Re: “Bring more foot traffic to downtown Seattle with dorms, classrooms” (March 1, Opinion):
This op-ed made more sense to me than any idea I’ve read about on what to do with our empty office buildings. I’ve worked in several office buildings, and the kitchens reminded me of lounges in college dorms where people gather, grab coffee and snack on microwave popcorn. The office bathrooms were large enough to wash your face and brush your teeth since there were ample sinks, just like college dorm days.
People enjoy walking in South Lake Union, where Amazon is located, because it has a college campus atmosphere with people strolling and streaming to free-banana stands before heading back to work. This is as opposed to walking in the downtown core, where you never know if you’ll pass a dark entryway where you might encounter a group getting their next fentanyl fix.
There is already a classroom space model with the University of Washington, Antioch University Seattle and Northeastern University Seattle, among others. Why not increase additional schools and let attendees spill out and fill the existing restaurants and coffee shops, especially during the cruise ship offseason as the authors suggested? It’s a win-win for everyone. Bravo!
Joan Magnano-Damm, Seattle
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