University Village Seattle: A Journey Through Time

University Village, colloquially known as U-Village, stands as a prominent open-air shopping center in northeastern Seattle, Washington. Nestled in the southern corner of the Ravenna neighborhood, north of Downtown Seattle, it has evolved significantly since its inception. Today, it is a popular retail destination offering a mix of restaurants, locally owned boutiques, and national retailers, drawing shoppers with its selection of home furnishings, popular fashions, gift items, and restaurants.

From Humble Beginnings to Retail Hub

The land on which University Village sits has a rich history. The lowering of Lake Washington, made possible by the construction of the Montlake Bridge canal, created the space for the shopping center. Before its development, the area served various purposes, including being home to the Malmo Seed and Nursery Company. In the years leading up to its construction, Malmo Seed and Nursery Company advertised huge, thousand-tree sales to make way for the $10 million shopping center. The Village officially opened its doors in 1956, a year after Disneyland, with Rhodes Department Store, a Seattle-founded establishment, as one of its anchor tenants.

The Village of Yesteryear

Until the early 1990s, University Village had a distinctly different character. A bowling alley, Village Lanes, originally a roller rink in the 1950s, was located near the northwest corner. Many remember the days of Lamonts and Rhodes, establishments that contributed to the unique character of the shopping center. Some recall taking bowling as a gym credit at Village Lanes when they went to Roosevelt High school. The QFC grocery store was once located where Restoration Hardware is today.

Transformation and Modernization

The late 1980s brought challenges for many businesses in University Village. In 1993, the owners of the mall made the decision to sell, ushering in a new era for the shopping center. Today, anchor tenants include an Apple Store, Crate & Barrel, The Gap, and Pottery Barn. The Seattle QFC flagship store is a significant adjacent anchor. A competing Safeway location behind QFC closed in 2023 and was relocated to University District.

Susie Plummer, who became general manager at U Village in 2000, has been instrumental in the shopping center's transformation. She has more than doubled the number of businesses and turned it into a leading destination for popular brands. Plummer meticulously tracks sales for every business and fosters a community where local businesses thrive.

Ravenna Creek and Environmental Considerations

In 1991, neighborhood activists initiated a campaign to "daylight" Ravenna Creek through Ravenna Park to Lake Washington. However, the segment from the park to the University of Washington (UW) and the Union Bay Natural Area was successfully blocked by the owners of University Village.

The Rise of Digital Retail

Amazon.com, the online retail giant founded and based in the region, opened its first physical storefront at University Village on November 3, 2015. This marked a significant step for the company and further solidified University Village's position as a retail destination. The Village has welcomed over a dozen new tenants, including Everlane, a sustainability-focused, direct-to-consumer clothing brand.

A Thriving Community Hub

University Village is more than just a shopping center; it's a community hub. Families push strollers to the play area, college students sport fashionable sweat sets, and couples dine in the expansive outdoor dining areas. The Village boasts over 40 locally owned companies and loyal customers who work together to create a small-town atmosphere. The management team maintains a reputation for fostering success, providing business owners with access to marketing resources and a supportive environment. Business owners at U Village gain immediate access to a killer marketing team and Plummer’s direct line. They become part of a place where the “American dream” can happen, per Vanessa Kimling, who was hired at Ravenna Gardens in 2005 as part-time seasonal help and bought the business at the beginning of this year.

Location and Accessibility

University Village is strategically located near several key landmarks. The campus of the UW lies to the west and south, the neighborhood of Bryant is farther to the east, and the neighborhood of Ravenna is to the north. The area's principal arterials are 25th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street; 35th Avenue is a minor arterial.

The Ever-Changing Landscape

Longtime locals may lament the loss of Lamonts, but change is a constant at University Village. A popular new shop founded in downtown Seattle the year prior adds another location at University Village. Legendary Seattle culinary store Mrs. Cook’s-a foodie haven that predates the term-moves to its longtime U Village spot after five years in Laurelhurst. New shop openings still generate significant buzz. Cosmetics company Merle Norman reflects some distinctly ’80s beauty standards in advertisements announcing its new University Village location. "Win a fabulous shopping spree for your new face," a woman with feathered hair promises. Crate and Barrel completes the shopping center’s murderer’s row of furniture stores, which at this point includes Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. Beloved by flirtatious millennial wedding guests, Reformation debuts with fitting room touch screens and three custom light settings: Golden, Cool, and Sexy Time.

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Historical Context: The Story of the Land

To understand the full picture of University Village, it's helpful to delve into the history of the surrounding area, including the Wedgwood neighborhood. In the early 1900s, the present site of the (now-closed) Wedgwood QFC building, at NE 85th Street, was vacant land owned by George Naden. In June 1911 Mr. Naden sold his property in Seattle. The purchaser was Walter S. Fulton, a prominent attorney. One of the earliest residents of northeast Seattle was William H. Surber. Surber prospected in California and in Fraser River, Canada, before his arrival in Seattle in the spring of 1859, according to the account of him written by early Seattle real estate man C.T. Conover. Surber saved his money and began to buy heavy construction equipment (brought by ship from San Francisco.) He became a contractor who helped drive piles for J.M. Colman’s wharves at the Seattle waterfront and for railroad trestles. In 1861 Surber filed a homestead claim on land which he said he had chosen because it was his favorite hunting ground. His land claim later became part of Laurelhurst, with the western edge of his property along Surber Drive south of NE 45th Street and fronting on Union Bay, a part of freshwater Lake Washington.

By 1888 Uncle Joe was in his mid-fifties and ready to scale back from the hard work on docks and railroad trestles. Yesler and his investor J.D. Lowman, who ran Yesler’s businesses, bought the western half of Joe Surber’s property, platted it in 1888 as the Town of Yesler, and set up a sawmill. The site of the Town of Yesler sawmill was approximately at the present Center for Urban Horticulture at 3501 NE 41st Street.

Walter S. Fulton had an unusual upbringing in that even though both of his parents were still living, in 1881 at the age of eight he was sent out to Seattle to live with his uncle. Walter’s uncle was Judge William H. White, justice of the Supreme Court of Washington. At age 21 in 1894, Walter Fulton returned to Seattle and began the practice of law. Uncle Joe Surber was a client of attorney Walter Fulton’s but they were also friends, with a rifle specially reserved for Fulton’s use on hunting expeditions. Property records show that well past the year 1900 the Wedgwood area had almost no people living in it, and Wedgwood was likely one of Surber’s hunting grounds. We can imagine Uncle Joe and Walter Fulton hiking from Union Bay up 35th Ave NE which was then a dirt path. As an attorney with skills in evaluating information, Walter Fulton certainly would have known that the property he bought from George Naden in 1911 was located at a future intersection, and that it was likely to become a major intersection.

Finally in 1941 Mrs. Nugent sold the land. The new owner, Ralph H. Rothermel, held the property only eighteen months, and then sold it in October 1942 to Albert Balch, developer of Wedgwood. Balch knew that the intersection of 35th Ave NE at NE 85th Street was ideal for commercial development, as it was the center of the neighborhood. Balch leased the NE 85th Street site to commercial entities such as the Tradewell grocery store built in 1959. The center of the Wedgwood business district is at the intersection of NE 85th Street where there is a (closed) QFC grocery store.

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tags: #QFC #University #Village #Seattle #history