Mike Narver

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Mike Narver is a Christian who thinks we have a duty to look after society's less fortunate. But what earns him Rogue status is his lack of patience with the homeless outreach ministry renting space on his property. On Valentine's Day, he walked into the storefront at 323 NW 6th Ave. and told his tenants, Our Peaceful Place, to get out by May 1.

Apparently, clients (and their shopping carts and dogs) had been gathering on the sidewalk waiting to get inside-annoying artists in nerby galleries.

Our Peaceful Place moved from Northwest 3rd Avenue last November. Even though the 8-year-old nonprofit only had a month-to-month lease, director Barb Lescher had hopes of staying for a long time. But she quickly realized trouble might arise with the Everett Station Lofts, a neighboring complex of galleries and apartments for working artists. Nonetheless, Lescher thought the ministry would actually keep the homeless off the streets, and away from budding business.

"They believe that our clients are the reason that they haven't been able to sell their art," says Lescher, who took over the nonprofit after its founder, Sister Maria Francis Waugh, died in a car accident two years ago. "But the people who complain benefit, because those very same people that they don't want in front of their doors are in here."

Narver's response, echoed by gallery owners: "We can't have groups of people just loitering outside."

Our Peaceful Place is more of a living room than a shelter or a social-service agency. Its basic offerings for about 100 people a day are a room with more than a dozen comfy couches, hot coffee, a telephone and a bathroom.

While a storage company has offered a temporary home for the couches, Lescher is seeking a new spot for the people who would like to use them.

04.26.2005 at 09:00 Reply

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solutionput em in city offices...they arent used at night...then they can pee indoors—Art Rools

Narver no rogueAs a friend of an Everett Station Lofts gallery owner who recently moved out after nearly three bum-filled years, I must call B.S. on you naming Mike Narver your Rogue of the Week (April 27, 2005). Narver was simply responding to the numerous complaints of the majority of his tenants, who grew tired of the homeless from the outreach ministry spilling out onto the bus mall sidewalk and in front of the artists/tenants' homes. Yes, those are people's homes, but no matter how many times those with homes complained to the outreach ministry about the homeless loitering (including pissing in doorways, using tenants' windows as mirrors

wrongi live in the lofts, and the peacefuls who hung in the peaceful place were far from peaceful. come down here and hang out. ask yourself how long you would take the kind of things that go on here in your front yard before making a complaint. pissing in doorsteps and loud talking is the LEAST of what i have witnessed. obvious out in the open drug dealing and use, serious sexual harrassment, prostitution, people literally pissing on the street right in front of me without a second thought, people fighting very violently, mentally ill completely losing self control - these things all happened ALL THE TIME....these people obviously need help. i applaud those who reach out to help them. but you can't blame people for complaining when they see these kinds of things. are the people in the lofts supposed to move if they don't like the above mentioned types of behavior within feet of their front doors?—so-n-so

04.27.2005 at 09:00 Reply

SO glad it's goneI live in the lofts, and Our peaceful place got completely out of control. EVERY single one of our doorways was soaked in urine and fecal matter once it opened back in November. I couldn't walk to the corner store without groups of 10 or more men yelling obscene things at me. That's if you could get through the cluster of grocery carts. My neighbor couldn't get out of her front door one morning because there was a grocery cart propped up on her front door step. It's not about selling art, it's about not having to dump boiling pots of water and Lysol on your front door every day, and being able to walk down your front street without being harassed. Everett Station is not a building of snotty art yuppies, and no one's in it for the money, we all have day jobs to support the spaces we allow local artists to show in, some of which are non profit and give back to the community.. Thanks for interviewing anyone who actually lived through this. Obviously no one wants to complain about an organization that helps people in need, but this was just a bad idea, and poorly thought out. How about we re-open it in the pearl? Turn that into a toilet for a change. Then see how many "rogues" complain that the smell is ruining their Latte or their pug stepped in something icky. —ashley

04.29.2005 at 09:00 Reply

Mike Narver is my heroMike Narver made my home feel safe again. This part of town has always been a bit rough, but we knew that getting in. Providing a placefor people down on their luck to network with drug dealers wasn't very smart. No one felt safe on that side of the building. Mr. Narver is a good man, he tried to do a good thing but it ended up doing more damage then it did good. And he was thoughtful enough to consider those who were being effected. What a horrible article to run. Why wouldn't you guys interview anyone who lived here? don't they teach you that in journalism school?—WTFWW

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Mike Narver