As January grinds on, construction crews on the MarketFront know that every minute of the day counts. Activity has continued at a fast pace. Workers have put in six days a week to complete the project. They aim to have housing, parking, vendor canopy, public plaza and commercial spaces finished by early March.

Once the construction is complete, visitors will have the thrill of walking onto the new public plaza directly from the crafts market. They will enjoy views of the Olympics, Puget Sound and — if it’s a sunny day (fingers crossed!) — Mount Rainier.

Other milestones will be reached in late spring, such as the installation of two public art works by artists Clare Dohna and John Fleming. Dohna’s Northwest Microcosm is a three-part mosaic wall along the grand staircase leading up to the plaza. Fleming’s Western Tapestry encompasses 1,670 aluminum strips of varying lengths and color along Western Avenue.

This week, the smell of fresh paint permeates the four floors of the new low-income housing building. Here 40 seniors will enjoy a brand new place to live, with views of downtown to the east and Puget Sound to the west. The Market Commons, the new neighborhood center, will be located on the first floor of the housing. The space will allow the Pike Place neighborhood community to gather and access social services available in the Market.

Inside the future commercial spaces, the ceiling soars above while light pours in from the west. This summer, the aroma of fresh biscuits and hops will fill the area when Honest Biscuits and Old Stove Brewing Co. are in production. All MarketFront vendors, including indi chocolate and Jarr & Co., are busy working on plans for their new spaces in the MarketFront.

Plans are underway for a public Grand Opening ceremony and celebration on Thursday, June 29. Save the date and click here for more details!