[PDX City-State]

I just don't see it as a vital area. It's cut off from Belltown by some fast-moving traffic arterials, and until very recently, there were wasn't much housing even close to it. There are restaurants over there, and in Lower Queen Anne, but it's just not very vital...not like other Seattle neighborhoods. So I guess our disagreement lies in our definition of vital. That said, if you see the Seattle Center as a good example of urban design, then I would have to question your taste...with all due respect.

Look the most successful neighborhood redevelopments and what they all have in common: people. From the Pearl to Belltown to South Lake Union to Capitol Hill to Tribeca, it has been the construction and redevelopment of true mixed-use neighborhoods had have spurred activity. The cardinal rule in real estate investment is this: money follows people. If you want something to succeed, build it near where people live and or work. Now, if the relocation of the SMART Tower were to accompany the destruction of Memorial Coliseum (Yes it's a great building, but it sits empty and sits on land that could be redeveloped into thousands of housing units), then do it.