Anti-viaduct donations spike to $414,296 before limit deadline

A wave of big contributions flowed into the campaign against a new elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct in the past week.

In financial reports filed late Tuesday, the Not Another Elevated Viaduct group said it received $252,740 between Feb. 13 and Tuesday, bringing its total contributions to $414,296.

Its chief rival, the No Tunnel Alliance, has collected a total of $22,709.

The surge in "anti-elevated" money came just before a Tuesday deadline that prohibits contributions of more than $5,000 within 21 days of the all-mail election, for which ballots must be postmarked March 13.

Voters will be asked if they want to replace the earthquake-damaged viaduct with a new $2.8 billion elevated highway or a tunnel, estimated to cost $3.4 billion. Ballots are scheduled to begin arriving in mailboxes today.

The influx of money reflects a shift in the strategy of pro-tunnel groups, which have decided to focus more on defeating a new elevated highway than promoting a tunnel. A pro-tunnel group, Friends Of a Better Waterfront — which is related to Not Another Elevated Viaduct — has reported receiving $54,473 in total contributions.

Contributors "understand this is a decision that doesn't come around often and its impact will be felt for generations," said Kelly Evans, campaign manager for both the anti-elevated and pro-tunnel efforts.

Evans said Mayor Greg Nickels and others "in the business and environmental community have been really active in raising money" for the campaigns.

The anti-elevated group has spent more than half of its contributions on consultants, polls, staff, fundraising, automated phone calls, brochures, yard signs and a promotional video. The group has about $175,000 in cash, according to its treasurer, Jason Bennett.

The anti-elevated campaign mailed its first brochures on Tuesday, Evans said. The group also has been working on a TV ad it hopes to run, she added.

More than two-thirds of the group's contributions have come from companies, organizations and individuals in downtown or Belltown.

Downtown Seattle Association, a group that advocates for businesses and property owners, has been the largest contributor, at $54,480. John Taylor, the group's policy director, has said that stopping a new elevated highway is the association's top priority in the election.

LMN Architects is second with $46,160, which has come in the form of "in-kind" contributions for donated staff services on drawings, renderings and a video regarding the size of a new elevated viaduct. Another architecture firm, Mithun, contributed $13,540 in cash and donated services.

Washington Mutual was the third largest donor with $25,000.

Urban Visions, a development company, contributed $20,000.

Among the other developers, landowners and downtown businesses writing large checks to the anti-elevated campaign:

• AWV Partners (Chris Ackerley, who is also chair of the Alaskan Way Tunnel Coalition): $18,000

• Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce: $14,620

• Ackerley Partners: $12,000

• Davis Wright Tremaine: $10,000

• Vance Corp.: $10,000

• Macy's Northwest: $10,000

• Skyway Luggage: $10,000

• Perkins Coie: $7,500

• Clise Properties: $7,500

• Port Blakely Tree Farms: $7,000

• Unico Properties: $5,000

• Pine Street Group: $5,000

• Samis Land Company: $5,000

• Seneca Real Estate Group: $5,000

• Metzler Realty Advisors: $5,000

Bob Young:206- 464-2174 or byoung@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published February 22, 2007, was corrected February 23, 2007. In a previous version of this story the names of two contributors to the Not Another Elevated Viaduct campaign were misspelled. It is Chris Ackerley and Ackerley Partners, not Chris Ackerly and Ackerly Partners.