It's official: Elliott Bay Book Co. is leaving Pioneer Square

It's official: Elliott Bay Book Co. is leaving Pioneer Square: "It's official: Elliott Bay Book Co. is leaving Pioneer Square

Elliott Book Book Co., the iconic Pioneer Square shop known by book lovers worldwide, will move to Capitol Hill early next year."

This is a sad example of terrible urban planning. Old towns thrive in most cities because they become centers for urban recreations like clubs, restaurants, and galleries.

When the stadia were built, many of us warned that an old town was not compatible with the parking, social culture, and especially the tidal waves of traffic engulfing Pioneer Square before and after game times.

Other opportunities to build an old town have been wasted by Seattle. The location of SAM downtown was one opportunity that could have been a key to creating a wonderful cultural district. Focus on housing in the rather sterile high rises of SLU and Belltown certanly did not take advantage of the existing street level galleries and clubs in Pioneer Square.

The same half hearted policies seem to me to be slowly killing Seattle Center.

Maybe "they" should" just level what is left of pioneer square and make more parking for the games?