City Council Considers New Space for Public Drunkenness

You know the spot on the Eastern edge of Pioneer Square where 5th Avenue hits the Yesler overpass, next to the new office building that's going up? The one that used to be a big field where people would sit and drink? Right by City Hall Park, where people sit and drink?

On Monday, the City Council will vote on whether to allow developer Yesler Investment Company to turn it into a public plaza with seating, a stairwell connecting 5th to Yesler, and an 85-foot-tall installation by sculptor John Henry. All of which sounds grand, and the Yesler Investment Company promises to take care of the upkeep, but given the general use of nearby public spaces, we have our doubts that it will, as the resolution predicts, "increase tourism" in the area.