Seattle Adult Entertainment: Civic leaders examine image and issues
He examined the Winthrop Apartments, a former luxury hotel that was converted into subsidized apartments in the 1970s. The condition of the aging structure has been a concern of city officials in recent years. The Winthrop is showing the effect of decades of under-investment, he said, noting it needs millions of dollars of repairs.
Several Winthrop residents attended and fielded questions from the audience. They pointed out maintenance issues in the aging building, as well as the fact some families with young children are crowded into small units.
Johnson discussed his investment 10 years ago in the Passages Building, an office complex on Broadway. At the time, drug dealing and prostitution were rampant. Since then he has built a condominium building and rehabilitated another old building, the Vintage Y, into condominiums. He and his wife moved into the latter. Downtown now has millionaires living near the very poor, something Johnson feels creates vibrancy.
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