Phoenix Party Friday night to celebrate neighborhood’s resilience after March 9 natural gas explosion

This Friday evening, the Greenwood neighborhood will once again come together to celebrate its resilience at the Phoenix Party from 6-9 p.m. in the empty lot where three businesses were destroyed exactly six months ago in the March 9 natural gas explosion, at 8409-8415 Greenwood Ave. N.

This free, all-ages party will celebrate the first responders, volunteers, donors, neighbors, artists, business owners, employees and patrons who helped the 53 businesses, dozens of employees and a dozen residents recover. Mr. Gyros, Greenwood Quick Stop and Neptune Coffee were completely destroyed in the blast. Another 50 businesses were damaged, some seriously (including The Angry Beaver and the Bureau of Fearless Ideas across the street, G&O Family Cyclery next to Neptune, and Gorditos just around the corner), while others sustained just a broken window or two.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association set up a donation fund immediately after the explosion, and the community rallied to donate more than $320,000 by mid-August. An advisory committee distributed those funds to affected businesses, employees who no longer had a paycheck, and a dozen residents who lived above Gorditos and weren’t allowed to move back in until just recently.

The Phoenix Party, hosted by the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Business Advisory Group, will feature live music by Billy Brandt with The Thing & the Stuff Band, plus dj nicfit, family activities with Seattle ReCreative, live art with Crowd Control, and Mr. Gyros’ food truck, which has been open for business at the explosion site most afternoons for the last few months.