Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/105435
BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2012–2013 Jeffrey Atkin, Chairman atkin@kkra.com Marilyn Boss, Chairman Elect marilyn.l.boss@marsh.com Phil Abbess, Vice Chairman pabbess@cliftonlarsonallen.com Kip Spencer, Treasurer kips@comcast.net Letter from the Chairman Jeff Atkin, Chairman of the Board of Governors / atkin@kkra.com Beth Wojick, Secretary bwojick@sowa.org Robert Fleming, Immediate Past Chairman rfleming@clarknuber.com RESIDENT Krista Andrews John Buller Carese Busby Steve Camp Peter Carpenter Lynn Dissinger Roberta Goodnow Christine Kelly Michael McQuaid John Myer Pam Nord Tina Pappas Jessica Pearlman Paul Ravetta Bob Rupp Norm Seabrooks Doug Seto Brad Thoreson Thomas Turnure Joseph Velling Amy Vithayathil-Sydow Bart Wilson Tammy Young NON-RESIDENT BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2010–2013 Forrest Aldrich, NW Washington Tom Anderson, E Washington William Bump, California William Burg, Montana Arthur C. Campbell, NE Washington Peter Goldsmith, Oregon Jeff Hogan, Central Washington Thomas F. Kenney, NW Washington Robin Sahnow, Alaska Richard L. Small, SE Washington PROGRAM BOARD 2012–2013 Pam Nord, Chair Frank Yon, Vice Chair Courtney Meyer, Secretary Dean Nielsen, Immediate Past Chair Nicole Ancich Chris Barone Tara Binge Angelica Buri Brad Cahill Dean Fasnacht Laurie Flynn Ann Lockhart Jeff Lounsberry Vicki O'Briant Thomas Osmon Errol Scott 4 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | FEBRUARY 2013 Our downtown market I came upon a copy of WAC Magazine from March 1995. One of the articles that month, aside from the president's column of course, was a piece on the current fortunes of our downtown Seattle economy. Three key issues cited included the reopening of Pine Street, the expansion of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, and the Regional Transit Authority. In terms of retail space, work was about to begin on Pacific Place, Nordstrom announced plans to take over the old Frederick & Nelson building and renovate it into its new flagship store, and the city was on the verge of getting its own Niketown and Planet Hollywood. Reference was made to a "controversial" sky bridge being proposed over Sixth Avenue between Pacific Place and the Frederick & Nelson building. The real focus of the commentary was that Seattle's downtown had not gone the way of other major cities—termed "Detroitification"—where a massive exodus of city inhabitants and businesses had fled to the suburbs. Today, we all know that we have a vibrant downtown and central core. The Washington Athletic Club is right in the middle of it. We have survived the dot-com bust, the onslaught of the Great Recession, and the loss of a major downtown employer in Washington Mutual. Now, all of the publicity is focused on the growth of Amazon.com and the multiple construction projects that could eventually house some 30,000 Amazon employees. When you add the required infrastructure and support facilities and services required to uphold this growth, it paints a pretty rosy picture for our downtown. We're currently seeing a pickup in condo and apartment construction in the city, and some new hotels are planned after a nearly five-year hiatus. Supply finally has caught up with demand, as evidenced by the strong results being posted by the Inn at the WAC. It's imperative that we take advantage of this vibrant downtown to best ensure our future. A big part of keeping our facility up-to-date and relevant is the remodeling of our lobby. As of now, we are some 30 days into a 90-plus day project. Hopefully, you all have a good feel as to what the finished product will look like—elegant yet inviting, a gathering place for members and their guests. Your patience during this construction project is greatly appreciated. Keep in mind, the best is yet to come.