The Wayne Apartments have been designated as an historic landmark, but…

Hundreds of Belltown residents were celebrating on Wednesday night — after a city board voted to label The Wayne Apartments as a historic landmark. But this ride is far from over.

Here’s a segment on ‪#‎KIRO7‬ today about the likelihood of the developers trying to overturn the landmarking…

DSC00989_Waynehttp://www.kirotv.com/videos/online/video-board-votes-to-label-the-wayne-apartments-as/vDcK2c/

 

Greetings Belltown Family!

Save-Our-Belltown-poster_art

The Wayne Apartments (at 2224 2nd Avenue) is a 125 year old rowhouse structure that survived the Denny Regrade, an immense engineering project in the early 20th century that reshaped the city of Seattle, literally and figuratively.

Currently, a potential sale of the Wayne to developers is in negotiation, to be sold as a parcel with its neighboring buildings. Should the deal go through, all these buildings will be demolished, wiping out a block of small businesses that are the soul of the neighborhood. However, if the Wayne is granted landmark status by the city, it be a massive step in blocking the deal, and starting an important dialogue with the city about the importance of preserving our unique cultural cornerstones!

While increased density in our growing city is necessary, the buildings in question house several thriving nightlife institutions that offer a safe gathering space to artists, musicians, a variety of unique subcultures, and working class folks that keep our city interesting and inclusive.

Supporters of preserving the vibrant culture of Belltown are proud of our eclectic community, and are preparing to represent our neighborhood on October 7th, before the Landmark Preservation Board. Please join us at City Hall to demonstrate your support of protecting the Wayne Apartments and its neighboring building, every person in the room counts!

Please send comments to sarah.sodt@seattle.gov and melinda.bloom@seattle.gov. The time is now to stand up and fight the relentless and increasingly bland relandscaping of our Belltown!

#friendsofhistoricbelltown #savingsecondavenue #shortygoestowashington

Wayne Apartments, 2224 Second Ave

Original

“The regrading of Seattle’s Central Business District, Belltown, Chinatown and Pike/Pine created an oddity: one- and two-story frame buildings from the late 19th century and early years of the 20th century that were raised so a retail first floor could be slipped underneath to meet the newly graded street. The few that still survive are hardly recognizable, resheathed with vinyl siding and different windows. Regardless, they are the silent reminders of a city that was practically inaccessible and had to be methodically molded into shape. One such building in Belltown, the Wayne Apartments, c. 1890, is perhaps the oldest and most endangered, given its location. The Victorian three-bay frame apartment building sits astride a single-story retail building from 1911. While the integrity of this building has been compromised over time, it is unique to the neighborhood and tells the story of the evolution of downtown as it faced the challenges of its topography.”