The old market days at 17th and Galer (Image: VPC)

Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park Cafe will soon begin a new life as a showcase for a Washington winemaker and is making a shift closer to its corner store roots.

“It’s just something we did have that slowly eroded away,” James DeSarno says of Seattle’s once ubiquitous corner stores like Groucho’s that used to serve the neighborhood around 17th and Galer. “The ones that are left are special.”

In 2012, the city was on the path to commercial zoning changes in lowrise and midrise neighborhoods that would have allowed what many hoped would be a new proliferation of cornershops but the city council ultimately backed off the plan in the face of anti-growth opposition.

DeSarno, principal at D3 Architects and co-owner of the Freehand Cellars winery, has now purchased the cafe smack in the middle of northern Capitol Hill’s single family-dominated residential zone in a $1.4 million deal that has been in the works for months after a previous plan to purchase the property fell through.

DeSarno says his plan for the new life for the shop at the corner of 17th and Galer is to try to keep a good deal of the same relationship with the neighborhood in place with cafe and coffee offerings but with a renewed focus on wine featuring his Yakima Valley winery’s creations. The architect-owned Freehand has been making wine since 2018.

“Freehand is already doing delivery and a wine club. A Seattle spot felt like a natural,” DeSarno said.

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CHS reported here on founder Ericka Burke’s announcement earlier this month that her 14-year-old cafe was closing for good.

DeSarno says he had hopes for a quick re-opening but has been searching for new partners to help run the cafe side of the business.

Along with more wine, DeSarno said VPC will also feature more beer options as well as filling some basic neighborhood grocery needs.

“The vision is to try to retain as much as what was here before as we can,” DeSarno said. “It’s a real gem of a neighborhood.”

As an architect, DeSarno says the project of taking care of an rehabilitating the 117-year-old house was also a big part of his decision. He’s planning a deep cleaning and a refresh, he says, that will keep the same look and feel while making improvements. With COVID-19 restrictions and the importance of outdoor space, DeSarno said he is also making plans for neighborhood-friendly changes including some cover and a heated pace to the cafe’s back patio.

 

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“I really like the challenge of the project and I’ve always loved VPC,” DeSarno said. Cafes and markets are places for neighbors to connect, he says. “I’m really an advocate of neighborhood commercial,” DeSarno said. “It keeps you from getting in the car where you’re not seeing that connection.”

Even though those kind of spaces are increasingly rare in Seattle, the next life for Volunteer Park Cafe will help keep the tradition alive at 17th and Galer.

Volunteer Park Cafe is currently closed at 1501 17th Ave E but is hoped to reopen soon. Watch @freehandcellars for updates.

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