The invitation was to join the Pike Place Market Foundation for an ‘unforgettable milestone’ in the construction of the Pike Place MarketFront. We were intrigued and flattered to be invited. So What’s Up Northwest bundled up for a cold December Friday, grabbed our camera and headed to the Pike Place Market.
We gathered at the tent located near the pergola at Pike Street and Virginia and as a group headed down Western Avenue where ‘Billie’, the other bronze piggy bank at the Market, awaited atop a flatbed truck.
Pike Place Market Foundation Executive Director, Lillian Sherman, explained what was about to occur and why. It seems that Billie’s location on Western near the bottom of the Pike Hill Climb was not as favorable a spot as her cousin Rachel The Pig. The plan that morning was to move Billie to the new MarketFront to give her better access to fans and a spectacular view of the Olympic Mountains.
With cameras and cell phones rolling, we all turned toward Billie as the Sellen Construction crew secured her tightly for her flight to her new home at the Market.
Glinting in the crisp, bright blue December sky, Billie ‘flew’ overhead for several minutes before being lowered onto the top tier of the MarketFront building and getting settled into her new location. She will be available again to the public when the Pike Place MarketFront opens later in 2017.
Keep up with the progress of the new Pike Place MarketFront by stopping by the Pike It Up! website, where you can see construction progress and read about what else the Foundation does for the Market all year long.
For more information about the MarketFront project – watch this:
