.
Oh, and if I ran for Mayor, I'd promise that if I won, and received the Mayor's pay, I'd move back into the City because I can't afford it now.
Perhps there is a lesson to learn from electing leaders from the City. They have an inherent conflict of interest and are inbred due to the limited choice of candidates.
Art for Mayor! It has a nice ring about it.
Posted Thu, Apr 30, 10:55 p.m. Inappropriate
I can only assume that Bozeman’s challenge to the gods for more vision from our leaders and more open space for our children is actually the last page of his do-list for some special interests who are working their will on downtown Seattle. Bozeman has no more ability or vision than anyone else in the changing of urban space to create his definition of a legacy for whoever except to hand it over and get out of the way. How hard is it to convince a real estate developer to build a water front mini-mall? He gets his marching orders from wealthy special interests in the same manner that mayor nickels and our own city council receive their visionary check lists. The current plan to eliminate one of the most successful north / south arterials we have for moving rubber tired vehicles just to create amenities for developers is a giant step backwards for Seattle. This current vision for the viaduct also requires that we spend an extra couple of billion dollars at a time when we are drastically cutting funding for emergency services, health care, education and social services. It is a quality of life issue for tens of thousands of citizens who don’t even go downtown unless they absolutely have to.
What happened to elected officials who just served as moderators between special interests and the community at large? You could at least tell when they were doing their jobs. Now that they’re all visionaries, we have to wait until they’re out of office and long gone before we realize what damage they’ve done.
Posted Fri, May 1, 12:49 a.m. Inappropriate
ahh... Bozo, bozo, bozo...
So the Great Bozo elegantly depicts his great achievements over here.
The Marina... That was given and funded soley by the Port of Bremerton. While Bremerton benefits from the marina, Bozo had nothing to do with it (btw, it's at 29% occupancy and they'd hoped by now to have atleast 50%... it's failing)
The Condos... That was funded by the KCCHA on the backs of the people of Kitsap County. Again, Bozo had nothing to do with it, only taking credit.
The BUTT (Bremerton Underground Transit Tunnel) when the residents of Bremerton fought against it and nearly got it stopped, he switched gears and it became a state project and not a city one which did not allow the people of Bremerton enough time to stop it there. As a state project, he has no claim on it.
1st street, businesses are still operating there, though they're having a hard time getting permits to improve their buildings after they fought and won against emmiment domain where the city wanted to steal the land for parks.
So.... essentially, what Bozo has done is just create a couple parks. He has not created some grand vision or done anything except incur debt to the city, now to the tune of over $4Million.
Some visionary...
Posted Fri, May 1, 7:49 a.m. Inappropriate
Seattle's waterfront is a filthy place. A haven for seagulls and their droppings. That being said, I LOVE driving across the viaduct. It's exciting to know that you are taking your life in your hands while driving THROUGH a city skyline.
Posted Fri, May 1, 8:27 a.m. Inappropriate
I'll take Aurora's blue collar clutter, cacophony and commercialism every time over the empty ghost-town storefronts of New Yuppieville.
Posted Fri, May 1, 8:33 a.m. Inappropriate
I just wanted to include, since you mentioned the kids, that Mayor Bozeman is the past director of the King County Boys and Girls Club.
Posted Fri, May 1, 9:06 a.m. Inappropriate
Cary Bozeman is my hero.
Obviously, few people know Cary's personal story, and I'm glad Karen Lee pointed out that Cary was the CEO of the King County Boys & Girls Clubs. While head of that organization, he doubled the number of clubs and kids served, while stabilizing funding through major events and inventive corporate sponsorships. It's important to note that Cary focused on bringing kid clubs to the poor kids of our region -- a couple in Rainier Valley, one in White Center, and so on. A visit to the clubs, even in the tonier areas of King County, will showcase the "Positive Place for Kids" (Cary came up with this national slogan, and recruited Denzel Washington as spokesman) that has become a home to tens of thousands of children.
Cary has a reason to care about poor kids. He was one of them. Left as a small boy at an orphanage with his brother by his father, Cary was adopted and brought to Seattle, where he was a stellar athlete. But his adoptive famiily left him behind, and Cary was homeless, living out of a car but continuing to attend the old Lincoln High School. He put himself through college, and went to work at a Boys & Girls Club, rising to Director.
In the 1970s, Cary was concerned about the lack of parks and play spaces for "his" kids and built a grassroots organization that eventually led him to the Bellevue City Council in the early 1970s. Bellevue went on to develop one of our state's greatest park systems, protecting old growth forest, wetlands, and preserving old farms so that children and families could connect with nature.
Cary Bozeman started with nothing. He has built a legacy that stands the test of time. While the transformation of two cities is the bricks and mortar of his vision, it was Cary's ability to inspire kids and adults to take their abilities and shape them into futures. He ought withstand the thin-skinned, overly sensitive class that seeks to protect the mediocrity that is Seattle. Cary Bozeman cares for, and loves, Seattle, as only a person who grew up here and watched the squandering of it's potential greatness.
I've been lucky to work with Cary Bozeman, twice. He is my hero, and I would welcome him back to Seattle with open arms, a ready shovel, and a heartful of hope for the next chapter of Seattle.
Posted Fri, May 1, 10:43 a.m. Inappropriate
I moved away from Seattle in 1970. Now I have been back for 5 years and am sorely disappointed about the direction the City is going. It is easy for the Mayor of Bremerton to criticize Seattle because frankly it's a real mess. Rather then preserving those thing that make Seattle unique the current administration is putting all it's eggs into the basket of new developments for the wealthy and the hell with the rest of us. Seattle is overrun with the homeless, unable to get the snow off the streets and Pioneer Square and the waterfront are two sad indications of the total lack of caring exhibited by the current mayor who spends his time nuzzling up to the developers and money men and ignoring the rest of the city. Time to go Greg
Posted Fri, May 1, 12:31 p.m. Inappropriate
Be careful what you wish for. With all due respect, Cary Bozeman's vision for transforming Bremerton included public funding of a NASCAR racetrack---as one of the posters has already noted with reference to Mayor Bozeman's other visions, it was an idea not exactly supported by the neighborhood in which it was to be located. Voters have tossed many of his other ideas, including 'fast ferries' to Bremerton --- footing the tax bill for which was voted down, twice I believe, by Kitsap residents. You can knock Mayor Nickels' leadership all you want--you can disagree with what he does--but you can also point to a record of getting projects and levies approved by the voters, and you will find that he scores much higher on his side of the water, on that score, than Bozeman does in Bremerton and Kitsap County. One simple test of leadership that you might apply in this context is whether or not the leader has followers, not to speak of winning elections. For better or worse, Mayor Nickels seems to have that one covered.
Posted Fri, May 1, 5:56 p.m. Inappropriate
"Art Skolnik for Mayor"? OK, as long as "legend in his own mind" is his campaign slogan.
Posted Fri, May 1, 5:56 p.m. Inappropriate
"Art Skolnik for Mayor"? OK, as long as "legend in his own mind" is his campaign slogan.
Posted Fri, May 1, 10:57 p.m. Inappropriate
Dear Cary Bozeman...My dear departed mother used to say " Sweep for your wn door first". Bremerton reminds me of the "Twilight Zone" LouieLouie
Posted Fri, May 1, 11:51 p.m. Inappropriate
Cary, if you think the Seattle Snatchers would dissipate your spirit, come to Oly! We need you to run against Doug "Pave It" Mah. He and his pull toys on the city council want to build high rises on a strip of land called the Isthmus. The high rises would obstruct everyone's view of the Olympics except those that can afford expensive condos. We are fighting for a public park in that area.
Please help us before Doug puts up brass and glass of the kind you are trying to tear down in Seattle.
Posted Sat, May 2, 5:22 p.m. Inappropriate
Cary did well with Bellevue regarding parks and open space. Considering how he was hemmed in by Mega Blocks and monster malls, overall, Bellevue did well in planning for the future. What I commented on concerning Visionaries fits here as well... Bozeman was in many areas a visionary who had backing to do some good things.
I don't think we are lacking in visionaries... we are lacking in funding to make visionary things happen. There are wonderful ideas out there... but 100, 80, even 40 years ago, it was easier to gain momentum, fund them, and easier to build.
ALL the great projects up to the 1960s had the benefit of cheaper land, less litigation, and fewer restrictions.
Imagine attempting a single regrade today in Seattle, let alone the more than 60 that we did from the late 1890's to the early 1930's...
The old "yes we can do" Seattle changed in the mid 70's. The new influx reaped the rewards of all the previous visionaries, but never had to put up with the construction. The region's long standing populism led to the biggest DOT error... taking tolls off bridges once they were paid for, never thinking that when it came time to replace, 50 years of a savings plan would have covered it.
Leaders continue to dream, but there are a lot more constraints than their previous lot ever dealt with...
We voters vote for things that end up killed, and against things that get built... The Seattle Commons... Killed twice. The Monorail ballooned beyond reality... Supported four of five times, then vetoed. Light Rail... turned down for years... finally shoved through with a compromise that will insure it is not as effective as it could have been.
By running ONE track for most of MLK, and crossing at street level, we have turned a light rail system itno a streetcar prone to all the issues faced by streetcars. It has yet to open officially and has already been hit twice. The route is not wrong -- what was wrong was not to insure it had its OWN roadbed like the monorail. It NEVER gets stuck in traffic. But our 3 billion plus "light rail" has to deal with dozens of crossings and traffic all through the Rainier Valley, and even sharing the bus tunnel. It could have been a real contender...
Even the simple stuff gets mucked up. Like extending the monorail to the Stadiums. Or circling them, and then circling the Seattle Center. The original idea was to extend the south end to at least the rail stations. Still not done.
Fear of Viaduct construction issues have padlocked the historic Benson Trolley cars for the last 5 years... and NO one seems to see the opportunity to extend the rails NORTH through park property to the NEW cruise ship pier and let tourists once again pay for transportation alternatives.
I bet Cary would see the wisdom...
— hacknflack
Posted Wed, May 13, 1:54 p.m. Inappropriate
I love the idea of fir, alder and cedar as well. And we can do better with the waterfront than just making it a boulevard or "great street" with evergreens, like this one in Amsterdam: http://www.zombiezodiac.com/rob/ped/amsterdam/PICT0061%20800x599.jpg .
I was very amused by the statement that every city needs a Tukwila... Aurora is to Seattle as Tukwila is to Tukwila haha. Sorry Tukwila. But you deserve it for using the Space Needle in your commercials.
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