Very few designated landmarks within the City of Seattle have been demolished since the landmarks program began in the mid-1970s. Landmark protection carries a lot of weight in this city, more than in others across the country. When a building or district is designated within the city limits, a property owner seeking demolition has to work hard to prove one of two things: 1) that the architectural integrity of the landmark is so compromised that the building no longer maintains the physical elements that made it a landmark in the first place, and/or 2) that preservation and rehabilitation of the building present a financial hardship, and that there is no other alternative but to demolish the building to maximize income earned from the land under the landmark.

The fate of the Sunset Hotel, a primary building within the Ballard Avenue Landmark District, was significantly damaged by two catastrophic events. On April 5, 2000, a fire charred the building's interior. Last year's February 28 earthquake shook the weakened building and exacerbated the damage. Now, in October of 2002, the Ballard Avenue Landmark District Board must decide whether or not to recommend its demolition.

Even more than most Seattle neighborhoods, Ballard has it's own distinctive character, deep-rooted in its past. Ballard was a city unto itself between 1890 and 1906 when Ballard's citizens voted in favor of annexation with the City of Seattle. Ballard Avenue's buildings exemplify this history of small-town self-sufficiency and, as acknowledgment of this, the City of Seattle designated and protected the district in 1976. The district includes 50 structures that contribute to the character of the district.

The Sunset Hotel, built in 1901, played many roles over the course of the past 100 years. In its earliest days, it served as the Ballard U.S. Post Office, and a residential hotel. According to a 1989 Ballard Historic Society Walking Tour brochure, the building's second story provided space for meetings and dances in the early part of the century. In the 1940s, a local public market occupied the ground story. For some time, the first floor was home to Jones Brothers Company, Meats, while the upper levels provided affordable housing until the fire of April 5, 2000.

After the Fire.

On April 7, 2000, the Department of Construction and Land Use (DCLU) issued an order for then-owner Jim Jones to hire a structural engineer to evaluate the damage. DCLU, along with the City's Office of Urban Conservation which houses landmarks regulation, recommended a number of shoring measures that would allow for the future preservation of the building. These included the safe storage of all loose bricks removed, securing the building from the elements, and shoring the front wall.

Immediately after the fire, Historic Seattle came forth with an interest in purchasing and preserving the building, and hired engineer Todd Perbix to provide a report on the building's structural issues. Another potential buyer and long-time Ballard business family, the Olsens, also bid on the fire-damaged property. The Jones's opted to sell the building to the Olsens, who then took on the responsibility for the city's correction orders. Once the building changed hands, Perbix provided engineering services to the Olsens, and continues to serve on the Sunset Hotel project team.

Portions of the third floor and a wood and metal canopy were removed upon approval of the Ballard Avenue Landmarks District Board in June of 2000. A month later, additional loose bricks were salvaged, and adjustments were made to the shoring installation, also upon approval of the Board. Little activity took place on the site prior to the February 28, 2001 earthquake.

After the Earthquake.

Immediately after the quake, Perbix reviewed the damage to the Sunset and concluded that additional portions of the exterior, including all of the third floor and the upper portion of the second should be removed. He noted in his report that very little of the façade would remain after this shoring, and that "consideration should be given to demolishing the entire remaining façade and wood frame structures." The Ballard Avenue Landmark District Board accepted the recommendation, and granted an Emergency Certificate of Approval for this work on March 8, 2001. The work took place on the proviso that bricks removed from the building would be kept in a secure location off site for potential reuse, and that the bracing be extended.

The Sunset Hotel's property owners apprised the Ballard Avenue Landmark District Board of the project's status and future plans on June 7, 2001. Bruce Helm, spokesperson for the owners, stated that no activity was taking place on the site, because other economic obligations (involving another of their properties) was absorbing their ready resources, and that the owners were not sure when they would have something for the Board to review.

In November of 2001, DCLU inspected the building and on January 10, 2002, the Sunset Hotel's owners received a Hazard Correction Order (HCO).

In the spring of 2002, Historic Seattle and Housing Resources Group developed a preliminary scheme for an affordable housing project on the site that would have maintained what is left of the Sunset, and built within its shell to accommodate four floors of housing. Historic Seattle expressed interest in purchasing the property or partnering at this time.

In the meantime, the property owners' team of specialists, including Susan Boyle of BOLA Architects, Todd Perbix, and Lorig Associates (development strategists), developed schemes for the site. The team presented preliminary schemes to the Ballard Avenue Landmarks District Board on May 9, 2002 that demonstrated, to some degree, the direction of the project. The team attested that preservation was unlikely due to the substantial amount of damage suffered by the building over the past two years, and cited the relatively low percentage of historic fabric left on the building. The Board asked the team to consider alternatives to demolition of the building, that is, schemes that would involve preserving what was left.

On July 11, 2002, the project team provided an opportunity for the Ballard Avenue Landmarks Board, and other interested parties, to take a look at the condition of the building.

On September 5, 2002, the project team briefed the board on its progress. At that time, the team had an incomplete certificate of approval application for the demolition of the building which included plans for a one-story brick replacement building. The Board again asked for alternative schemes, besides the one replacement building idea, which would save what was left of the building. The complete certificate of approval application and replacement schemes arrived at the Department of Neighborhoods on September 16th. The Ballard Avenue Landmarks Board reviewed this proposal and met again on October 3rd to consider approving or disapproving it.

At the October 3rd meeting, the project team, and the owners' legal representation Amy Kosterlitz, presented the contents of the proposal, including a number of alternative schemes that involved preservation and new construction. The owner's preferred proposal, the one story replacement building, was rejected by the Board who asked the team to rework the design to reflect the site's importance within the historic district. Because the building acts as a portal to the district, the Board considered the one story replacement to be inappropriate. Although the Board did not vote on the demolition of the building at the October 3rd meeting, all members agreed that if the vote were taken, they would decide in favor of the demolition.

The next Ballard Avenue Landmarks District Board meeting will review the revisions of the one-story replacement and most likely cast the definitive vote on the Sunset. All Ballard Avenue Landmarks District Board meetings are held at the Ballard Neighborhood Service Center, 2305 NW Market Street.

View last month's Pending Landmarks article

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