Preservation News and Events in the New Year – January 2014

• January 10, 2014
• No Comment
• Events

2014 is starting off with lots of news in the preservation world already. Here are some highlights (or lowlights in some cases):

-Christmas Eve 2013 Building Fire in Chinatown/International District: The Louisa Building (southwest corner of 7th Ave S and S King St), one of the historic district’s key structures, was ablaze on December 24. The 1909 building houses some of the neighborhood’s longest operating businesses including Mon Hei Bakery and Sea Garden Restaurant. All businesses are closed. The building is unsafe for entry, as determined by the City. The cause of the fire (which started on the vacant top floor) is undetermined at this point. For more info on the fire and its effect on the owner and businesses, go to the Seattle Times and NW Asian Weekly. It is unknown at this point whether the building will be demolished or if it can be saved.

-2013 Heritage Turkeys List: Once again, Knute Berger comes out with his annual Heritage Turkeys list of heritage and preservation disasters and bad projects/policies/actions. Read his Crosscut article for the full list.

-EVENT: The Before Party, Campaign to Restore Washington Hall: Historic Seattle and Washington Hall anchor groups 206Zulu, Hidmo and Voices Rising are hosting a party at the historic landmark on Saturday, January 18, 2014. Join the fun and festivities. Enjoy food, drinks and music! Learn more about the Capital Campaign for the Hall. Free and open to the public! Location: Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave, Seattle (Central District); Time: 5:00 – 9:00 pm, all ages / 9:00 pm – Midnight, 21 and up. More details on the Washington Hall Facebook page.

-EVENT: Historic Seattle Annual Members Meeting, Frye Art Museum: Please join us as we welcome in our 40th year of education, advocacy, and preservation of historic structures in the lovely surroundings of First Hill’s leading cultural institution, the Frye Art Museum. Museum Deputy Director Jill Rullkoetter will discuss the museum’s history and its programs, and lead tours. WHEN: Thursday, January 23, 2014; 5:30 to 7:00 pm; WHERE: Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave, Seattle. More details here.

Preservation News of Note: Newest Seattle Landmark

• November 13, 2013
• No Comment
• Landmarks

November has been a newsworthy month for historic preservation so far. Here’s some news of interest:

-Newest Seattle Landmark! The Battelle Memorial Institute Seattle Research Center / Talaris was designated a Seattle Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Board at its November 6, 2013 meeting. The vote was unanimous. The property met four of the six designation standards (C, D, E and F):

C) It is associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural, political, or economic heritage of the community, City, state or nation;
D) It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or a method of construction;
E) It is an outstanding work of a designer or builder;
F) Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, or scale, it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the city and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of such neighborhood or the City.

The Friends of Battelle/Talaris worked for over a year on this effort to prepare the nomination for the property, with assistance from Historic Seattle. Dozens of letters of support (mostly from the Laurelhurst community) were sent to the Board before the September 18 nomination meeting and November 6 designation hearing. At the November 6 meeting, public comments supporting designation were given by the Laurelhurst Community Club and Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. Original project architect for NBBJ, David Hoedemaker, was present for the meeting; he spoke about his experience with the project and design intent for the site. Rich Haag, landscape architect for the site, presented at the September 18 meeting. The Board appreciated hearing from the original designers.

Next steps in this process is the controls and incentives stage in which the City and property owner engage in negotiations. MAin2 will keep readers posted on that progress.

–Comment on the Draft State Historic Preservation Plan, 2014-2019: Getting the Future Right. The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation are seeking public comments on the draft plan. Comments are due by November 22. For details and to download a copy of the plan, go to DAHP’s website.

–Must Read – “Roots of Tomorrow: Urbanism in our Blood,” a series of articles by Knute Berger that have been appearing on Crosscut. He delves into lesser known topics in Seattle’s history that help inform how the city was shaped, exploring urbanism and deep roots.

Preservation News & Events – October 2013

• October 03, 2013
• No Comment
• Events

Fall is a busy time of year for historic preservation. Here are some news and events of note:

Battelle Memorial Institute Site Nominated: This 18-acre modernist masterpiece in Seattle’s Laurelhurst neighborhood was built in the late 1960s-1970. The property was unanimously nominated by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board at its September 18 meeting. MAin2 wrote about the Rich Haag and NBBJ-designed campus here. The designation hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2013. The Seattle Times wrote an article about the property and landmark efforts by the Friends of Battelle/Talaris.

Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund: The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking applications for this grant fund which provides up to $2,000 to organizations involved in preservation throughout the state. Deadline to apply is October 16, 2013. For more information, go to the Trust’s website.

Women’s University Club Celebrates 100th Anniversary: Explore the organization’s first century through its new, 112-page, coffee-table book, The First 100 Years: Women’s University Club of Seattle, 1914-2014. Available to the general public for under $40 at several area bookstores. Call the club for details: 206-623-0402. For other information about the club, see womensuniversityclub.com.

Tour a Mid-century Modern Gem: Join Docomomo WEWA as it celebrates Tour Day 2013 along with other Docomomo US chapters and partners throughout the country. Tour the Whittaker Residence, Saturday, October 5, 2013. The mid-century modern residence in Seattle’s Lakewood neighborhood (near Seward Park) was designed by Seattle architect Arnold Gangnes and built in 1956. For event details, go to Docomomo WEWA’s website. (more…)

Preservation News – Theft at Queen Anne Landmark

• March 11, 2013
• No Comment
• Preservation in the News

Recent preservation news of note:

Architectural Theft at Queen Anne Landmark

Last week, thieves stole original metalwork from the courtyard doors at Seattle Church of Christ (originally Seventh Church of Christ Scientist), a designated Landmark in Queen Anne (2555 8th Ave W). The photo above shows the doors before and after the theft. If you have any information, please contact the minister, Jay Kelly, at 206-914-2659
jay_kelly@me.com

Read more about the history of this church on the Queen Anne Historical Society’s website.

Lawsuit Filed Against City of Seattle for Landmark Designation

On February 6, 2013, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated an Art Deco style building at 777 Thomas St in South Lake Union (SLU). Rather than trying to work with this designation and incorporate the landmark into a new development project, the developer has chosen to take legal action against the City and Board. Knute Berger’s March 11 article for Crosscut describes the issue in more detail.

This small Art Deco gem in the neighborhood is one of a long line of threatened buildings in South Lake Union, an area that has seen and will continue to see considerable transformation due to redevelopment. In an earlier article, Berger writes about the bulldozing of history in South Lake Union. Seattle City Council is currently reviewing legislation to rezone SLU. Historic Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and neighborhood preservationists have been advocating for more meaningful and effective preservation incentives and mitigation in SLU. Stay tuned for more on this issue…

Spring time is for Preservation and Heritage Awards

The following preservation and heritage organizations/agencies will be honoring outstanding achievements in the field:

April 23, 2013 – AKCHO Annual Awards. The ceremony will take place at MOHAI. Details will be posted on the AKCHO website.

May 14, 2013 – Historic Seattle presents its Fifth Annual Preservation Awards in a ceremony at the Good Shepherd Center, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Award recipients will be announced later in March. The event is sponsored by KeyBank with support from 4Culture. Tickets available now for purchase on Historic Seattle’s website.

May 14, 2013 – Yes, you read this correctly–two awards events on the same day! The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) is seeking nominations for its Annual Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Historic Preservation. The State Historic Preservation Officer will present the awards at a ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at Fort Vancouver Reserve in Vancouver, WA. The deadline to submit nominations is March 15, 2013. Download the nomination form on DAHP’s website.

John D. Spellman Awards – King County Historic Preservation Program’s annual awards ceremony (we’ll post details and the date when they become available).

Tacoma’s Murray Morgan Bridge Rededication Ceremony – February 15

• February 14, 2013
• No Comment
• Preservation in the News

Our friends and colleagues in Tacoma are celebrating the reopening of the historic Murray Morgan Bridge on Friday, February 15 at 10 am. The event is open to the public. Meet at 11th and A St in downtown Tacoma. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the bridge. The newly rehabilitated bridge is a preservation success story.

Read all about the preservation efforts on Historic Tacoma’s website. The bridge was listed on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s Most Endangered Properties List in 2008–the structure was closed by WSDOT in 2007 due to structural issues. A coalition of partners and advocates worked together to save the bridge and successfully found funding to rehabilitate the Tacoma Register and National Register listed structure. Learn more about the history of the Murray Morgan bridge here.

Preservation News – Landmarks Old, New and Future

• November 12, 2012
• Leave a Comment (1)
• Conferences

Seattle Landmarks 

Landmarks Preservation Board Meeting, Wednesday, November 14, 2012:

This meeting is open to the public and takes place on Wednesday, November 14 at 3:30 pm, Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave, 40th Floor, Suite 4050/60. Download the agenda (LPB52512.)

–Neptune Theatre: The LPB will decide whether to designate the Neptune Theatre in the University District. The Board voted to nominate the building at its October 3 meeting so that its members could take a closer look at the structure in person to assess the level of physical integrity. At the October 3 meeting, the owner brought an attorney and an architect to argue against nomination claiming the building lacks integrity and how it does not meet any one of the six designation standards. The nomination was submitted by Larry Johnson of The Johnson Partnership who prepared it pro bono as an advocacy effort–he believes the Neptune should be recognized and protected as a Seattle Landmark. Read more about his thoughts on the theatre in his firm’s blog.  Historic Seattle offered public testimony at the October 3rd meeting supporting the nomination of the Neptune Theatre, citing the building’s significance as a community landmark in a city where few historic theatres (built as theatres) remain in neighborhoods. The building has sufficient integrity to convey its significance.

You may download the landmark nomination on the Seattle Historic Preservation Program’s website under “Current Nominations.” It includes an excellent section on the development of theatres in Seattle.

If you support the designation of the Neptune Theatre as a landmark we urge you to attend the meeting to speak in favor of the nomination. You may also email your public comments to Erin Doherty, Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator, at erin.doherty@seattle.gov. (more…)

Preservation/Architecture News – the Good, the Bad and the Really Bad

• March 12, 2012
• Leave a Comment (4)
• Preservation in the News

The Good: At its March 7, 2012 meeting, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) voted unanimously (11-0) to nominate the P-I Globe.  The designation hearing for the Globe is scheduled for April 18. Earlier in the day, Seattle City Councilmembers Tim Burgess, Sally Clark and Jean Godden held a press conference announcing the transfer of the P-I Globe from the Hearst Corporation to the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) once the Globe is designated. MOHAI will be the new steward of the icon. MOHAI Executive Director Leonard Garfield revealed the launching of its “Light Up the Globe” campaign. The Globe Fund will provide resources to make initial repairs to the neon. Check out this KOMO News video on the P-I Globe–includes great historic photos and footage.

The Bad: MAin2 reported in January 2012 that the Jensen-Byrd Warehouse in Spokane is endangered. Our friends at Spokane Preservation Advocates (SPA) are working hard to try to save this important industrial building from demolition. SPA has an online petition drive going and they need your support! Sign the petition and help send a message to WSU that it’s not ok to tear the building down. There are alternatives to demolition. For more info on SPA’s efforts, go to their website.     (more…)

2011 Spokane Matters List is Announced

• December 23, 2011
• No Comment
• Preservation in the News

From a news release issued by Spokane Preservation Advocates:

SPOKANE PRESERVATION ADVOCATES ANNOUNCES

2011 SPOKANE MATTERS LIST

Spokane Preservation Advocates (SPA), dedicated to preserving Spokane’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes and character, is pleased to announce its first annual Spokane Matters List highlighting historical buildings, structures, sites, or objects that members of our community think play important roles in the heritage of Spokane and Spokane County. Through this initiative we aim to share the stories of historic places that matter to those in our community, motivate community members to think and talk about the places that matter, and share stories of our area’s heritage and preservation efforts.

A pdf version of the Spokane Matters List is available on the Advocacy page of the SPA website and is accessible via link from the SPA Facebook page.

Recent Preservation News

• August 09, 2011
• No Comment
• Preservation in the News

Here’s some recent news about preservation:

• The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) has a newly re-designed website. Check out the cool new design and great features. It’s chock full of information about our state’s diverse resources and preservation information. The DAHP blog also has a new look that matches its website.
• The Seattle International Film Festival will take over the vacant Uptown Theater in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. The 1920s theater closed in November 2010. This is the best use for the property because it’ll remain a movie theater. Seattleites love their independent films so this is great news! The theater will re-open in October 2011.
• Here’s an interesting Seattle Magazine article about urban architectural ruins in Seattle.
• MAin2 is neutral on the subject of the deep-bore tunnel proposed for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project. We are also neutral on Referendum 1 which is technically not about the tunnel but has been turned into being about the tunnel. Here’s an opinion piece by Cheryl dos Remedios in Citytank which addresses historic preservation and cultural resource issues affected by the project. Update: If anyone knows of an article or opinion piece that discusses the benefits of the project related to historic preservation, let us know and we’ll post it. This Crosscut article by David Brewster from last week explores our civic history and offers a more comprehensive look at how and why this viaduct/tunnel issue has become so hotly debated and why it divides the city.
• The Alki Homestead saga continues. On July 29, 2011, plans for the property were presented to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. This is the third project briefing this year. A log condition survey and window survey were presented to the ARC. Here are blow-by-blow reports from the West Seattle Blog and West Seattle Herald. Representatives from Historic Seattle, Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation attended the meeting. The organizations continue to monitor the project’s progress.

Preservation Under Assault, Again

• June 29, 2011
• No Comment
• Preservation in the News

For the past month or so, preservationists have yet again been the whipping boy in certain circles. It started with an article (“An Architect’s Fear That Preservation Distorts”) in the New York Times by architecture critic Nicolai Ourousoff. His favorable review of the OMA / Rem Koolhaas exhibition at the New Museum in New York raised the hackles of preservationists across the country because he essentially blames preservationists (working in concert with big bad government and bigger and badder developers) for transforming historic places that matter into Disneyland—a clean-cut version of history where everything is bright and shiny and attracts mainly tourists. In the exhibition called “Cronocaos” (the run at the New Museum was only for a month), Koolhaas examined “what the future of our memory will look like, and how our obsession with heritage is creating an artificial re-engineered version of our memory. Lacking a set of coherent strategies or policies and generally not engaged by architects and designers, preservation is an under-examined topic, but increasingly relevant as we enter an age of ‘Cronocaos,’ in which the boundaries between preservation, construction, and demolition collapse, forever changing the course of linear evolution of time” (New Museum press release).

In his seven years at the New York Times (he’ll be resigning the end of June to pursue writing a book about architecture) Ourousoff has proven to not be a fan of preservation, often depicting preservationists as pitch-fork wielding zealots. He paints a broad canvas of what preservationists do and who they are. Yet he doesn’t understand that the preservation movement has actually changed and diversified over the years and has come a long way since its “George Washington Slept Here” days. Offering simplistic views of a movement that works hard to protect our heritage and built environment is inaccurate and lacks true critical thinking. We only need to look at our own historic neighborhoods for success stories of the preservation movement.  Pioneer Square, Pike Place Market and the International District are local and National Register historic districts that were designated in the early 1970s when they were threatened with redevelopment. Neighborhood activists worked with the City of Seattle to protect these neighborhoods. These citizens were smart, forward-thinking (while valuing our past) and determined to save Seattle’s soul. They weren’t the “well-meaning but clueless preservationists” that Ourousoff describes. (more…)