Nasty

Sad news for Seattleites with fond memories of Fun Forest, which owed $191,000 in rent at the end of 2005. It might become a relic, and not just figuratively speaking. Seattle Center may terminate the park's lease several years in advance of the 2019 terms.

In an April 24 letter to Seattle Center, Fun Forest executive VP Steven Robertson summed up the negotiations: "In its simplest form, the City of Seattle is asking Fun Forest to relinquish the final nine or ten years of its current lease agreement in exchange for an amendment that would reduce its annual rent for the remainder of the lease."

Seattle Center acting director Robert Nellams stated that the city wants to see something "new and vibrant" there, writing in a May 12 letter: "The city is willing to accept a significant reduction in rent to end this relationship amicably in exchange for bypassing a potentially nasty default process." NANCY DREW