by Ben
Ballard's Newest Landmark Gets Earmarked For Demolition
May 22, 2008 in Ballard by Ben
by Ben Guerechit
The controversial corner of Market and 15th has just been dealt it’s final blow. Yesterday, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board voted 10-0 to dissolve any restrictions on what can be done with the site by the land owners; Benaroya Companies and developers Rhapsody Partners.
Development partners are now free to demolish the building originally built as the Manning’s Cafeteria in 1964 and later leased to Denny’s Resturaunt. The decision came down after Benaroya filed an appeal earlier in 2008 to have the landmark status removed. The Preservation Board headed by city preservation officer, Karen Gordon firmly agreed that the $12.5 million paid by Benaroya in 2006 was a debt that could not be afforded if the building was to remain.
The building was declared a landmark in a 6-3 vote, back in February with the help of preservation and neighborhood support to keep the building rather than see one more multi-use condominium tower over the shrinking character of Ballard. Landmark status was issued by the board on the basis that the building was of architectural significance, due to it’s 1960′s California futurist design; also known as Googie.
Development plans that included leaving the Googie-inspired building intact and integrate new condominium construction on the remaining unused land was also deemed inefficient and too expensive to regain any profit from the deal in 2006.
As residents of this neighborhood we have only to wait and see what will happen next at the “Gates of Ballard.” What can one more crane hurt?
For More Information see other articles in the Crosscut Seattle and Seattle Times. Picture found on flickr.
While this news is not shocking, the manner in which the board voted 10-0 seems suspect. Since when does a preservation board make the decision based on the investor saying that it would be impossible to recoup its costs?
I admit that the Ballard Denny’s is not the most visually appealing place in the city, but the fact of the matter is that this city has lost another example of its former identity to housing development which is not in the best interests of the people in the city, but those who have the ability to purchase overpriced condo’s in hopes that there will be others after them that pay an even higher price in the future.
What happens when these condo’s are built and we are still in the dismal economic situation we are currently in? Who will Benaroya go to, heart in hand and tell them their sad story of its inability to recoup its costs of purchasing a property?
Someone needs to take pictures of all the buildings in Seattle that give it any sort of identity and wait to see how long they actually last. What is this place really going to look like? A bunch of empty condos with all the same style that most people who make up the fabric of Ballard, working class heroes, have to pass by on their way to the boatyards and hi-tech companies that they work at?
Shaking head…
Sad. I wonder whose pockets were greased to make this so easy. In any case, is it all about profit? There are countless worthwhile endeavors (my life for example) that are not profitable in the monetary sense. Poor Ballard.