Jun 28, 2018

Blu Dot furniture shop on Pine

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Colman Automotive Building at 401 E. Pine St.

Minneapolis-based Blu Dot, which makes and sells modern home furnishings, is opening a new store in Pike-Pine corridor, with July 2 set for the official opening. Blu Dot is taking 5,800 square feet in the 1916 Colman Automotive Building at 401 E. Pine St., which Hunters Capital acquired for $3.85 million in 2012 and renovated with Mallet Construction. Area 51 previously occupied the space. Blu Dot says the new store will have a 60-foot site-specific collage. Standard Architecture designed Blu Dot's interiors. Blu Dot was founded in 1997 and has 11 stores in Chicago, Austin, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Australia and Mexico. Other tenants in the office/retail building include Inform Interiors and CareZone. Jill Cronauer and Kirsten Harrison of Hunters handle the leasing. Plans for a restaurant with roof deck appear to be on hold, though permits are in place.

PHG lunch to feature Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Gupta

Plymouth Housing Group will hold its 15th annual Key to Hope Luncheon on Friday, Sept. 28 at The Westin Hotel. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and Emmy-winning CNN reporter, on “Building a Foundation for Growth.” PHG's portfolio includes about 14 properties with 1,000 affordable units, and it's planning new projects on 12th Avenue near Yesler Terrace, in the Rainier Valley, and at Madison and Boylston (in a partnership with Bellwether Housing). Details and registration for the luncheon: plymouthhousing.org.

Magnuson Park preschool gets $100K

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Building 9 at Magnuson Park

The Denise Louie Education Center announced a $100,000 gift from Sheng Yen Lu Foundation, and says it has now raised $4.3 million for its capital campaign to open a preschool in the historic Building 9 at Magnuson Park. The space, now being renovated by Rafn, will serve low income refugee and immigrant children and families. Louie (1955-1977) was a board member of InterIm Community Development Association and an activist in the ID. Building 9 will also have a health care clinic and 148 units of affordable housing managed by Mercy Housing Northwest. Tonkin Architecture planned the renovation. Work is expected to finish next year.

Sotheby's expands Asian focus

Cascade Sotheby's International Realty hired Michael Zhang as a broker in the Portland office to specialize in Asian buyers. His team will include his wife, Vivian Chen. Sotheby's recently launched what it calls its Asia Desk, with partner Juwai.com, a Chinese real estate website.