March 4, 2026

More JTM office space bubbling at Original Rainier Brewery

Images from Landmarks Board presentation [enlarge]

The General Office building dates to 1910 and was landmarked in 1993.

The DJC reported in January on ScanlanKemperBard's nascent proposal to add apartments to the Malt House building at the Original Rainier Brewery in Georgetown. The Portland-based company and a partner have owned the historic four-building complex since 2018.

The potential apartments aren't the only change on tap at the landmarked property, which stretches from 5624-6004 Airport Way S. and isn't to be confused with the newer north Rainier plant next to the Interstate 5 ramps to West Seattle. Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board will meet today to be briefed on a tenant improvement/interior upgrade project at the complex's General Office building at 6010 Airport Way S.

The tenant improvement is for JTM Construction which is expanding its footprint at the property. The firm moved its headquarters to Georgetown from the International District in 2022 and currently occupies around 12,700 square feet in a tilt-up concrete building added to the complex's historic Brew House in 2014. It shares that building with Fran's Chocolates.

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The proposal calls for the construction of interior partitions, shown left, in the Main Hall. Images from Landmarks Board presentation

The Original Rainier Brewery was constructed in the early 1900s for Seattle Brewing and Malting Co. and eventually housed Rainier Beer. The General Office was added in 1910 during a major expansion between 1901 and 1912. It was designated a Seattle Historic Landmark in 1993, along with the rest of the historic brewery buildings.

The General Office has 5,549 square feet of office space split across a main level and a mezzanine. That includes an open-plan Main Hall, two conference rooms of varying sizes, restrooms and a kitchen. The property is a well-preserved example of early 20th-century industrial architecture. Original interior features include wood wainscoting, paneled doors and carved ceiling beams.

The tenant improvement proposal calls for the construction of new partitions in the Main Hall to create additional private office space/meeting rooms. Those would be constructed with light gauge metal framing and gypsum wall-board. The partitions would sit below existing horizontal wood trim and clear of historic features to maintain a distinct separation between new and existing construction.

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The current main hall looking west.

The work scope also includes new light fixtures, the removal of old radiators no longer in use and the refinishing of the space's wooden floors.

SHKS Architects is designing the upgrades, which JTM would build.

The Landmarks Board will need to approve the project before work could begin.

In 2023, as the DJC then reported, JTM demolished a two-story annex that had been added to the General Office in the 1970s. ScanlanKemperBard removed the structure to allow the building's historic architecture to shine.

“JTM is excited to expand our office footprint as our company continues to grow. Having the opportunity to move into a beautiful space that is part of Georgetown's rich history makes this opportunity even more meaningful to us,” Ben Coffman, president at JTM Construction, told the DJC.

The General Office used to be fully leased to Elysian Brewing. Elysian also used to have a production brewery and taproom at 5410 Airport Way S. (which was not part of the Original Rainier Brewery). Elysian ceased production there and moved out of Georgetown at the end of 2024.

Related Stories:

• Apartment plan fermenting for Original Rainier Brewery  01-13-2026
  
• Demo completed at Original Rainier Brewery building  05-24-2023