Eitel Building

Address: 1501 Second Avenue
Date Built: 1904, 1906
Original Architect/Builder: William Doty van Siclen, Architect
Description: Seven-story Classical Revival office building with terra cotta and buff brick exterior

Building History and Significance:

Eitel Building , 1926/ Photo: MOHAI

In 1904 contractor and developer Fred J. Eitel hired architect William Doty van Siclen to design for him a six-story office building at the northwest corner of Second and Pike. When demand for office space spiked in 1906, an additional story was added to the Eitel Building. Professional offices occupied the upper floors and various drug stores the ground floor until the building’s occupancy began to decline in the 1950s.

 

 

 

 

Preservation Issue:

The Eitel Building / Photo: The Johnson Partnership for Historic Seattle.

In 1978 the upper floors of the Eitel Building were vacated and the building began accumulating considerable deferred maintenance. The worsening condition of the Eitel caused the City of Seattle to file a complaint against the building owner, however, by the early 2000s little had been done to repair the ailing building. In 2006 Historic Seattle sponsored a Landmark Nomination for the Eitel Building prepared by Larry E. Johnson of the Johnson Partnership.

 

 

Current Status:

The Eitel Building / Photo: The Johnson Partnership for Historic Seattle..

In August 2006 the Landmarks Preservation Board approved Historic Seattle’s Nomination and subsequently designated the Eitel Building a Seattle Landmark. Following the designation, the owner proposed constructing a 16-story tower above the Eitel Building envelope, a design that was turned down by the Board’s Architectural Review Committee. City staff prepared a Controls and Incentives document for the Landmark outlining design restrictions and financial benefits specific to the property, however, it has yet to be adopted due to a lengthy appeal process. As of July 2010 the Eitel Building remains vacant with no immediate plans for its rehabilitation.

Additional Information:

Landmark Nomination Report (PDF)

2010 Hearing Examiner Decision on Controls and Incentives for Eitel Building

“Historic Seattle Nominates Eitel Building for City Landmark Designation”
Preservation Seattle, June 2006