There goes a little more of yesterday…
Meanwhile upon a nearby hill, a beloved thrift store is on its last open day (Value Village in Capitol Hill). In the opposite direction towards the bay, a local tourist attraction will soon exist only in memories (the Gum Wall, see last post). Look all round Seattle now, and you will many cranes and bulldozers galore; removing what was and building towards a new skyline.
There is no rest for change.
Here I was told, stood the 811 Stewart Hotel (see edit below new info). The building was of two, and stood next to the old Greyhound bus station and parking lots for a time. I could not find any information on this building or the other not pictured. From guessing on its old school brick structure, it was around for some decades.
Edit: Thanks to our reader Wedgewood in Seattle History, for some added information on the front building in the picture, leading to a helpful ink via a historical building database on seattle.gov, with this extra info on its history (known as the Bonair Apartments):
“This building was designed by architect Charles Haynes as an “Apartment Building for Amelia Hemrich, according to drawings from July 8, 1924. (Amelia Hemrich is presumably a member of the Hemrich family, long associated with beer brewing in Seattle. The family commissioned several brewery buildings, completed in the 1900s, including one originally located at 1275 Mercer, but demolished for the construction of the 1929 Kenworth Motor Company Building, in the Cascade neighborhood). Known as the Bonair Apartments, this apartment building was completed in 1925….
In general, the building, which was renovated along with the neighboring Ray Apartments in the early 1990s by Kovalenko Hale Architects, has retained a high level of historic integrity. Windows have been replaced in kind and at least two of the storefronts appear to be surprisingly intact. The building is notable for its terra cotta trim and ornamentation.”
The building was eligible for historical preservation, but failed its nomination in 2013.
In place, will be the tallest hotel yet in this city, boasting 1,200 rooms and 41 floors. On the good side, this should give many jobs above the heightened minimum wage to locals (at $15.00, when done). Also, downtown Seattle could use more hotel spaces for visitors for large events at the Convention Center.
Yet, it’s also a sign of the passing days and new challenges ahead. I can’t say I will like the new building, as I enjoyed Seattle for much of its vintage architecture. Many buildings here and the surrounding areas are coming down. In their many places, will be spots targeted and reserved for the upper elites and better fortunate of this city’s grand growth. Demographics I think will further change, along with traffic and property rates. Perhaps by then, I think I will become bored with these new surroundings, and move on.
But for now, here is another picture of yesterday..
– Orion T
TRAVELING ORION 
Here’s a link to a description of the building, called the Ray & Bonair Apartments: http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/HistoricalSite/QueryResult.aspx?ID=1426241256
Here’s a link to the nomination report which was brought before the Landmarks Board in 2013; the nomination failed. http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/link/5596/
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Cool, thank you so much. I will add this info to this very soon.
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Well, the building is gone, though…..
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Sadly, yeah. but I feel inspired to check out what other buildings may not be around much longer around here. Hmm
.
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I will keep a list of failed nominations at Landmarks Board to send to you!
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Thanks! I look forward 🙂
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Oops, sorry, that link has expired because the nomination was in 2013. Here’s a further description: http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/18295/
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Here’s a link to the list of what’s getting torn down, what’s getting built: http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/LUIB/Default.aspx?BID=998
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Bookmarked, and will be looked over soon. Thank you sooo much!!
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Design review meetings for new buildings, are open to the public. On Wednesday, November 18, there will be a review of plans for a big new Whole Foods with upstairs apartments on Broadway & Madison: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/aboutus/news/events/designreview/upcomingreviews/
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Thanks for the heads up! (and sorry for the late reply) Does Seattle really need another Whole Foods? O well. It would be interesting to check out but I’m working crazy overtime this month (the main reason I haven’t been updating my blog as much these days). Still, I may check that area out to see whats coming down in time, and while at it I would also like to check out the Central District too, which I think is a little closer..an area I have been curious about for a while now.
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On the Historic Sites Index, by choosing the neighborhood “Central District” you can see the list of what has been inventoried, though the buildings may or may not have been landmarked yet. http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/HistoricalSite/default.aspx
On the Landmarks List is shown what-all has been successfully landmarked: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/historic-preservation/landmarks/landmark-list
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Good to know! Thanks again 🙂
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There was a protracted struggle today, December 2, 2015 at Landmarks Board. The owner of 2302 Fourth Avenue, the Franklin Apartments, did NOT want the building landmarked. Preservation advocates spoke in favor. The Landmarks Board voted unanimously in favor.
Second presentation on the agenda was a private home on Capitol Hill, brought forward by the owner and voted for by the Board. Both of these, the Franklin and the private home, were presented in the second and final step of the landmarking process. See the current nominations here: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/historic-preservation/landmarks
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Yay, a building saved! I will be checking out that building sometime when back in the area. Thanks for info and heads up!!
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There were some “Seattle shining lights” at the meeting to speak in favor of the Franklin, including Diana James, author of Shared Walls (about apartments in Seattle) and several others representing the preservation point of view. The Landmarks Board meetings are sometimes good for “star-gazing.”
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