Real Change—the local publisher of a weekly advocacy newspaper that street vendors sell for $1—will move their offices from Belltown to Pioneer Square on May 21, after a slight delay (they move was originally scheduled for May 1). Real Change director Tim Harris says they'll be open for business again on May 24.

"We're over the hurdles," says Harris, "and excited to move."

The move comes as both a victory and a relief for the nonprofit, which has faced neighborhood hysteria from members of the Pioneer Square Community Association, most recently at an April 21 hearing before the Department of Neighborhood's Historic Preservation Board. Eight people at the meeting testified against the Real Change move, according to Harris, including members from the Pioneer Square Community Association. Their argument was that the nonprofit functioned as a wholesaler, and not as office and retail, and therefore didn't meet zoning requirements for the building.

Regardless, the preservation board voted 4 to 3 in favor of Real Change's retail zoning classification. The PSCA has not returned calls for comment.

Harris says they've been approached by a few people who have welcomed them into the neighborhood, but for the most part, Real Change is still working on fostering a positive relationship with skeptical businesses that will soon be their neighbors. To that end, they're looking to rally support from readers. "The week we move in, we're encouraging people to stop by Pioneer Square to buy their paper, have lunch there, and let proprietors know they support the move," says Harris. "We want everyone to be as excited as we are."