Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/997709
34 WAC Magazine | wac.net As a WAC member you probably hold a special place in your heart for Puget Sound. e inland sea stretching its fingers from Deception Pass to Olympia anchors our region's natural beauty and economy. It's safe to say that without the Sound there is no Seattle. It's surprising, then, that the seven blocks from the WAC Clubhouse to the shore of Puget Sound can at times seem an eternity. In truth, the journey requires just about a thousand steps. It's so short you can walk there, grab a bite, enjoy the view, and get back in less than an hour. If you take a straight shot down Union Street, you'll pass some of the city's most popular tourist and cultural attractions along the way, including e 5th Avenue eatre, Benaroya Hall, the Seattle Art Museum, and Post Alley. But the best sight is Puget Sound itself, a blanket of blue dotted by boats and backed by the Olympic Mountains. "We're right next to one of the best bodies of water in the world," WAC President & CEO Chuck Nelson says. "I don't know anyone who isn't stunned the first time they look across Puget Sound on a clear day." But for all that natural beauty, few of us actually walk from the WAC to the water. "ere's a huge mental divide there for a lot of people," Chuck admits. at's about to change! Starting in 2019—and possibly even late this year—the remaining sections of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be demolished. e southernmost sections came down in 2011. When the final pillar of roadway falls, Seattle's 65-year history of having the din of a double-decker elevated highway along its waterfront will end. What you hear instead might just resemble the sea. Few people are as excited about the change as Seattle Aquarium CEO and WAC member Bob Davidson. Bob recently met up outside the aquarium, located atop Pier 59, with some fellow WAC members who serve on the organization's board. "It's going to be a whole new peaceful experience when that comes down," he says, referring to the viaduct. When the roadway opened, the WAC was just 23 years old. at was 1953, and the upraised highway provided quick access through the city along state Route 99. It was a critical, if not beautiful, traffic solution at the time and grew to carry more than 100,000 cars daily. e 2001 Nisqually Earthquake damaged the structure and made u Seattle Aquarium board members and WAC members Casey Schuchart, Stu Rolfe, Kevin Blair, Gini Beck, and Gary Kunis with Aquarium CEO and WAC member Bob Davidson. C O U R T E S Y S E AT T L E A Q U A R I U M C O U R T E S Y C I T Y O F S E AT T L E O F F I C E O F T H E W AT E R F R O N T SEATTLE AQUARIUM EXPANSION D A V E E S T E P Reconnecting the waterfront and downtown will benefit everyone that lives, works and plays down here." "