Photo: Cristiano Betta
When it came out that Urban Visions CEO Greg Smith and a Seattle City Council committee were locked in a tug of war that centered on the creation of a fancy public toilet in Pioneer Square, we had the makings of a great story.
In a twist, word came down Thursday that the council committee voted to allow Smith to build a 130-foot-tall office & apartment building in the nabe, a full 30-feet taller than zoning laws allow, but with the caveat that he would pay for and install the fancy loo.
But then...DOUBLE TWIST!
...Urban Visions CEO Greg Smith said after the committee meeting that he'd be better off building a shorter, all-office building, and that's what he plans to do. With that plan, he wouldn't have to spend an estimated $250,000 to buy and install the loo. Makes you wonder, what was Smith's endgame? To prove even the Seattle City Council thinks its own zoning laws are silly and extremely flexible? Guess we'll have to wait for the thrilling sequel to find out.
Hopefully, we can take a break from human waste-related stories for a while now.
· Loo coup? No, Seattle developer picks smaller building plan [PSBJ]
· Potty Plans [Curbed Seattle]
· SoDo Arena Will Use Sewage Heat To Keep You Warm & Cozy [Curbed Seattle]