August 15, 2018

City Council moves to preserve The Showbox

The Showbox is at 1426 First Ave., between Pike and Union.

The iconic Seattle music venue that could've been slated for destruction has been given a temporary reprieve.

The City Council voted 8-0 Monday to include The Showbox in the Pike Place Market Historical District.

KOMO reports that would temporarily stop plans to construct a 44-story building on the site by a Vancouver, B.C. development company, the Onni Group.

Supporters say the ordinance will give them time to come up with a plan to preserve the nearly 80-year-old venue at 1426 First Ave., where artists ranging from Duke Ellington to Pearl Jam have performed.

Any changes within the historical district must be approved and a certificate of approval issued by the Market Historical Commission, including demolishing any building or structure, and new construction, additions or remodels.

Sam Jacobs, a partner at Seattle law firm Helsell Fetterman, said he thinks it's generally inappropriate to expand the historical district, which was intended for one purpose, to meet some other goal, “as laudable as that goal may or may not be.”

Seattle has a very robust system to evaluate the potential historic merit of buildings, he said. That system considers not just the architecture and physical appearance of a building, but what role it played in the community, he said.

“[The city] ought to use those tools,” Jacobs said. “It shouldn't just make something up as it goes along.”

Buildings that are designated city landmarks may be demolished only if the owner can demonstrate there is no reasonable economic use. They cannot be significantly altered without a permit from the landmarks board.

Jacobs said he doesn't know about the Showbox site owner's plans or perspective. “But anytime someone proposes to do something with a structure and then the legislative body swoops in and changes the rules, I think it raises some issues that may be of concern to the property owner.”

Last week, more than 150 local and national artists signed an open letter urging Seattle residents to take action to #SAVETHESHOWBOX. It was published in The Seattle Times.

Onni Group did not return a call for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.