The election draws sharp lines between the density coalition and the neighborhood-populist candidates led by Nick Licata. In the Mayor's race, the former has a champion in Mike McGinn and the latter is most embraced by Joe Mallahan.
The City during the Nickels years has put a lot of money into building up the sector, but job growth for biotech has fallen far short of the promises.
Many other cities in the region use developer-impact fees to offset the costs of growth and keep parks open. Instead, Seattle is looking at such risky, unfair ideas as special parks and libraries districts.
For the first time, cost estimates for the western part, phase II, have surfaced. Adding $100 million to a project that is already short of funding is starting to look like a kind of farewell fling from Mayor Nickels. A critic traces all the funding maneuvers.
