Wow! I'm pretty amazed at all the negative comments about this change that seem to be rooted in something other than fact. Based upon what I've read and heard (and I do my homework before I comment), these guys are going to develop these locations into something in line with the rest of what Ballard Ave has become, and I think that's a good thing. Learn your food; French doesn't always mean expensive and even if it did, Volterra has proven that can float here financially.

To say the Cabinet place is one of the best in Seattle says someone hasn't done some workhome on cabinet (and custom) makers in the Seattle area. Comments imply they're being forced out after 24 years but the neighborhood around them (and values) have changed. Those changes started more than a decade ago so a move for a manfuacturer doesn't surprise me. They may be able to re-locate to a larger location more suited to the business. It could, despite fears based in whatever, be a positive thing for them.

I'm going to try to hold off on the knee jerk reactions and all the negativity and see what these folks do. Who knows--you could actually surprise yourself and just maybe actually like what they end up doing. Let's not assume this is the end of Ballard as we know it.
Happy Holidays!

This is definitely not going to be another "Le Gourmand". I know these two guys are determined to make the new place a local eatery. This is not going to be a pretentious spot.

James and Deming have nothing to do with the building be sold: it was on the market. Frankly we're all lucky these two really good guys got the spot and not some developer with no community ties.

Look at Caffe Fiore: its a beautiful asset to the community. And James's track record is stellar. Just because he was involved with the ballroom doesnt mean this this is going to be a "frat bar". Just as his involvement with the great Thai place, May Thai in Wallingford, doesnt mean this is going to be a thai place!

The seismic upgrades are required, as is keeping the exterior. I'm sure their renovation will be lovely and in keeping with the spirit of old ballard.

I think this is going to be a great addition to ballard, and of course lots of negativity is expected in seattle -- until you are all won-over!

This town is going to France in a handbasket.

This is a bad idea for property prices and taxes, and this place will be gone again in a year or two anyway. Nice job, Brownie.

$3.63 MILLION?????????????? I thought this was a buyer's market.

the article says that these chaps own(ed) the legendary frat-magnets the Ballroom and the Triangle Tavern in Fremont. Not auspicious.

Oh and Workethic - Your just a hater!

Agreed. Lotsa negativity on this one.

well said Bid. maybe some of those other bloggers should start saving there own money up and buy a community garden or park. if thats what they would like to see. The change is well needed. look at the old pics of ballard ave, where it was crowded with people walking around. get real or move back to North Dakota where your family came from and nobody wants to live there.

YTake it from me. You all should be very happy that these 2 have control of the place. As said above; if developers had purcahsed the bldg's it would be a completely different situation. Low cost materials and ugly design is what you would be bitching about. So keep your low budget GRUBBY attitude to yourself and go back to the skanky-ass tavern you crawled out of. Seems to me the establishments these 2 currently have running have all been good for Fremont & Ballard.
Get with the program people and understand the situation before you start complaining. These guys are exactly who you want building on Ballard Ave. You fools are the ones that cost good hard working people money because all you do is argue the negative/grumpy point.

Enjoy life & Smile!

The new owners seem focused on trying to do something good for the neighborhood. They're intent is to enhance the character of the buildings, restore them , and open a cafe. We should probably be happy they got it; the previous owners obviously wanted to cash in, and that property was most assuredly bid on by developers who wanted to turn it into a block of condos.

We should be encouraged that in this difficult economy there are still entrepreneurs trying to promote local, small business in our neighborhood.

I agree with workethic, any place I can't afford to eat in must be overpriced. How else can you explain my anger? I agree with him, we should form a mob and demand they spend the owners money on community garden or maybe a pea patch. Disgusting!

$3.63 MILLION???? Holy crap! How many french fries are they gonna have to sell to cover that note!

@Grubby Ballard

Yeah, that's why Le Gourmand is so unpopular. =)

I think it is pretty great, I heard that James and Demming are both Ballard guys so I am sure they will keep the integrity of the neighborhood.

Also, i think the contractor who is doing it is the same one who did the sushi restaurant Shiku and Dolce Vida and those both turned out well. It seems like even though the street and area are changing they are keeping it all in the family.

Rising taxes are driving out the working class from Ballard? So why do you keep voting to raise them and create levies for every pie in the sky plan you think we need?

I love Seattle's granola far left. They want everyone to eat organic foods and want to raise taxes on everything and then sit around and wonder why the poor can't afford to live here.

I think it sounds wonderful!

The only thing we like about French food in Ballard are the fries.

I overheard the owners discussing their new venture at Caffe Fiore a few weeks ago. They were leaning toward "working class French food" as a description for the cuisine, which makes me think it won't be a pretentious joint, but a more down-home affair.

Like it or not, Ballard is now a retail street. In that respect it doesn't make much sense to have a machinist and cabinet maker on the block. You can whine all you want about the change but doing so just makes you a hypocrite (keep in mind all this land belonged to someone else at one time!) Neighborhoods change, that's a fact of life. Always have, always will in every city in the country.

All that said, I'm nervous about that plans. A good French restaurant would be a real boon assuming it's a traditional French restaurant and not some pretentious $50 a plate place. The high end retail I'm not crazy about at all. Do we really need another place selling $150 skinny jeans, $300 shoes and $50 t-shirts? How about a clothing store that caters to someone other than iPhone toting, under 35, kid-free single people? I'd love to shop local for clothes but that' s getting hard to do in Ballard these days.

I always wanted a Mr. Pee sprinkler for my yard.

Good observations JP.

The buildings are in good hands. Based on their track records, I have no doubt James and Deming will do something nice with it. And yes, the exteriors will obviously be preserved as required. But they have their work cut out for them with the cabinetry shop building. That place is a real mess. It's been hacked apart and added onto numerous times over the decades.

As for the cabinetry shop, that's another story. Yes they do nice work, but they have alot of competition in this town. And they've been grossly understaffed for years. There's basically one guy there who does everything, and he's not the owner. One guy can only work so fast.

Maybe this move will be the kick-in-the-pants they need to get things rolling!

I have a hard time believing that these boutiques and fancy restaurants are a good thing for Ballard's economy. These are usually the first to perish during an economic downturn. In order to be healthy economically, Ballard still needs to maintain a strong industrial base that employs skilled local tradespeople. It's what has kept us going strong all these years. The local machinists and carpenters that Obermaier and SCC employed will likely end up having to relocate or else commute to some outlying suburb (where, due to rising rents and taxes, much of Ballard's former industry is fleeing) to find work.

Will the new French restaurant need custom cabinets? What's a shame here is that Seattle Custom Cabinets has to leave after 25 years. I have a friend who has been in their queue for months, because they are considered to be one of the best, if not the best cabinet makers in Seattle. My friend lives in Ballard and has been waiting patiently (for almost a year) but just learned the project will be delayed by several months because they have to move. Ballard Avenue is one of only seven historical districts in the entire city yet one of the tradesmen devoted to restoring homes through handmade cabinetry has to leave. The exteriors can be protected but not the inhabitants.

That's great new board B (that the seismic upgrade is already underway). Cool too that the shop owner had the cash to retire. Dangerous perhaps to retire to Vegas, but hey.

Ballard Ave is my favorite place to shop in the city! I'm thrilled that more boutiques are coming. The more Old Ballard becomes a shopping destination, the better. Let people spend their money in our neighborhood, helping our businesses.

Thanks for the cool insider info Board_B. ...thats the kind of 'dope' I love getting on this site. I agree its a cool space and as long as they are leaving the facade alone and fixing it up should be a win-win all around.

They're doing a seismic upgrade as we speak. And Obermaier Machine didn't exactly go out of business. He retired. He sold the building and his house and is moving to Vegas. One more piece of Ballard history whose packing his bags for sunnier pastures.

BTW, he once told me that building used to be a car dealership back in the forties. It's a nice space.

Wow - I don't know why this is shocking really, those places didn't make $5 in a month. Remember when they sold the "mr. pee" lawn sprinkler about 4 years ago?

It is kind of sad though, to see that old quaintness go. It is a nice building for a restaurant though. I hope that they can make the financial case for it given the obvious seismic issues.

Hey Weimann: The last thing this world needs is another restaurant or bar, let alone a HIGH END retail store. Why don't you spend some of that money on a community garden or something worthwhile instead of a place where people spend their money on over priced luxury bullshit. Thanks for making gentifrication look so easy.

uh oh.... old stores being there forever to make wasy for a french restaurant and high end stores?

i put the over/under on this topic at 35 by the end of wednesday

Crap! I wanted one of the music/cookbook stands!!!!