Furuya and Corgiat Buildings

Furuya and Corgiat Buildings
Best Rehabilitation Project Award

Address: 240 Second Avenue South, 220 South Main Street
Project Team: Rob Brewster of ConoverBond, Pacific Commercial Building, LLC, Weaver Architects, Chinn Construction, BTL Engineering, Architectural Reproductions

Furuya and Corgiat Buildings before rehabilitation / Photo: Weaver Architects

Built in 1900, the Furuya and Corgiat Buildings (renamed the Pacific Commercial Building) represent fascinating layers of Pioneer Square's history. Constructed as a two-story substation for the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company, the Furuya Building also housed M. Furuya Co., a Japanese import/export store. Three stories were added to the building around 1905, but the upper two stories were removed after a 1949 earthquake. The adjacent Corgiat Building (originally the Main Hotel) contained single room occupancy units on the upper floors and retail/office spaces on the first floor.

Furuya and Corgiat Buildings after rehabilitation / Photo: Eugenia Woo

In 2008-2009, the buildings underwent a challenging rehabilitation. Both the Furuya and Corgiat Buildings now provide offices on the upper floors and retail on the ground and basement levels. The buildings were seismically retrofitted and new mechanical, electrical, and fire/life safety systems installed. Original windows and storefronts in the Furuya Building were restored. New wood windows replaced deteriorated windows in the Corgiat Building. The reconstructed fourth and fifth stories of the Furuya are clad in GFRC (Glassfiber Reinforced Concrete). The cornice, a replica of the original, is constructed of PGRG (Polymer-modified Glassfiber Reinforced Gypsum).

The project team that rehabilitated the Furuya and Corgiat Buildings was awarded a 2010 Best Rehabilitation award for their sensitive transformation of a key corner in the Pioneer Square district.