TPN moves into new "old" digs

The Production Network has settled into its new home, a recently-renovated 75-year-old warehouse that made news several months ago when TPN moved the building by barge to its current location: 1000 N. Northlake Way.

The 12,000-square-foot, two-story warehouse building, whose interior has been converted into a modern office, is made of nearly 27 miles of old growth timber two-by-fours. It was built in 1928 by General Construction for the Bryant Lumber Company, which was located on the north shore of the Ship Canal (the current site of the Quadrant Lake Union Center). Bryant Lumber went out of business the following year. For the next 10 years the building stood vacant until J.R. Burke bought the property for his business, the Burke Millwork Co., a manufacturer of architectural materials. In the mid-'50s, Burke closed his millwork company and converted his property into an industrial park - one of the first of its kind in the city. The former Bryant Lumber warehouse's tenants over the years included boat makers and steel fabricators.

TPN took over the building in 1997 to use as a site to construct exhibits and staging.

When the Quadrant Lake Union Center's developers decided to go forward with plans to build a new office building on the site of the former Bryant Lumber warehouse, TPN's CEO John Vadino offered to move the warehouse rather than see it demolished.

Suzie Burke, president of the Fremont Dock Co., the family business that leases the land to the developers of the Quadrant Lake Union Center, agreed to sell the former Bryant Lumber warehouse building to TPN for the princely sum of $1.

The current site of the TPN building is also owned by the Fremont Dock Co., but is located just east of the Quadrant Lake Union Center.

Renovation of the former warehouse took seven months.

TPN is a privately-owned company that provides production management and design services for corporate events, trade shows and museums. Its clients include Microsoft, Weyerhaeuser, Washington Mutual and Boeing.

Tacos Guaymas to expand - again

A popular Green Lake area eatery, Tacos Guaymas at 6808 E. Greenlake Way N., is expanding again, for the second time this year. Co-owner Cesar Sahagun says his restaurant plans to take over the space next-door to the east (6810 E. Greenlake Way N.), the corner shop formerly occupied by Zuka Juice and before than by a Haagen Dazs ice cream shop. This past spring, Tacos Guaymas expanded by taking over the space next-door to the west, where it added a bar. Sahagun says the bar will be moved to the former Zuka Juice space, so he can expand the family dining area into the current bar space. Tacos Guaymas was honored earlier this year by Sunset magazine, which included the restaurant in its list of Great Northwest Taquerias. Tacos Guaymas was the only restaurant from North Seattle to make that list.

Northgate Frame It shop expands

The Frame It store at 539 NE Northgate Way is expanding to double its size to 3,000 square feet by taking over the space next door formerly occupied by PrintSmith instant print shop. Frame It owner Rhonda Clausen Brallier says she hopes to take advantage of the extra space by holding shows of local artists, possibly starting early next year.