As time marches on, the built environment of Seattle that existed 50, 75, 100 years ago slowly vanishes.
The most important buildings are saved, but many that are notable will slip away without much notice. I don’t think of these as just empty, cold buildings — certainly the architecture and detailing can be beautiful — consider instead the blood and sweat from past and current lives absorbed into the concrete floors. Below find the downtown block of 5th Avenue (bounded by Stewart and Virginia) set to be demolished, m aking w
ay for a 44-story hotel. All coming down:
Eclipse Neckwear Manufacturing Co. Building (now Icon Grill) built in 1923,
Colony Club Building built 1928,
Singer Building built 1915, and
Avis Parking Garage Building built 1928. Check out those links for more info on each building.
Also check out the photos below,
the Eclipse Neckwear and Colony Club buildings in particular have some nice details.
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| Eclipse Neckwear Manufacturing Co. Building, currently home to Icon Grill. Built 1923. |
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| Looking north along 5th Ave. The Singer Building is to the left in the frame. |
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| A look at the classical terra cotta from the Colony Club Building, built 1928. |
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| Looking west along Virginia Street. |
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| Notice of Proposed Land Use Action from the block. |
The “Weathered Wall” club used to be located here as well. (the club was also used for the opening scenes/credits of “Almost Live”).
I noticed those land use signs too a while back, so I shot a couple of VR images there-
http://tinyurl.com/6yr494
http://tinyurl.com/6gos54
And before The Weathered Wall, it was a rock club called Under the Rail! If I’m reading your links correctly, Cliffe, both the Colony Club and the Icon Grill building are historical sites, yes? So they’ll at least have to keep the facade in place.
Wow, I am so out of touch with downtown. I had no idea that this entire block was being demolished! Then again, are they really going to do it, with all the other stalled projects happening downtown right now? It makes me wonder. I hope it doesn’t happen.
yeah, that was in the Singer building, as I recall. Stage was directly to the left of the door as you entered. circa 1991 to 1994 or so.
Are you sure this is still happening? I thought the Heron project was put on hold indefinately?
Well crap! I like both the Icon Grill building and the restaurant. The parking garage I wouldn’t be so sad to see replaced, but the others make a nice streetscape. I would think that the Escala property on the western half of that same block wouldn’t be so keen on having another tall tower next to it that would block cityscape views from the east side of their building. Surprised they wouldn’t fight it, especially considering the planned asking price for those units.
Seattle is having a terra-cotta stomping fest lately!
Not to mention any building in the Belltown area. Seattle isn’t safe for preservation.
Those buildings have been sitting there unused for a while…Im all for preservation normally but Id rather these be torn down sonce they’d be replaced by some high density towers with all multiple levels of retail to enliven that area. But Im pretty sure Escala did fight it off. Not like its an issue since nothings on hold anyways so maybe we can enjoy those vacant buildings for years to come!
sorry *everything’s (not nothing’s)
Well, I see your point about the block being kind of dead. But they’re not all vacant. And just because some are vacant, doesn’t mean the only solution is to tear them down. I really have a problem with that kind of wasteful throwaway consumerism.
Its a tough one, because I believe in density rather than sprawl and historic preservation. Unless there is something of historic value I think this space would be better served with high-density housing/hotels/etc and keep the preservation efforts for other buildings.
This project isn’t going to happen in the current building climate. If we’re lucky, the buildings will stand vacant and boarded up for a decade; if we’re unlucky, they’ll knock them down and leave a giant hole surrounded by chain link for a decade. Look how long it took to finally develop the Twin Tepees site — and that was in a real estate boom. Look at what’s happening to Sunset Bowl, or the old Safeway hole on Stone Way.
I can’t read it in the image, but has the review period come and gone? Is there a meeting for people to discuss this? It’s important to attend those meetings. At the VERY LEAST, they could incorporate the original front walls in to the new building.
Under the Rail was actually not at the same space as the Weathered Wall. It used to be at the SW corner of 5th and Battery, until that building was torn down a few years ago. I saw many shows at both clubs.
It’s a dead project. Don’t worry about it. This block will stay like it is for a loooong time.
Well this really brings back some memories for me.
Most of my young adult life was sepnt in one or all of these buildings.
From the Avis Building on north, (before the Weathered Wall) Superior Reprographics inhabited this block. We moved to these larger digs from across the alley (where the Lexus is rising now) in about 1979. The management group had bought up the properties and decided to be their own landlords operating under the name of V Associates, (There were 5 of them)
Superior once claimed to be the preminent and oldest reprographics firm in the northwest, employing as many as 120 employees. There was an offset press department, architectural and engineering supplies department, xerox copying(we were visited by the Xerox monk from the mid eighties tv commercial) color copying and traditional blueprinting and photo services. Doorways were cut between the adjoining buildings to facilitate production flow and we operated pretty much around the clock from Monday morning to mid Saturday. Unfortunately Superior hit on hard times in the late nineties, the operation was bought out by a larger local company, and eventually the once bustling operation was slowly shut down. One of my tasks once I was moved to the main office was to oversee the dismatling, sale, and disposal of old equipment, supplies, furniture, and left over personal effects. After we abandoned the place, I found out that part of The Ring was filmed there and indeed you can see Naomi Watts walking by the front entance at one point during the film. Well, when I locked the door for the last time on that empty building, I had hoped for a better future than this.
Former Superior Employee
Steve