November 2025

A vacant parcel along Harbor Avenue SW may soon become one of West Seattle’s most dynamic community spaces. The owner of Parcel 766670-5470 (located just adjacent to the entrance to Jack Block Park) is close to submitting plans to convert the property into a food truck court and container market, offering affordable space for local businesses, artists, and growers.

In what has been described as a “political plot twist”, the King County Council voted on November 18, 2025, to provide temporary funding to prevent the immediate closure of Harbor Island Studios. The facility had been previously slated for budget cuts.

The short-term funding guarantees that the studio will remain open through June 2026. This decision buys time for county leaders to explore longer-term solutions as King County grapples with a significant $150 million county budget deficit.

Harbor Island Studios is a vital piece of the region’s creative infrastructure. Located at the old Fisher Flour Mill on Harbor Island, the facility was converted into a massive 100,000-square-foot film production studio and officially opened in 2021. It holds the distinction of being Washington’s largest film production facility and is noted as one of the few publicly funded studios in the United States.

Tim's Tavern (T.I.M., standing for Together in Music), a centerpiece of the northwest live music scene, is pushing forward with ambitious plans for an outdoor concert series next summer, despite inheriting a tangle of permitting challenges and facing continued concerns over noise from nearby residents.

Owner Mason Reed has confirmed that while the venue has been forced to schedule the demolition of its unpermitted outdoor structures this winter, he is moving ahead with plans to activate the parking lot next summer for a series of concerts aimed at supporting local charities, including local music education company, Mode Music.

The Salvation Army Seattle White Center Community Center, located right in the heart of the community at 9050 16th Avenue Southwest, is dedicated to its mission: to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. Leading this crucial effort is Lieutenant Christopher Rodriguera, who along with his wife Makda serves as the facility's core officer, director, and pastor. Since arriving in July 2022, Lieutenant Rodriguera has embraced the community, noting that White Center is a "melting pot of different cultures".

Visit them online here.

By Liz Steen

Jane Baldorj loves her new neighbors at the Alki Smoke Shop & Grocery, “First week we were just asking the people what they need…. We are still listening.”   She opened the store with her husband, Bagi, and on the second Saturday morning that she was open, two neighbors had already stopped into the smoke shop for a box of butter. It’s not what you’d expect at a smoke shop, but it’s what the neighbors said they want. “It’s easier for the neighborhood to get something. It’s nice for the people who live down here,” Jane said.

A special free community presentation, "Celebrate Springer 2025!", is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, at 3:00 PM in Seattle, focusing on the extraordinary rescue and successful reunion of the orca known as Springer (A73).

The event will honor Springer’s story, which began in 2002 when she was discovered near West Seattle, lost, alone, and approximately 300 miles away from her home. After six months, Springer was successfully rescued, rehabilitated, and ultimately reunited with her pod on the north end of Vancouver Island. The successful reunion of Springer remains the only successful orca reunion in history.

Today, Springer is thriving and has three calves of her own.