Joshua McNichols
Reporter
About
As KUOW's Growth and Development reporter and co-host of KUOW's Booming podcast, Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, government and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology, and climate change.
Joshua holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington. Public Radio is his second career; architecture was his first. He is proud of the many odd jobs he's held in his life, such as salmon fisher, author, bike courier, and bed-and-breakfast cook.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him
Professional Affiliations: The Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter
Stories
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Climate Pledge Arena goes on offense with sustainability goals
Most big arenas use lots of fossil fuel to heat and cool the space. They’re energy hogs. But backers of Climate Pledge Arena, home to The Kraken and The Storm, say it’ll be the greenest in the world. We checked into those claims.
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Can downtown Seattle attract families? The big question behind the debate about a new school.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan wants to put a public elementary school downtown. She’s offering the school district the right to build the school on the former entrance to the Battery Street tunnel. That decision is not final. But it’s prompted a lot of discussions about the future of downtown.
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With light rail as fuel, Seattle's Northgate is ready to grow
This week, a lot of people tried light rail and got off at Northgate to look around. As they exited the station, many of them were greeted with a neighborhood undergoing massive change.
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Behind the art in North Seattle's new light rail stations
Sound Transit spent two and a half million dollars on unique artwork to make waiting for trains in its three new stations more enjoyable. This week, visitors to those new stations got to see that work in person for the first time.
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Here's what light rail means to these North Seattle commuters
Three new light rail stations open this Saturday in North Seattle at Northgate, Roosevelt, and the University District. It’s an important moment for Seattle. For the first time, North and South Seattle will really be connected by light rail. It's a dream that's at least 25 years old. We asked people what this moment means for them.
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How community pressure helped rebuild Black-owned businesses in Seattle's Central District
When Paul Allen’s development company, Vulcan, bought a strip mall and a grocery store in the Central District years ago –many residents had concerns. The community did not want to become like another neighborhood Vulcan redeveloped: South Lake Union. So the neighborhood pushed back.
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NW carpenters say they build the tech offices that make our economy grow, but their pay doesn't show it
In Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, carpenters marched outside a new office tower being built for Google. In Redmond, they marched outside buildings under construction for Microsoft and Facebook. The construction industry might be booming, but carpenters say their families are struggling.
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Seattle's Central District divided over new Amazon Fresh store
A new grocery store has opened at 23rd and Jackson: Amazon Fresh. It’s on the same spot in Seattle’s Central Area neighborhood where the Red Apple grocery store used to stand. The Red Apple was a popular spot where neighbors ran into each other and said ‘Hi.’ Its closure and demolition became a sore spot for people who felt they were losing the soul of their neighborhood.
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Sometimes pushy, sometimes distant, Amazon keeps businesses near its Seattle HQ alive
Before the pandemic, Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood was bustling with tech workers, tourists, and residents. There were lines outside popular lunchtime spots. Then the pandemic hit, and the neighborhood quickly became a ghost town. It's not anymore.
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This Seattle neighborhood wants to tax itself to post-pandemic prosperity
Property owners alA Capitol Hill neighborhood wants to tax itself to help keep its main street clean and its businesses strong. It would create a new Business Improvement Area, or BIA, the 11th in Seattle, and the first new one created during the pandemic to help a struggling business district. KUOW’s Joshua McNichols says the idea has inspired strong reactions on both sides.
