The City of SeaTac will be hosting an Open House from 5pm to 8pm on Monday, Dec. 7th to showcase new plans for downtown development.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Open house to see what the future holds for the city’s downtown, with city leaders including the City Manager and representatives from the Departments of Public Works and Planning. Consultants from KPG (engineers/architects), Heartland, LLC (analysis/project management/development), and Seth Harry & Associates (architect/urban design)

WHEN: Monday, December 7, 2009, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Holiday Inn Conference Center, located at 17338 International Blvd., SeaTac, Wash. 98188

INFO: From a press release:

Help shape the future of your community.

This is your chance to review maps and renderings of the planned downtown and experience the vision for the future of the City of SeaTac.

Talk to city leaders and development experts.

Learn where the project is headed and share your thoughts.

Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail Station will be opening December 19, 2009 at International Blvd. and S. 176th Street is located at the entrance to the envisioned SeaTac Downtown/City Center.

Families are welcome. Refreshments will be available. Free parking will be provided.

For additional information please contact the City of SeaTac at 206-973-4820.

Incorporated in February 1990, the City of SeaTac is located approximately midway between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma. The City of SeaTac is 10 square miles in area and has a population of 25,230. The City of SeaTac is a vibrant community, economically strong, environmentally sensitive, and people-oriented. The City boundaries surround the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, (approximately 3 square miles in area) which is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle.

For more information contact Jeff Robinson, Economic Development Manager, at (206) 973-4812.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The Port of Seattle Tuesday announced Tuesday that Sea-Tac Airport won first place for the Best “Green” Concessions Practice award among airports in North America.

The “green” in the award is referring of course the ecological elements that the food vendors at the airport use.

The honor was announced during the 2009 Airports Council International – North America Concessions Conference in Indianapolis, at which roughly 200 representatives of North American airport concessions industry were in attendance.

Sea-Tac was also awarded second place for Best Convenience Retail Program.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by our airport peers for our integrated recycling, composting and food bank program,” said Mark Reis, the airport’s Managing Director. “The airport concessionaires and staff have worked tirelessly to divert recyclable and compostable materials from landfills and thereby reducing waste, feeding the needy and helping lead our region and the airport industry to a sustainable future.”

According to a Port press release, during 2008, airport concessionaires recycled more than 1,200 tons of material – an amount equivalent to the weight of six Boeing 747 aircraft. During the same period, they avoided disposal costs and generated revenue through rebates on recyclables which totaled $160,000. Sea-Tac concessionaires made waste reduction and recycling a priority by recycling cardboard, used cooking oil, food waste and coffee grounds. Since 2001, Sea-Tac concessionaires diverted thousands of tons of recyclable material from landfills through recycling, composting, and food bank donation programs. Concessionaires donated food that served 8,000 meals to needy families in 2008.

Sea-Tac’s recycling programs are even estimated to have prevented the release of Greenhouse Gas emissions equivalent to removing 819 passenger cars from the road annually; conserved an amount of energy equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 83 households (USEPA Waste Reduction Model), and saved 3,700 cubic yards of landfill space.

The purpose of the Airport Concessions Contest is to inspire creativity in the industry and to recognize innovative and outstanding airport concessions. These awards help to demonstrate the growing importance of concessions to the total airport experience. This year’s contest received more than 160 nominations from airports of all sizes throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Here are the results of the categories involving Sea-Tac Airport:

• Best “Green” Concession Practice or Concept 
1st Place: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 
2nd Place: C-Pier Expansion, Vancouver International Airport
3rd Place: Concourse D, Portland International Airport
Honorable Mention: Enroute Spa, Indianapolis International Airport
• Best Convenience Retail Program – Large Airport 
1st Place: Atrium, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2nd Place: Seattle Tacoma International Airport

Entries for this year’s contest were judged by an independent panel comprised of high-level professionals with no vested interest in concession operations, or the outcome of any one airport. In addition to the independent panel, one representative from the previous year’s overall winner was also involved in the judging process.

Previously, Sea-Tac Airport won the Richard A. Griesbach Award of Excellence in 2007 recognizing the Best Food and Beverage Program in North America. That year, three additional awards were won by Sea-Tac and its merchants: 1st place, Best Specialty Retail Program, 2nd place, Best New Food and Beverage Concept [Waji’s], and 2nd place, Best New Consumer Services Concept [butter LONDON].

Popularity: 1% [?]

You can now get free wi-fi at Sea-Tac Airport, courtesy of Google, which announced Tuesday that it is now sponsoring free wireless access at 47 airports around the US.

Sea-Tac’s free offer (along with Burbank Airport), are considered “indefinite,” while the others are scheduled to expire Jan. 15, 2010.

According to the Google Free Wi-Fi website:

When you’re traveling this holiday season, you can enjoy free WiFi at 47 participating airports and on every Virgin America flight. Just bring a WiFi-enabled laptop or mobile device and stay connected to family and friends for free while you travel now through January 15, 2010.

The promotion, in cooperation with three wireless carriers, is clearly a marketing effort to use free Wi-Fi to boost the Google brand.

Just be careful when logging on though – many hackers have set up “Free Wi-Fi” networks in public places, so make sure you’re actually hopping on board the Google one.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Just got off the phone with Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Department, who reports Monday (Nov. 9th) that Nicholas Francisco, a SeaTac man who went missing in Feb. 2008, has been found alive and well, living in another state, living under a new name.

Francisco was last seen leaving his work at an ad agency in Seattle on Feb. 13th, 2008; he was supposedly heading home to bake cookies with his children.

Francisco’s car was found a few days later abandoned at a condominium complex in Federal Way, and an extensive investigation was conducted to see if he had been a victim of foul play.

Nothing turned up, and subsequently his wife divorced him in absentia.

Last week detectives developed information that he was in fact alive, had changed his name and was living outside of Washington.

“Since he did nothing illegal and this case is basically closed, we won’t reveal where he was found,” Urquhart said to The B-Town Blog. “But let me tell you – there was something incredibly unique about this guy that made bloggers go crazy. In all my years, I have never seen such a reaction. I’m glad this case is closed.”

And yes, the King County Sheriff’s Department has indeed closed their investigation, so we may never know where he lives and why he left so suddenly.

Read previous coverage of this story on our sister site The B-Town Blog here.

Popularity: 1% [?]