A long-planned street revamp in downtown Seattle made headlines this month when a group of preservation advocates, many aligned with Pike Place Market, pushed back on the planned removal of two rows of cherry blossom trees across the street from the Market along Pike Street. The trees, which are nearing the end of their lifespan, were planned to be replaced with hybrid elm trees, intended to provide a robust tree canopy as they grow over the coming decades. However, the plan to remove the beloved trees drew criticism, in large part because the trees were seen as directly connected to the city’s history.
“Cherry blossom trees are more than a symbol – they invoke heartfelt feelings and represent decades of history – both the good and the bad – as part of our City’s deep connection to Japan,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said when he announced that the city would be reversing course, and will replace the current trees with new blossom trees. Eight new trees will be installed along the contested stretch of Pike Street and another 16 elsewhere in the city, possibly somewhere on the footprint of the waterfront redevelopment.
Removing the trees, which the City calls “in decline,” has been planned as part of the Pike Pine Streetscape Improvement project for several years, but their removal had escaped notice until the construction equipment was essentially in place to start work. The Pike Pine project extends from First Avenue all the way up to the foot of Capitol Hill.
But the episode obscures the work of biking and walking advocates who have been trying to influence the overall design of the project — and the block on Pike Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue in particular — for years with limited success. The work underway now, which will include some valuable and needed street upgrades to downtown streets, will leave many big opportunities on the table in terms of making the best use of some of the city’s most high profile public spaces.
