Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/997709
36 WAC Magazine | wac.net Bob ducks under the viaduct on his way to the WAC. "Open- ing up the waterfront should be a major plus," he says. As a Vashon resident since 1999 and WAC member since 2000, Bob visits the Club five times a week. He is highly active in the Seattle Symphony—he also sits on that board—and oen has multiple commitments in the city. "e WAC makes it possible," he says. TUNNEL VISION In saying goodbye to the viaduct, we should remember one thing: Many of us will miss the views it allowed from our cars as we skirted downtown on a sunny day. In place of those vistas, a two-mile tunnel will run from the stadium district to Seattle Center. Although no date had been set as of press time, the tunnel could open by the end of this year, according to the state Department of Transportation. Viaduct demolition will begin shortly aerward. "When the viaduct comes down, that will unleash a whole new round of excitement and possibility on the water," Seattle Aquarium's Bob Davidson says. WAC member Hal Griffith, owner of Pier 57 and the Seattle Great Wheel, hopes one such project will be a proposed gon- dola down Union Street from the Washington State Conven- tion Center to the waterfront. "at would help us bridge the gap of parking and help supply access to the waterfront," Hal says. "And it would tie the convention center to the waterfront and Pike Place Market." Near the aquarium, Bob Davidson smiles as he looks toward the future Seattle, a place where downtown spills to the water with key connection points that unite neighborhoods and bring people together. "is is a historic opportunity for the city as well as for the aquarium," Bob says. "e reconnection of downtown to the waterfront is among the most important developments for the city in a generation." —Darrick Meneken is managing editor of WAC Magazine. Reach him at dmeneken@wac.net. D A V E E S T E P ( 2 )