I was recently invited to a meeting of Renton airport users who have lost confidence in Renton’s airport management. They are considering forming an airport tenants union, to organize and push back on breath-taking rent increases. One airport business owner reports that the city has asked him to sign onto a 120 percent rent increase, 12 times bigger than what our state legislature said was the maximum a residential landlord could ever increase rent in a single year. Some tenants have said they have been given surprise retroactive rent increases, in which management said they forgot to raise the rent months earlier, and now demand tens of thousands in back rent– similarly to the billing failure that triggered the Landing Gear Works to ultimately move out.
Two years ago many small plane owners in Renton were issued surprise rent increases of 42 – 74%, making their tie-downs and hangars more costly than those at Boeing Field (which has much more infrastructure including two runways).
Crowds depart an evening dance recital at Carco Theatre in October last year. Seven weeks later the theater flooded from a storm the city said was unlikely to reach a flood stage.
Renton’s 300-seat Carco Theatre was flooded in December, after Renton leaders initially downplayed the NOAA forecast that predicted we could see the worst flooding ever (see screenshots below). Nearly a year after the flooding of Carco, nothing has been done to reopen the theater. A local non-profit that leased space from Renton and helped community groups prepare programs for public access TV, Puget Sound Access Television, has also been displaced by the flooding.
Aerodyne Aviation, a Renton pioneering firm in aviation development and the one-time home of airport namesake Clayton Scott, is being pushed from Renton Airport over a rent dispute. This new sign was going to be placed on their building, but it was never installed due to the disagreement.
In a recent blog post I described Renton Airport Management’s false “runway safety” explanation for pushing out Aerodyne Aviation, one of Renton’s oldest aviation research, design and maintenance centers. Today I’m describing Airport leadership’s similarly misleading messaging about the future of the Aerodyne Hangar. Airport property belongs to Renton taxpayers, and the public deserves an honest accounting of how it is being used to benefit our city.
Renton’s Airport management has declared Aerodyne’s Hangar so valuable that they want Aerodyne to pay more than three times the rent that Aerodyne paid for just their land lease last year. They say the Hangar and office complex, built by Aerodyne under their previous lease, has more than tripled the value of the property. But at the same time, paradoxically, the same Airport Management says it wants to tear down the hangar, suggesting it has no value.
“Pathfinder” statue of Clayton Scott standing in front of Renton’s Aerodyne complex where Mr. Scott had his last Renton office. Our airport’s official name is Renton Municipal Airport Clayton Scott Field.
For the third time in two years, a thriving decade’s-old aviation business is being pushed out of Renton Airport unfairly, with Renton airport officials giving fake or grossly misleading rationalizations. The latest falsehood is printed on a letter with the Mayor’s name in the letterhead. It appears to have been contrived by the Airport Manager and Public Works Director, and is easily disproved with a city document. It’s past time for Renton Council to investigate and stop this pattern, and require these city employees to stick to the truth. The continued dishonesty reflects negatively on city government, and leaves many residents wondering if there is a hidden agenda at the airport.
Renton’s Aerodyne hangar and office complex has hosted many thriving aviation business ventures and significant aircraft for 42 years. Clayton Scott, namesake for Renton’s airfield, had an office at Aerodyne. Aerodyne’s long success is linked to its many strong leaders and partners, including some powerhouses in aviation circles. The company and its leaders have promoted aviation in Renton, advanced aerospace research and design, supported aviation education, modeled high standards for aircraft service and maintenance, and demonstrated overall commitment to advancing safety and efficiency in air travel.
On a tour of Aerodyne’s hangar in 2019
But Renton Airport Management now wants Aerodyne’s facilities vacated by next month, to then sit abandoned and producing no aviation activity and revenue, probably for years. This is the path that the former Rainier Flight Services Headquarters, the Landing Gear Works Manufacturing Building, and the Landing Gear Works installation hangars have been on for up to two years and counting.
Aerodyne’s hangar (Photo courtesy of Gary Palmer)
THE PHONEY REASON FOR ENDING AERODYNE’S 42-YEAR LEASE:
Renton Airport Management sent a letter to Aerodyne stating that Aerodyne must leave specifically “to meet runway safety area requirements as they relate to the goals of the Airport Layout Plan.” But this is not true.
Gerry Kingen, Renton High class of ’62, receiving a “Wall of Honor” recognition at a ceremony at Renton High in 2013. Photo courtesy of Renton History Museum
Note: I owe this blog post to Anon E. Mouse -probably not their real name 🙂 –, who left me a comment on this previous post about this restaurant at 423 Airport Way being demolished. I was not aware of the link between that restaurant and the founder of Red Robin, and I decided this information was worthy of a post of its own.
During his high school years, Gerry worked part-time with his parents and brother at Renton’s “Kingen’s Steak House”, one of their family’s popular restaurants. They served steaks, burgers, and other american-style food in a bright, inviting building that they had specially constructed at 423 Airport Way, across the street from Renton Municipal Airport.
An advertisement in a 1963 Catholic Newsletter shows Kingen’s serving dinner at 423 Airport Way in RentonA Red Robin prototype? The 76-year-old Kingen’s Steakhouse Restaurant building as it looked two months ago, after a forced purchase by Renton School District; this building was inspirational for modern Red Robin restaurantsInterior of building that was once Kingen’s Steak House
After getting his education and learning the family business, Gerry purchased a small tavern in the Seattle U-District. He remodeled the tavern, added an outdoor patio, and he changed the menu to one that more closely matched the Renton family business. He changed the name from “Sam’s Red Robin Tavern, to simply “Red Robin,” and it became an immediate success. The “Red Robin” chain was born, and Gerry was soon adding restaurants and selling franchises.
Renton School District recently used the threat of eminent domain to acquire the still-pristine restaurant building that the Kingen family built that was such important inspiration for Red Robin and Salty’s. The District spent six million dollars in taxpayer funds to acquire the restaurant. Then, without acknowledging the building’s distinguished alumni history, they bulldozed it along with many homes and other businesses with an intent to construct a baseball field on the site in five years, likely the nation’s most expensive high school baseball field ever. The Superintendent and the Board based their actions, ironically, on their flawed premise that Renton High is an inferior school that needs its own lighted baseball field in order for its students to achieve their potential (the school currently already has several unlit baseball fields).
Gerry Kingen and his mother are among many distinguished alumni from Renton High, including Sally Jewel, former US Secretary of the Interior and former CEO of REI, US Olympian Aretha (Hill) Thurmond, Hollywood music producer Ron Hicklin, and many others. In this previous blog post I discussed other well-known and less-well-known-but-equally-important successful alumni from Renton High School.
The still-pristine Kingen’s steakhouse building was demolished last month. It had been freshly remodeled and was ready to reopen as an Asian food restaurant.King County records show that the building was constructed in 1949, making it 76 years old when it was taken by school district (for $6,000,000) and then demolished.Historic photo of Seattle’s original Red Robin Restaurant. (The building has been replaced by the Robins Nest mixed use apartments and pizzeria.) Photo and history in this Seattle History Blog A typical modern Red Robin Restaurant; Photo from wiki commons
Renton airport in summer 1966. The Boeing Everett factory opened the following year.
This colorful picture of Boeing’s 727 flight line in the summer of 1966 has been shared at least a couple times on Reddit. The original poster three years ago also provided information on how long each of these individual airplanes performed in service. Several of them were flying until at least 2005, and one flying until 2014.
When I joined Boeing in summer of 1984 the company was still making 727 airplanes, but the last one was delivered to Federal Express a few months after I started work. Most customers looking for single-aisle airliners switched to ordering 757-200 airplanes (certified December 1982) and 737-300 airplanes (certified November 1984).
This photo serves as another reminder of Renton’s proud history in aircraft production. Renton is the birthplace of commercial jet aviation, and Boeing has played a major role in our city’s success for over 80 years. Renton should strive to keep Boeing building airplanes here for decades to come.
I’ve written more about Boeing’s significant contributions to Renton’s economy in a previous blog entry here.
The detailed information for these airplanes is below the break.
The aftermath of Friday’s demolitionThe restaurant on 423 Airport Way as it looked a month before demolition. It had been in Renton School District possession for many months. The District paid six million dollars for it right before it was scheduled to open as a freshly-remodeled Asian restaurant.
Many Renton residents on social media yesterday were asking about the restaurant getting demolished on Airport Way. This is just the latest in a string of demolition projects– up to as many as 32 homes and 8 businesses– to make way for expanded athletic fields at Renton High School.
Even though the demolition is happening today, the replacement ballfields won’t be open for use for about five more years (the school has four other ballfields onsite they are using now). In addition to the heavy human toll of destroying homes and businesses, the high prices of these downtown Renton properties likely makes this the most expensive high school baseball field in our nation’s history. I covered the controversial timing of these demolition projects more extensively in a previous blog entry here and in another entry here.
I fondly remember dining on this once-inviting dining patio with Boeing colleagues in the summertime. The patio and building became neglected under Renton School District ownership
Like many long-time Renton residents, I have warm memories of this restaurant at 423 Airport Way. I first knew it as Schumsky’s All City Diner, a popular choice for those of us working in nearby Boeing Renton facilities. In addition to satisfying and fast lunch service, the All City Diner offered us a large bright upstairs banquet facility that we used for retirements and other celebrations. And during summer days we enjoyed dining on their outdoor patio. This was one of five restaurants owned by well-known Renton restaurateur and active community leader Don Schumsky.
Around 2006 the restaurant switched from a diner to a sports bar format, and was known first as Home Run, and then later as Touchdowns. I was working at Boeing Field at that time, so I visited less, but I heard it remained popular with Boeing employees.
Most recently the restaurant was purchased by partners that were preparing to run it as an Asian restaurant called Kirin. The new owners had completed years of expensive remodeling and upgrades on the building to get it ready, and were just weeks away from opening. As they made final preparations for opening day, the School District lawyers informed the owners the property would be purchased under threat of eminent domain.
The School District paid the owners six million dollars for the property. They then neglected the building for months as they prepared to demolish the neighborhood.
This graphic of the City’s future Cedar River Park Plans shows an outdoor amphitheater in the exact spot as Carco Theater, raising questions about whether Carco Theater is threatened.
Renton published a press release this week saying plans were underway to purchase the former Stoneway Concrete site, next to Cedar River Park, consistent with the “Tri-Park Master Plan” that was developed in 2006. The purchase would increase the size of Cedar River Park by about 12.5 acres.
An information display was set up in the Community Center for Renton River Days, giving ideas of what the expanded park system might look like under the Tri-Park Master Plan. As my wife Cathy and I reviewed the display, my wife asked me “Would they seriously consider tearing down Carco Theater?”
“No, of course not” I said. But then Cathy pointed to the poster, and I was not sure what it was depicting– it appears that Carco was to be replaced by an outdoor amphitheater. And then I noticed a sticky note someone else had left on the “Concerns” board asking the city NOT to get rid of Carco Theater, along with another commenter “Seconding” the comment.
Some concerns identified by public: “Strongly oppose getting rid of Carco Theater”; “I second that”
Getting rid of Carco Theater was most definitely NOT what the 2006 Tri-Park Master Plan envisioned. The approved plan called for an expanded lobby of Carco Theater, as well as other improvements to Cedar River Park:
In a post last week I described my hopes that we could preserve our beautiful Piazza fountain. But on Monday night, Renton Council announced plans to turn this fountain into a planter.
Renton’s Piazza fountain
The plans also eliminates the Piazza’s other water feature, the babbling brook featuring Renton’s “Summer Breeze” sculpture of a young girl stepping gently into the water.
No more water. Renton’s lovely “Summer Breeze” girl has been stepping into a 40-foot long babbling stream bed for over 20 years, but the water has been removed and the girl will soon follow.
Together, these two lovely water features have visually anchored the Piazza since the early 2000s. And the splashing water features incorporate generous bench seating which provide critical cool resting areas for scores of visitors on hot days.
Renton’s Piazza Fountain has delighted visitors for over 20 years with its three levels of rushing, splashing water. This picture was from a farmers market two years ago.
Renton’s Piazza Fountain has welcomed visitors to Renton’s downtown since the Piazza park was built 24 years ago. In addition to making downtown more inviting, The fountain and surrounding Piazza are a gateway to Renton for everyone arriving by bus through the adjacent transit center.
The beautiful fountain is dedicated to beloved Renton resident Marge Richtor, who served our community for decades in numerous roles including on Renton Parks Board. She was a friend and inspiration to all of us who knew her. A plaque on the fountain commemorates the dedication.
Three of my young relatives enjoying the Piazza fountain two years ago
In recent years, the fountain has not been maintained as well as in the past. And this year, even though temperatures are in the 80s and people are out and about, the fountain has been entirely neglected.
This should not be allowed to go on for long. It’s time to clean the fountain and get it flowing again. As in the case with our broken clock tower, the public notices when these community centerpieces are neglected.
This photo, taken a week ago, shows the fountain is currently neglected. It desperately needs to be cleaned and maintained. Even with the Farmers Market relocated, the fountain reflects on the health and vitality of downtown Renton.
Just as importantly, the city has been making plans to revise the Piazza landscape. If they do so, the fountain should remain the inviting centerpiece that it has been for the past two decades.
This photo, taken during the Farmers Market a week ago, shows the Piazza has been emptied of programmed activities in apparent preparation of a landscaping project. However, I don’t even think a contractor has been chosen yet for the landscape project, or a final design approved. The fountain should remain part of any redesign, and should be bubbling with clean water in the meantime.
If you share my view that this fountain should be cleaned, maintained, and preserved you can let the Mayor and Council know by emailing mayor@rentonwa.gov and council@rentonwa.gov.
Scheduled for Demolition: A few years ago I would have been confident that all or part of Renton’s WWII air traffic control cab would be saved from the wrecking ball by Renton historians. But now that the City has severed ties with the Historical Society and emptied the Renton Historical Museum, it’s not clear who is watching out for Renton’s history.
A few months ago the City of Renton ended a 54-year relationship with the Renton Historical Society, kicking their priceless collection of artifacts and photographs out of the Renton Historical Museum. The Renton Historical Museum now sits empty and closed to the public, while the Renton Historical Society is actively searching for a new permanent location for their large collection, to replace the historic fire station they they helped run and maintain for 54 years. The Historical Society was taken by surprise by this move, and the city’s reasoning for the separation has not been clear.
Now while the Historical Society is distracted with this chore, the City of Renton has chosen this time to move forward on tearing down Renton’s 80-year-old historic air traffic control tower.
Everyone who’s enjoyed the Universal Studios Tour in Los Angeles can tell you about the Hollywood magic that can make you believe a facade is a whole building. The Courthouse in “Back to the Future” is a good example.
Our historic Renton High School will soon be another example of this type of illusion, with engineers and architects working to figure out how to support the front facade of the building while tearing down the building behind it.
The “Back to the Future” courthouse, seen from above
But voters did not ask for our century-old Renton High School building to be reduced to a Hollywood false front. Voters clearly wanted the building saved. The November 2022 ballot directed voters to the School District website for details about the ballot issue, which explicitly read “We will not take down the current Renton High School (we will continue to find uses for this building).”
Renton High Grad Ron Hicklin, class of 1956, was performing with his quartet ” the Eligibles” when he recorded the very-familiar Gilligan’s Island theme song that is used in all the color seasons of the TV show.
Renton High grad Ron Hicklin, second from left, singing tenor in his group “The Eligibles” before their Gilligan’s Island recording
As I learn more about the plans to tear down our century-old Renton High School, I was preparing to write a post about the school’s incredible history and distinguished alumni.
Then I decided that one of Renton’s High’s talented distinguished graduates had such a miraculous music career that he deserved his own introduction. We’ve all heard him singing countless times, and yet many might not recognize his name because his music was often uncredited by design. Ron Hicklin, 1956 Renton High grad, and his studio singers were the voices of the Partridge Family, the Brady Bunch, and other TV and cartoon bands that we heard as we were growing up.
Many Renton School supporters feel they are being “Gaslighted” when told by district leaders that they voted to expand Renton High School into the neighborhood, taking 40 homes and businesses
Summary: Renton voters were not told before the election that homes and businesses would be taken if the 2022 Renton High School bond issue passed. And the District has attempted to confuse the public about this by changing the description of the bond issue on their website after the election.
Like the majority of Renton voters, I’ve always voted “YES” when asked for more funding by the Renton School District. Our children are our future, and they deserve the best start in life that we can give them.
But about a year ago I had an unexpected online disagreement with the husband of a School Board member, when I learned about the neighborhood that is being forcibly taken and destroyed to support the school expansion. He seemed to think it was common knowledge that the mass condemnations were going to happen, and I said I was not in favor of it. I had thought the school was going to move if we approved the bond issue. His comments sent me to the School District’s website to get my facts straight.
Well, it turns out, the School District CHANGED the details of what we voted for, after the election.
Billy O’Neill, “Dale Chihuly’s right hand man,” (in white sneakers) selecting the large facility on Airport Way for his decorative glass making studio. The venue was going to teach youth and adults the art of Chihuly style glass making. The large open-bay building features the same old-growth historic bowstring-trusses that caused our city council to save the Pavilion building in the 1990s.
It was a dream come true for Renton’s Arts Community, our youth, and our Economic Development department. A world-class glass studio was relocating to Renton, headed up by the vice-president and operations manager of Chihuly’s workshop in Seattle. Billy O’Neill, who Seattle Times calls Dale Chihuly’s right hand man, was working on a gift for Renton that would have taught new generations of Rentonites how to create beautiful glass sculptures and containers. Mr. O’Neill has served on the Seattle Arts Commission, as secretary on the Executive Board of Directors of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and on advisory boards for the Seattle Sounders and other non-profits– a perfect fit in Renton. He was instrumental in creating Chihuly’s Garden of Glass at Seattle Center.
But the exciting glass art studio fell victim to a School District Eminent Domain taking, along with numerous other businesses and homes, with no acknowledgment by the School Board of the glass studio’s extraordinary significance.
The business, called “Glass Eye” already has a permanent sales location at Pike Place Market, which would have soon been selling the Made in Renton glassworks. We would have a new Made-in-Renton products we could share with visitors and far-away family, to replace our much-missed Uptown Glassworks.
I was recently invited to a meeting of Renton airport users who have lost confidence in Renton’s airport management. They are considering forming an airport tenants union, to organize and push back on breath-taking rent increases. One airport business owner reports that the city has asked him to sign onto a 120 percent rent increase, 12 times bigger than what our state legislature said was the maximum a residential landlord could ever increase rent in a single year. Some tenants have said they have been given surprise retroactive rent increases, in which management said they forgot to raise the rent months earlier, and now demand tens of thousands in back rent– similarly to the billing failure that triggered the Landing Gear Works to ultimately move out.
If you share my view that this fountain should be cleaned, maintained, and preserved you can let the Mayor and Council know by emailing mayor@rentonwa.gov and council@rentonwa.gov.
