Doubts about Seattle density

Seattle Times reports on the ongoing discussion around the mayor's plan to increase downtown density and curb suburban sprawl.

Let it be known that we support the goal 100% -- that's why we live where we live, really.

But boy do we have doubts that Seattle is really on the path to achieving this. Case in point are projects like the new Cristalla complex that emphasize upscale over livability. Sure, you can build em taller -- but if you fill the place with a few million-dollar fancy-pants condos and then chop the rest of the building into little tiny studios, all you're going going to have living downtown are retired bank executives and single male bond traders. No offense to the MBA set, but we're going to need buildings with living spaces that a) are large enough and b) affordable enough for a family without a corporate lawyer at the table.

Instead, we have ridiculousness like these gems in an industry write-up on Cristalla:
"We asked buyers early on what kinds of things they would like to have, and wine storage kept coming up. So we put in a wine storage area with 15 different rooms that can hold from 200 to 1,000 bottles."

Williams determined that many prospective residents were dog owners, so the 22-story Cristalla will now feature a dog park on its roof.

Hello? Why the heck did we chase all the crack salesmen out of Regrade Park to make room for the Belltown dog-a-palooza?

For now, we'll try to remain positive. But it's Cristalla clear there's more to this than tall buildings.

Tags: seattle, density