You think the waterfront and the Gateway Center are failures?  I disagree. 

I was very skeptical of both projects, but to me, they both seem to have turned out well.  The esplanade  --  what used to be a charmingly dilapidated, little-used area is now a lively, attractive public space, buzzing with people (and dogs) year-round.  The Gateway Center  --  we now have a town square, with a vibrant year-round farmer's market, and a decent place for travelers to wait for their ground transportation to Seattle, out of the way of traffic.