Louisa Hotel Update: After the Fire
View of the north and west facades of the historic Louisa Building in the Chinatown-International District. A Christmas Eve 2013 fire burned the western half of the building.
MAin2 has been following the Louisa Hotel’s status after the western half of the building burned in a fire on December 24, 2013. This historic Chinatown-International District building, built in 1909, housed some of the neighborhood’s longest operating businesses including Mon Hei Bakery and Sea Garden Restaurant. All businesses have remained closed since the fire.
Here’s a Louisa Building FAQ from the property owner.
The Seattle Weekly’s current issue (March 19-25, 2014) features a an excellent cover story on the building and the neighborhood.
Here’s a building update from the City of Seattle (sent to community members on March 7, 2014):
We write to you today to provide an update on the status of the fire-damaged Louisa Hotel building located at 669 South King Street. There has been some information in the news as of late, which we wanted to clarify. As of March 5, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) began reviewing a permit application to stabilize the existing building to remove safety concerns for neighboring tenants and the public. The proposal requires removal of the west wall on Maynard Alley, which was most severely damaged by the fire. The remaining portions of the building will be braced and stabilized until future renovations can occur. There are no plans to demolish the entire building at this time.
Both the City and the property owners are motivated to act quickly and preserve as much of the existing building as possible. A permit will be issued shortly, which could allow work to begin by late-March. Once the building is fully stabilized, it will allow private engineers to further evaluate the structure and help us determine the appropriate next steps regarding future redevelopment. Attached is a fact sheet prepared by the owners of the building which provides answers to common questions and contact information for the community.
If you have questions about the status of the permit, please feel free to contact Bryan Stevens of the Department of Planning and Development. He can be reached at bryan.stevens@seattle.gov or 206-684-5045.