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Businesses, agencies ramp up backup systems after global tech outage
The global technology outage caused by a CrowdStrike update pushed to Windows devices impacted everything from airlines to banks Friday morning — and reinforced the need for companies to have procedures in place to handle disruptions when they occur.<\p> Systems were gradually coming back on line by late morning.<\p>
Mariners try new salmon-themed shirt special to boost attendance
The Seattle Mariners are capitalizing on a popular in-game attraction to boost attendance next week.<\p> On Wednesday, the Mariners will host the team's first-ever Salmon Run Day. The promotion builds on the team's Salmon Run race for home games, in which four salmon mascots race at the park between innings.<\p>
HKS hires longtime Seattle architect
Longtime Seattle architect Mark Nakatani is a new principal at HKS and the global director of what the firm calls its "mission critical" practice.<\p> The hire, which was announced July 12, and a recent acquisition of a Virginia architecture company AXO are part of HKS' goal to be a leader in the design of resilient, 24/7 facilities like data centers.<\p>
Former Burbs Burgers space near Lumen Field has new tenant
A national sports bar and restaurant chain is coming to Seattle's Pioneer Square. <\p> Tom's Watch Bar is set to fill 7,000 square feet at 121 S. King St., in the former Burbs Burgers space near Lumen Field. The Denver-based chain, which bills itself as a modern sports bar that caters to both male and female fans, plasters its walls with large, high-definition screens tuned to sporting events.<\p>
Alaska posts record revenue, awaits DOJ decision on Hawaiian merger
Clearance for Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) to acquire Hawaiian Airlines could arrive within weeks, the SeaTac-based company said Thursday, after posting a record quarterly revenue just shy of $2.9 billion. <\p> Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said the company had responded to requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice, which will likely hand down its decision to accept or reject the proposed deal by Aug. 5. <\p>
Gaming industry veteran named Wizards of the Coast president
Hasbro today named a new president of its Renton-based Wizards of the Coast division, after Cynthia Williams departed from the position in April. <\p> John Hight comes to Hasbro (Nasdaq: HAS) from Irvine, California-based Blizzard Entertainment, where he led the Warcraft franchise of video games.<\p>
Downtown Seattle worker foot traffic climbs but still lags 2019 levels
The tourists and business travelers are back, but downtown Seattle still feels less vibrant than it did before the pandemic due to the relatively low level of office workers coming to the office.<\p> In June, downtown and surrounding neighborhoods averaged over 90,000 daily workers — the highest since March 2020, according to information the Downtown Seattle Association released on Tuesday. While 14% higher than June 2023, it's still just 58% of the number recorded in June 2019.<\p>
Seattle data startup looks to expand after $15M funding round
Seattle-based data startup Momento doesn't need an office to get work done.<\p> The company, which raised a $15 million Series A round Thursday, has embraced remote work since its founding in 2021. With co-founder and CEO Khawaja Shams based in the Portland area and co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Daniela Miao based in the Seattle area, the team sometimes meets in the middle, in Centralia.<\p>
New Lake Union campus lands prominent tenant
The first office tenant for the new Northlake Commons project in Seattle is the nonprofit artificial intelligence research institute that Paul G. Allen co-founded.<\p> Northlake Commons developer Hess Callahan Grey Group announced the 50,000-square-foot deal with the Allen Institute for AI, or Ai2, on Thursday. <\p>
The National Observer: Distress rises for apartment owners
Welcome to The National Observer, a roundup of top business news and actionable insights from across The Business Journals network of publications. Today, we'll take a look at the challenges of finding new tenants as two prominent drug store chains close stores, uncertainty around new rules on brokers in the home buying sector, and Big Lots' plan to close dozens of stores as doubts arise around its solvency over the next year. But for our top story we're going to examine distressed debt in the multifamily sector.<\p> Get more stories like these every day in your inbox by subscribing to The National Observer newsletter. <\p>
Boeing workers put strike on the table amid contract talks
Thousands of Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) machinists voted to give their union the authority to call a strike in September if a new labor contract hasn’t been finalized.<\p> The result Wednesday afternoon at Seattle's T-Mobile Park was widely expected and doesn’t guarantee a strike this fall when the current contract expires, but it’s a critical step for the union in the bargaining process. More than 99% of the votes cast were in favor of the proposal.<\p>
The ghost effect: Another sign the job market has dramatically shifted
Three years ago, many employers reported the phenomenon of being "ghosted" by job candidates.<\p> In yet another sign of the shifting labor market, the shoe is now on the other foot, with companies now abruptly ceasing communication with candidates. <\p>
Sports bar to fill former Great State Burger space in Ballard
A sports bar and restaurant from one of the co-owners of the Sea Creatures restaurant group is slated to open in Ballard on Friday. <\p> Slim Goody is set to fill 2,575 square feet at 5411 Ballard Ave. NW, in the former Great State Burger space.<\p>
Syndio lands new chief product officer from LinkedIn
Seattle-based pay equity software company Syndio on Wednesday confirmed it has named Mitali Pattnaik as its chief product officer.<\p> Pattnaik spent more than six years at LinkedIn before joining the company. A Syndio spokesperson said Pattnaik will oversee innovation, design and roadmap execution at Syndio.<\p>
Lusty Lady building owner doubles down on area with new acquisition
The new owner of a 109-year-old apartment building next to Pike Place Market is Seattle entrepreneur Andrew Conru, who also owns the nearby property that housed the Lusty Lady live peep show venue. <\p> Conru bought Marketside Flats, a 27-unit property at 84 Union St., just down the hill from the Gum Wall in Post Alley. The sales price was $10.2 million, according to public records. The seller is an affiliate of Mack Real Estate Group, which acquired the asset when it bought Harbor Properties in 2013.<\p>
Seattle startup lands NASA grant to test its lunar soil technology
Seattle-based space resources startup Interlune has landed a $348,000 grant from NASA to develop its technology.<\p> Interlune's harvester is aimed at taking lunar soil and improving its physical properties to extract valuable resources. It's part of Interlune's ambitions to extract helium-3, which is rare on Earth but plentiful on the moon, and bring it back to Earth to sell.<\p>
Providence names successor to outgoing CEO
Providence Chief Operating Officer Erik Wexler is about to embark on a “listening” tour across the health network’s seven-state operation as he prepares to step into the role of CEO.<\p> The state’s largest health care employer on Wednesday named Wexler as the successor for CEO Rod Hochman when he retires at the end of the year. As it plans for the transition, both executives have said they are focused on clearing away obstacles for physicians and other caregivers, bringing down costs for patients and improving the network’s financial stability.<\p>
Builder pessimism grows with rising interest rates, added inventory
Homebuilders continue to offer a bevy of incentives to remain competitive, but sustained higher mortgage rates and an increase in the number of homes for sale is dampening their overall sentiment about market conditions. <\p> Major homebuilders like Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) and D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI), among others, have been offering various concessions to prospective buyers at a time of much-higher mortgage rates than a few years ago and record home-price appreciation. Among the more popular offerings is a mortgage-rate buydown, in which a builder will put points down to reduce a buyer's mortgage rate.<\p>
Judge boots Point Ruston receiver
Los Angeles-based Stapleton Group Inc. was named receiver for seven properties at Point Ruston in Tacoma by Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stanley Rumbaugh in late June. <\p> Stapleton will replace Lynnwood-based Resource Transition Consultants, which became the court-appointed receiver in May 2023, after lender TerraCotta Real Estate Services sued to collect tens of millions in debt owed on the properties.<\p>
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