Further east, at 12th and Jackson, a thriving retail hub has emerged to serve more recent immigrants. Both examples sparkle with the lively, colorful bustle typical of this multi-ethnic community. These and other discrete or home-grown examples demonstrate that retail outlets can transcend simple commercialism and provide the synergistic glue that reinforces community character. When the Port of Seattle announced plans to build a new mixed-use terminal building on the south shore of Salmon Bay, the fishing community reacted with alarm. They worried that the Even small parking lots disconnect store and street.
Offices occupy the second floor above a collection of pedestrian-friendly businesses.
Living units over retail uses specifically targeted to the needs of the community will enclose a kind of town square where folks can shop and socialize without driving to Issaquah or Redmond. From across a sea of cars, retail must shout to be heard. Not by ignoring cars. It's a long way from Eastlake to the Eastside, and we know that this community-based retail center will need parking. But there should be less of it than in a traditional mall and it should be broken up into clusters rather than an unbroken sea of aisles and stalls.