Porch.com Expanding, Uniqlo Coming To Seattle & More News

Latin Cuisine Adds a Gyro Machine. Ever since Columbia City’s Grecian Delight went temporarily out of business after an SUV ran into the space last August, locals complained for the loss of Greek fare in their neighborhood. Eater Seattle said the owners of Grecian Delight–who also operate La Isla del Mojito–are solving this problem by moving the Gyro machine to their Latin counterpart, also located in Columbia City. Starting this weekend, La Isla del Mojito will add four gyro options (traditional beef and lamb, lamb, chicken and falafel) and a Greek salad to its menu. 

Porch.com Seeks New Grounds. Porch, Seattle’s rapdily growing online home improvement company, is expanding beyond its Eastlake headquarters, Puget Sound Business Journal reports. The 18 month-old company has experienced massive growth this past year, including a recent $65 million series B round funding. The company, which now employs more than 350 people, is seeking 50,000 to 70,000 square feet, more than double the size of its current 27,000-square-foot building. No confirmations as to where this new office may be, though up for consideration may be Zulily’s old SoDo headquarters. 

Seattle Housing Red Hot. Signs of Seattle’s housing boom are everywhere, and according to the February sales report from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, supply cannot keep up with the high demand. Ken Anderson, president at Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty in Tumwater said, “The pent-up demand being unleashed has rocketed pending sales back to the levels of our record year in 2006,” The Puget Sound Business Journal reports. This low-inventory and high-demand combination creates for record high housing prices, and homes “flying off the shelves” at record speed. The number of new residences on the market increased 7.3 percent from February last year, yet sales increased more, resulting in 13.6 percent fewer houses for sale, equating to higher prices and steep competition in the housing arena. 

Japanese Fast Fashion to Seattle. The projected opening of Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo has long been on the Seattle rumor circuit. According to Thursday’s report from The Puget Sound Business Journal, these rumors appear true. PSBJ said Uniqlo USA Limited Liability Co–a part of Fast Retailing Inc.,–registered with the Washington Secretary of State Office’s Corporations Division. This is a necessary step any corporation that is headquartered in one state must make before doing business in a new state. Uniqlo, a name derived from the contraction of unique and clothing, is known for its modern stores and colorful, low-cost clothing for men, women and children. The arrival of the fast growing retailer (recently coined by New York Magazine as “the hottest retailer in the city“) will certainly boost Seattle’s position as a growing fashion design economy.

SR 99 Is About to get Messy. Brace yourselves, Seattleites, for a slow roll is coming to SR99 in the next few weeks. Beginning Monday, March 9, sections of Northbound SR 99 will close entirely so overnight workers can fix a portion of the road near Mercer street. On Tuesday evening, sections of SR 99 between Valley Street and the Aurora Bridge will be closed to prepare for long-term lane closures. These lane closures will last eight weeks on SR 99 Northbound, and 12 weeks on SR 99 Southbound, Washington State Department of Transportation said. While bus lanes will remain open in their entirety during this time, there is no escaping the slow down that will especially effect South Lake Union and certain areas of I-5.