Tag Archives: demolition

With planned seven-story development inching forward, old Olive Way Improvement Company building faces demolition ‘under emergency conditions’

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(Image: CHS)

With reporting by Domenic Strazzabosco

Failing masonry appears ready to rip apart Seattle’s web of public reviews, permits, and financing windows to move a major Capitol Hill development project forward at the corner of Denny and E Olive Way.

City permit paperwork shows demolition approval moving forward “under emergency conditions” on the more than 100 year old, historic — but not landmarks protected — property once home to Capitol Hill classics Holy Smoke, Coffee Messiah, and In the Bowl. The facade of the 1917-era unreinforced masonry building is falling off, according to the filings, expediting the long awaited demolition of the old structures.

Filings show a traffic control plan, right of way impact plan, and haul route map being submitted for approval.

A plan for developing a seven-story, 106-unit mixed-use apartment building at the corner awaits but any work on construction is still a long, long ways off.

The project has yet to begin the public review process and will then need to await the alignment of economic trends and financing windows that has left many Capitol Hill projects on the back-burner.

The property’s developer has declined to comment on the situation and also directed the contractor being brought on to handle the demolition not to speak with CHS about the project. Continue reading →

With First Hill home finally set for demolition and redevelopment, Seattle arts nomad Love City Love in search of new start

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(Image: Love City Love)

Nomadic Seattle arts venue Love City Love is searching for its next home as the end of August brings the end of its stay in a former First Hill dental office on land set to host a mass timber apartment building.

“Love City Love emerged as a blank canvas for the creative community to convene,” the LCL mantra goes. “We believe continuing to craft this alternative is not only possible but crucial to keep art and culture alive and thriving in our city.”

CHS reported here in early 2023 as Love City Love founder Lucien Pellegrin was making preparations for the Seneca dental office building to host the next run of the venue that has grown around its ability to make new gathering spaces in buildings slated for demolition or redevelopment. Continue reading →

A demolition on Millionaire’s Row

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Face masks helped filter the smell of dust and mildew as a crew set about the unusual task Thursday of tearing down an original house of Seattle’s Millionaire’s Row, the 14th Ave E entryway to Volunteer Park.

Also unusual for a Capitol Hill demolition: The house will be replaced by another single-family home — not apartments, not townhomes. Continue reading →

Demolition clears the way for Broadway Whole Foods and 16-story apartment building

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Demolition season continues around Capitol Hill. Here is the apocalyptic scene currently underway where First Hill meets Capitol Hill and the 16-story Whole Foods mixed-use apartment building is slated to rise.

Crews have spent the week tearing down the 1928-built, three-story masonry medical building at the tri-corner of Harvard, Broadway, and Madison. They have plenty more to go. The work at the corner is heavy with the smell of mildewy dust and the satisfying thuds of large vehicles of destruction laying waste to decades-old infrastructure. Continue reading →

Weatherford House died so that 42 new neighbors could rise on Capitol Hill

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Screen shot 2013-03-26 at 9.12.56 AMThe Weatherford House, currently being demolished atop Capitol Hill, will once more rise.

CHS has received many messages alerting us that the end of the line has been reached for the former home of Weatherford Antiques as it is demolished to make way for this four-story apartment building.

The more than 100-year-old house was rejected as a candidate for Seattle landmark protections last year. It was too much of a mish-mash. Too lacking in the notable history department. Too funky. It’s not alone in its rejection.

[mappress mapid=”13″]With regional planners expecting Seattle’s population to continue booming through 2030, even with landmark status, we’d still need new places to put our incoming neighbors.

The 42 units coming thanks to developer Murray Franklyn will house some of them. Six stories atop the former home of B&O Espresso will house hundreds more.

The new buildings are probably more useful than an antique store or a coffee shop and, who know, perhaps there will be room for new shops in the thousands of square feet of new retail also part of many of these Capitol Hill projects. It won’t happen at 14th and John, however. The building’s new commercial spaces are being positioned as live/work studios.

Thanks to @aboscardin for the picture