10
•
July 2014
Issaquah Highlands Connections
The Faces of Grand Ridge Plaza, July 2014 by Jennifer Hagge, Grand Ridge Plaza Property Manager
Who is inside? The people of Grand Ridge Plaza are neighbors who are looking forward to meeting you. Stop by and say, “Hi!” Read here about their personal side to glean perfect icebreaker greetings for your visit.
Barre 3 – Anna McEvers & Heather Kass
Anna and Heather partnered with barre3 in 2009, wanting to bring this amazing health ecosystem to the Seattle area. Being busy moms themselves, constantly on the go, picking up and dropping kids off, volunteering at school events, finding balance in their day to day life was most important. With Barre 3, they feel like they “have it all!” Anna and Heather enjoy encouraging women and men to find their edge and trust in themselves; not just at the studio, but in daily life. “Sometimes change is uncomfortable, but once you have connected the mind and body, you can go deep...and that is when good things happen and you see the results you’ve always wanted”. When not at the studio this Barre 3 duo love spending time with their families, taking day trips and exploring the beautiful PNW!
Bai-Tong – Chadillada (Noi) Lapangkura & Noina Chanpayom
Two sisters born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Noi and Noina’s mother opened her first Bai Tong restaurant in 1989 at the Orchid Inn near Sea-Tac Airport, primarily serving the employees of Thai Airlines. The sisters love to take care of their customers and see happy faces enjoying traditional Thai cuisine. The family still has customers that were originally served by their Mom. Those customers often reminisce about their first visit to Bai Tong with their children who are now grown with kids of their own. On their off time, Noi and Noina like to spend time with family and friends, similar to when at the restaurant.
Soma – Cynthia Brumbaugh
Cynthia moved to the Seattle area three years ago from Minnesota and is continually in awe of its beauty. She loves it here because Seattleites don’t have to shovel rain! Cynthia enjoys being store manager because every day is different; meeting new people, welcoming established customers back and unwrapping new product arrivals. Her favorite part of the work is helping a woman find the correct fit and watching her leave feeling beautiful and confident. Or when a women returns the next day to share that she had the best night sleep ever in their new pajamas. On her day off, you will find Cynthia hiking on one of the amazing trails the PNW has to offer or bass fishing in a tournament league with her husband.
Zumiez – Aleisha Turner
Aleisha Turner is the high energy store manager of Zumiez. She lives in Seattle but is originally from Las Vegas, NV. Growing up on the staples of skateboarding, pizza and punk rock music, she kept her country roots close and still enjoys all of those things today! Aleisha is driven by genuinely impacting young people’s lives on a daily basis and making them laugh! On her days off, you will find her hiking, writing poetry and short stories or skateboarding around Seattle on one of her many boards!
Community Pillars Offer Something New to Discover at Issaquah Highlands To commemorate its completion of a legacy community, Port Blakely Communities has dedicated a new sculptural icon to those who helped build the community. “Community Pillars” is scheduled to be installed in mid July in the plaza area in between the Big Fish Grill and Regal Cinemas at Grand Ridge Plaza. The structure features three steel pillars, each representing a key collaborative partner in developing the Issaquah Highlands community – the City of Issaquah, the Community and Port Blakely. “As a small token of our appreciation and gratitude for those who helped make Issaquah Highlands a great community, we have placed these community pillars as a reminder of the shared vision, environmental stewardship and collaboration in building community that is so evident here today,” said René Ancinas, CEO of Port Blakely Companies and president of Port Blakely Communities. “This is a legacy community designed and built to benefit generations to come.” Port Blakely wound down its operations at Issaquah Highlands at the end of 2013 after completing its role as master developer and transitioning all governance and operations functions to community organizations. Matthew Porteous, Landscape Architecture principal with Hewitt Architects, designers of the structure and also landscape architects for Grand Ridge Plaza, said the pillars were inspired by the site’s heritage and surroundings. “The forested mountains of Issaquah and Port Blakely’s focus as a forestry company presented a natural connection to trees.” Visible from all directions surrounding it, the structure’s three steel pillars vary in size, ranging from 6 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 inches wide. Three types of native trees – cedar, fir and maple – have been incorporated through cut patterns. DillonWorks of Mukilteo is the fabricator. The pillars are lit from the inside with LED lighting, which emphasizes the patterns with a soft glow at night. “It introduces a sense of discovery and will be fun for children,” Porteous added. “Its location, nestled in the tree grove at the eastern end of the fountain, punctuates the fountain and will likely become a fond object for kids and adults.”
Three steel pillars ranging from six to 12 feet tall represent three native trees – cedar, fir and maple. DillonWorks of Mukilteo is the fabricator. Image designed by Hewitt.
Porteous, whose firm also designed the steel staples placed throughout Grand Ridge Plaza, says the intent is to introduce something with interest yet remain subtle that integrates into the existing plaza design and function. “We reviewed and explored several different elements and kept coming back to this form because there’s a clarity and contextual relationship in its simplicity. Like Issaquah Highlands’ design, which is thoughtfully planned within its context, we wanted to build upon on that strength in this sculptural element too,” he said. Regency Centers has graciously agreed for the pillars to be placed on their plaza for residents and visitors to enjoy. We urge you to discover the community pillars for yourself.