Business owners 'blindsided' by construction in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood
Seattle business owners 'blindsided' by surprise construction
Business owners in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood say a surprise construction project has blocked customer parking and handicapped access just days before Mother’s Day.
SEATTLE - Business owners in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood are demanding answers after an unannounced construction project barricaded their storefronts during one of the busiest weeks of the year.
Leschi businesses 'blindsided' by marina project
The backstory:
The construction project at the Leschi Marina began Monday, without warning. It's designed to provide electrical, sewer, and water services to a new facility.
A view of the "surprise" construction project underway in the Leschi neighborhood. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Business owners say they arrived at work to find massive equipment and barricades blocking essential parking.
"It's no secret—Mother's Day is the busiest day in restaurants in the year, nationwide, hands down," said Bart Evans, owner of BluWater Bistro. "So in a matter of days, before the busiest day of the year, have the city show up and barricade your restaurant?"
Evans said the construction specifically blocked handicapped parking, making the bistro inaccessible for some patrons.
"We could alert our staff and we could alert our customer base, you know ‘here’s alternative parking spots, here's what's going on.’ But they stripped all of that away from us because no one told us they were coming," Evans said.
Yousef Shulman, owner of Leschi Market, expressed similar concerns, not just for customers, but for staff as well.
"I have employees being like, ‘I can’t find parking,’" Shulman said. "'If I have to find parking two, three blocks away, I’m not going to work here.'"
Business owners Yousef Shulman (left) and Bart Evans (right) look at No Parking signs lined up along their street. (FOX 13 Seattle)
City halts construction following outcry
What they're saying:
According to city officials, the contractor was required to notify adjacent properties at least 10 days before work began and hold meetings with local business owners to discuss parking mitigation. City representatives said that never happened.
"The contractor, by their permit, was supposed to do a parking mitigation plan and meetings with the businesses and do notice postings—they failed to do any of that, they never reached out to any of the businesses on this block, they just showed up," Evans told FOX 13.
"He did not give us the notification that he was supposed to, per the permit," Shulman said.
A "Businesses Are Open During Construction" sign in Leschi on May 6, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)
What's next:
Due to the business owners' concerns, city officials announced that the project is being put on pause until mid-August. Crews are expected to wrap up the work they've already started by next week to clear the area for the summer season.
For residents planning to visit the Leschi waterfront this weekend, parking should be open for the most part for Mother’s Day.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the City of Seattle and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.