The 1.2-million square foot project, planned for a 2011 completion, will also subsume the former Weathered Wall/I-Spy nightclub and the Avis Rent-A-Car garage down the street. The project's being planned by Hummingbird Advisors of Seattle, and solely funded by Multi Group of New York. Its planned cost, according to Hummingbird's Alec Martin: Approximately $900 million.

Three blocks to the west, plans for the hotel-condo tower to replace the Terminal Sales Building Annex have been revised to incorporate the five-story existing building's facade and portions of its structure.

A twin to the new building had been planned for the former Commodore Hotel site across the street, but may now be on hold; a Master Use Permit application has been filed to continue the site's use as a surface parking lot.

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The Seattle Housing Authority's thinking of getting into the mixed-use game. It's planning to add retail storefront space to its Bell Tower, on First Avenue south of Bell Street. The one-story addition to the existing subsidized-housing high-rise would, according to current tentative plans, include 4,500 square feet of retail space, plus a new resident recreation area on a terrace.

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The Third Annual Miss/Mr. Belltown Pageant will crown new neighborhood royalty on March 9 at the Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater. Local celebrities will vie in fashion, talent, and interview segments to determine what organizers call "Belltown's most talented superstars." The winner receives $100 and either a Belltown Betty robe or Mr. Belltown jacket.

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Kress IGA supermarket opening watch: Still not yet. But at least there's construction activity inside the space at Third and Pike.

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The Downtown Seattle Reisdents Council is an "organization of urban citizens dedicated to supporting livability in Seattle." Its next meeting is set for March 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Newmark Tower, 1415 2nd Ave. Guest speakers include City Councilmember Richard Conlin, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods director Stella Chao, and police Capt. Steve Brown.

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Art Beat: "Left, Right, and Wrong: Celebrating the Art of Editorial Cartooning" continues through March 31 at the Art Institute of Seattle, 2323 Elliott Ave. The exhibit, cosponsored by Cartoonists Northwest, features such local artists as David Horsey, Pat Moriarity, Peter Bagge, Donna Barr, Lew Andrus, Dan McConnel, and George Jartos.

"Art Orgy: An Explosion of Art for the Senses" is a benefit fine art sale and auction on Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m., at 1016 1st Ave. The event also includes live bands, DJs, a drag show, and live painting demonstrations. Admission is free; proceeds benefit the Backpack Project, supplying community outreach and service information to homeless and at-risk youth. For more info contact alison.backpackproject@gmail.com.

"Food as Art" gathers some of Seattle's top African-American chefs and restaurateurs for a day of tastings and demonstrations. The all-day, all-you-can-eat affair occurs Saturday, April 5 at the Bell Harbor Conference Center on the waterfront. It's a benefit for the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas.

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Gays and Teamsters: Not-so-strange bedfellows. That's the second most important message given on Feb. 14, when Miss Gay Seattle, Aleksa Manila, presented a "Valentine's Day card" and balloons to Belltown celebrity restaurateur Tom Douglas. The #1 message: Don't shaft the people who keep your tablecloths clean.

Manila accompanied members of Teamsters Local 117 and Washington State Jobs With Justice in presenting balloons and cards to guests at Douglas's Palace Kitchen. The cards read, "Have a heart Tom! Tomlinson Linen workers' hearts are breaking. Use a linen company with a heart!"

Douglas met with the protestors outside Palace Kitchen, and reasserted his loyalty to the nonunion Tomlinson Linen. The Teamsters assert that "Tomlinson recently proposed cutting workers' pensions and switching to an unknown company healthcare plan that would push up healthcare premiums for all retirees."

In a press release, Manila explained her participation thusly: "Workers' rights are human rights. I'm committed to championing human rights in all its manifestations."

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WILL KELLEY-KAMP wants to play a game

Dear Seattle Art Institute:
In the several years I've lived in Belltown, you've been a good neighbor. The people who take classes with you are most nice, well-adjusted kids, and they don't cause trouble. You've got a nice location, right on the waterfront. I use your parking garage often whenever I grab a Zipcar for a few hours. All in all, it's been a good relationship thus far. But there's something on your campus I've got my eye on.

Your basketball court.

See, the City of Seattle took away a half court when they put in the dog park at Third and Bell. The closest public basketball court in now up at the Denny Playfield, which doesn't get the love it should.

Belltown is home to some interesting open space. There's the Belltown cottages, Victor Steinbrueck Park, the aforementioned dog park at Third and Bell, and the Olympic Sculpture Park. The latter has a sign which says, "No active sports allowed." So while my neighborhood has a gigantic typewriter eraser sitting on a grassy burm, it doesn't have a b-ball court.

Is there an agreement we can come to that might allow Kurt Rambis-types such as myself the chance to shoot hoops at your court, until the city finally puts up some rims under the Viaduct? I want to play some pick-up basketball without having to leave my neighborhood.

Can we make this happen?

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Dear Editor,
I am representing the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ), a people-of-color-led organization with a mission to achieve environmental and economic justice in low-income communities and communities of color. One environmental concern that needs more visibility is the use of harmful chemicals at nail salons.

Nail salons are a major public health hazard and environmental justice issue because many salons use toxic products and are frequented by women of color. Currently there is no outreach to women of color who work in or patronize nail salons. CCEJ is partnering with the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) to reach out to nail salon owners and workers to improve environmental health and promote best practices for reducing exposure to toxic chemicals.

The harmful chemicals formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate are used in most nail polishes. Since the nails are an extension of the skin, the chemicals are absorbed into your body and can make you feel sick. Long term exposure to these toxins can cause cancer and other serious illnesses. Toxic chemicals in cosmetics are especially dangerous for pregnant women, as the chemicals can enter the bloodstream of the mother and harm the development of the fetus.

Because women of color tend to have a higher death rate for illnesses which can be linked to environmental factors, it is important to both address the environmental justice issues they face in their neighborhoods and conduct outreach to where women work or where they utilize beauty services. Our project, called Toxic Beauty, informs women of safer alternatives, and asks the owners of nail salons to switch to those safer products. We tell women to consider the toxic fumes they are breathing the next time they go for a manicure or paint their own nails. We advise them to visit a salon that is well ventilated-one that pumps fresh air into the room as well as exhausting the toxic fumes out-and to manicure their own nails in an area where fresh air is entering at a constant rate. In my search for a nail polish with fewer toxins I came across No Miss which does not contain formaldehyde, toluene or dibutyl phthalate. I feel healthier after using the No Miss product. All nail polishes contain chemicals, but some companies are making a sincere effort to improve women's health. To locate safer nail products CCEJ is working with the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition's (TFLC) Safe Cosmetics group, which works with the national Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and utilizes the Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database. Info on Finding Safer Cosmetics is available at http://www.toxicfreelegacy.org/safecosmetics/findsafer.html.

When using a nail polish, it is healthy to find and use one with the smallest amount of harmful toxins as possible. Women should ask their salons to use safe alternative beauty products. Beauty should be a natural and fun part of life, not dangerous or unhealthy.

For more information on the Toxic Beauty campaign or if you want to help, contact us at 206-720-0285 or www.CCEJ.org.

-Secret Charles
Community Coalition for Environmental Justice