From SouthEast Effective Development (SEED):
In 2005, SEED purchased the Chubby & Tubby department store on the corner of Rainier Avenue South and Walden Street. The site is currently being developed into a new, mixed use project. The project will consist of 68 units of housing affordable to families and individuals earning up to 80% of AMI ($55,000 for a family of 3), and includes 5,400 square feet of commercial space. Construction will begin in December 2009 and be completed in January 2011.
The $18 million project, just 4 blocks of the McClellan Link light rail station, was funded by the U.S. Bank National Association, City of Seattle Office of Housing/Housing Levy, City of Seattle Office of Economic Development/HUD Section 108, Washington State Housing Trust Fund, Enterprise Community Loan Fund, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, WSHFC/Rapid Response, King County Housing Finance Program, King County Brownfield’s Program, Seattle Housing Authority, Washington State Department of Commerce/EPA, America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Seattle City Light/Built Smart, Master Builders Association/Built Green, Puget Sound Energy, Claremont Apartments and Clean up Grants.
In 2009, SEED received a stimulus funded grant from EPA through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to begin the cleanup of the Claremont Apartment site. The alternative clean up approaches considered include:
- Isolation of contaminants (concrete cap, such as building foundation) and implementation of institutional controls (deed restrictions, etc)
- Isolation of contaminants (concrete cap) and excavation of “hot spots” with concentrated contamination for disposal at regulated site. Implementation of institutional controls.
- Excavation of all contaminated soil with on-site treatment and reuse of the excavated soil.
- Excavation of all contaminated soil with off-site treatment disposal of excavated soil at a permitted facility.
Only petroleum contamination is found on the southeast corner of this site from an underground tank that was removed in 1995, but had leaked into the soil prior to removal. Specific contaminants include: from 4mg/kg to 810 mg/kg TPH as gasoline. This is not considered hazardous waste, but the site must be cleaned to current state standards. The clean up activity is being conducted under the regulations of Washington State Department of Ecology’s Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP). The State establishes levels on soil contamination that are safe for humans and the soils and groundwater must be cleaned to that level with methods that are certified and supervised by the State.
Copies of the studies and analysis conducted for this site are available for public inspection at the SEED office (5117 Rainier Avenue South). Comments about the proposed clean up alternatives can be sent to pchemnick@seedseattle.org by December 30, 2009 and will be taken into consideration as we prepare our clean up activity at the site in January 2010.
Chubby & Tubby was founded in the Rainier Valley in 1947 by Irwin Frese (Chubby) and Woodrow Auge (Tubby) and eventually grew to include three locations: 3333 Rainier Ave. S. in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood (above); 7906 Aurora Ave. N. in Seattle and 410 N.E. Fourth St. in Renton. The stores sold a wide variety of items, including garden supplies, hardware, sports equipment, household items, clothing, shoes and bargain Christmas trees, which began selling for 97 cents in the late ’40s. Top photo/do communications, inc. Rendering below shows the future of the site/Courtesy of SEED
Related:
- Get Your Own Chubby & Tubby Tote, T-Shirt & More Exclusively at your RVP!
- Mayor Wants Money to Turn Chubby & Tubby Into Workforce Housing & Move Alpha Cine South of I-90 (8/31/09)
- Design Review Meeting: Chubby & Tubby’s Going Down (7/7/08)
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