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Seattle Times Building

March 11, 2023

Not to be confused with the Times Square Building.

The Seattle Times Building is the former headquarters of The Seattle Times, located in Seattle, Washington, United States. The three-story building was occupied by the newspaper from 1931 to 2011, replacing the Times Square Building. It was originally built in 1931 and later expanded to accommodate more office space and larger presses.

Seattle Times Building
The building's exterior in 2007
General information
TypeOffice building
Architectural styleArt Deco
LocationSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Address1120 John Street
Coordinates47°37′12.8″N 122°20′06.5″W / 47.620222°N 122.335139°W / 47.620222; -122.335139Coordinates: 47°37′12.8″N 122°20′06.5″W / 47.620222°N 122.335139°W / 47.620222; -122.335139
OpenedMarch 2, 1931 (1931-03-02)
Renovated1947, 1964, 1968, 1979
Closed2011
Demolished2016–2017
ClientThe Seattle Times
OwnerOnni Group
Height27 feet (8.2 m)
Technical details
MaterialReinforced concrete, Indiana limestone
Floor count5
Design and construction
Architect(s)Robert C. Reamer
Architecture firmMetropolitan Building Company
Main contractorTeufel & Carlson Builders
DesignatedMarch 11, 1996[1]

The exterior and roof of the Seattle Times Building were designated a city landmark in 1996. Designed by Robert C. Reamer with elements of the Art Deco and Moderne styles, the reinforced concrete building was representative of early 20th century architecture in Seattle.

The newspaper moved out of the building in 2011 and sold it in 2013 to Onni Group, a Canadian real estate developer, who plans to build four residential skyscrapers on the site and adjacent parking lot to the south. Onni plans to preserve the building's facade and integrate it into the podium of a 240-foot-tall (73 m) building, converting it into a rooftop balcony. Demolition of the building began in October 2016, after incidents involving squatters on the property.

Architecture and design

 
The main entrance of the building, photographed in 2007

The Seattle Times Building was situated on a full city block bounded to the south by John Street, to the west by Boren Avenue North, to the north by Thomas Street, and to the east by Fairview Avenue North; the complex was located in the South Lake Union neighborhood north of Denny Way. The complex was composed of six buildings, including the original office building and printing plant built in 1931 and several additions. Most of the buildings were made of reinforced concrete, with some Indiana limestone used in the oldest buildings' facades.[2]

The original building, which measured 135 feet (41 m) long, 68 feet (21 m) wide, and 24 feet (7.3 m) high,[3] was designed in 1930 by Robert C. Reamer, noted for his work in Seattle's Metropolitan Tract as well as Yellowstone National Park.[4] The building was described as an Art Deco piece featuring elements that would later be used in Moderne architecture. Its symmetrical columns and massing were drawn from Beaux Arts classicism, with elements of minimalism; Reamer was also influenced by Paul Philippe Cret's calls for "starved classicism".[2]

The front entrance of the 1931 office building, on the southeast corner of the block, faced south on John Street towards Downtown Seattle and had the newspaper's name etched into the stone above the main entrance; the sign was supplemented for several decades by an ornate golden sign with the newspaper's letterhead that was installed above the main entrance. The exterior of the office building had subtle details, including etched columns and aluminum grillwork on the windows, forgoing ornaments for a simpler design that emphasized its mass.[5] The main entrance was behind an elaborate aluminum gate, decorated with octagons, spirals and floral patterns. At the sides of the entrance were limestone panels with floral patterns carved into relief.[2]

Inside the public lobby of the building were walls and floors made of light tan Botticino marble, the latter in a terrazzo pattern. The rest of the building used rubber tile for flooring, colored green and brown.[5] The printing plant attached to the office building, as well as the later additions, had simpler designs cast entirely in reinforced concrete.[2]

History

 
The Times Building facing John Street in the 1970s, featuring the golden Times logo installed in 1947

From 1916 onward, the Blethen Building near modern-day McGraw Square was the headquarters and printing plant for The Seattle Times, one of Seattle's two daily newspapers. The newspaper had been founded in 1896 and moved from two previous offices and printing plants, each time relocating further and further north of the city's historic central business district. By 1930, the newspaper's circulation averaged over 100,000 copies per day and the strain of its growth had caused the location to run out of office space and present logistical problems with printing and distribution, especially as Stewart Street, used by delivery trucks and nicknamed "Times Alley", had grown to become a major thoroughfare for automobile traffic.[2][6]

In the summer of 1929, The Seattle Times Company unveiled plans to build a new complex of buildings along Fairview Avenue in the Cascade neighborhood for their new offices and printing plant, to be a modern class A office with 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of floor space.[7] The old building was built to be readily converted into a traditional office building; previous plans had called for the building to be raised to nine stories to accommodate the newspaper's growth.[8] A groundbreaking ceremony was held by the newspaper's staff and the Metropolitan Building Company on September 26, 1929, both of whom expected the project to be completed the following year.[9] The building's foundations were designed and built to support a possible 20- to 30-story skyscraper above the three-story office.[10] The $1.25 million project (equivalent to $22.27 million in 2021) was partially funded through $600,000 in bonds advertised in the Times.[11][12] Construction on the site began on June 9, 1930, with major excavation by general contractors Teufel & Carlson.[13]

To prepare for the moving of printing presses, the Times began publishing shorter versions of its dailies in December 1930.[14] The newspaper began publishing at the new building on March 2, 1931, using a press capable of printing 40,000 copies per hour.[6][15] The new facility was heralded as "the finest plant yet built for an American newspaper" by the paper's publisher, C.B. Blethen;[16] other newspapers from around the state of Washington congratulated the Times on their move and complimented the building and plant on their modernity and functionality.[17] The building's location on Fairview Avenue gave rise to a nickname, "Fairview Fanny", coined by Teamster columnist Ed Donohoe to refer the newspaper's reputation as a stodgy and slow-to-change paper.[18][19]

Additions and renovations

The first major addition to the building, a three-story office building with 7,500 square feet (700 m2) of floor space primarily for the classified advertisements department, was completed to the west in 1947. The $125,000 project was postponed during World War II because of a shortage in materials, resulting in cramped conditions as circulation had, during the building's 16-year history, doubled to more than 175,000 daily and 225,000 on Sundays. A gold, illuminated sign with the Times logo in 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) letters was also placed atop the building's entrance on John Street.[20][21] In 1950, the building was expanded to the north by 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2), housing a larger mailing room, a new newsroom, and offices for the Associated Press bureau and Sunday departments.[22] A clock and temperature sign on the southeast corner of the building was installed in December 1959, with text reading "Today's News Today"; it sparked comparisons to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's globe that was installed in 1948, used as symbols of each paper's philosophy.[23][24] The clock was later changed to read "Since 1896" and a digital temperature display was added below; it was stopped permanently at 2:40 when the building was vacated.[25][26]

Post-war growth in newspaper readership prompted an even larger, $3.5 million expansion in 1964 to fit eight-unit presses and a new three-story press room to the west of the printing plant.[22][27] Four years later, an even larger $6 million addition would use up the last of the surface parking lots on the property's block, building a two-story newsroom clad in reinforced concrete instead of the limestone used on the 1931 building; a skybridge was built across an alley to connect to the older office building.[28][29] In 1979, the new newsroom was renovated and modernized and a nearby alley was filled and enclosed.[25]

On May 23, 1983, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer began its joint operating agreement with the Times, leading to both newspapers printing their dailies and combined Sunday edition at the Seattle Times Building;[30] the joint operation would cease in 2009 after the P-I ceased publication and moved to an online-only format.[31] The move prompted the Times to purchase additional land for future expansion, including the Troy Laundry Building to the north, for a total of 14 acres (5.7 ha) in the South Lake Union neighborhood.[32] Printing of both papers would later be supplemented by a $150 million satellite plant in Bothell that opened in 1992, with options to build other plants in Renton and downtown Seattle reportedly under consideration.[33]

Demolition and redevelopment

External image
  Rendering of proposed use of Times Building as a rooftop deck (DJC)

On March 11, 1996, the Seattle City Council designated the exterior and roof of the original 1931 building as a Seattle city landmark, having approved a recommendation from the Landmarks Preservation Board.[1][2] The move was prompted by a long-term proposal from The Seattle Times Company to redevelop their land in South Lake Union, at a cost of $150 million while preserving the historic character of the two buildings.[34] The plans included two 10-story office buildings, a larger printing plant, and a multilevel parking garage.[35][36]

The Seattle Times Company began selling parcels of its land in South Lake Union to real estate developers in 2004 to avoid layoffs and to pay for legal fees during a court battle against the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.[37] In January 2011, The Times Company announced their plans to move out of the Seattle Times Building and into the 1000 Denny Building a block away, with the former building readied for redevelopment.[38][39] The following year, the company began marketing the two remaining blocks they owned, including the Times Building and a parking lot to the south, asking for $80 million total.[40] A rezone of South Lake Union was approved by the city council in May 2013, allowing for buildings as tall as 240 feet (73 m) on the properties.[41]

On July 31, 2013, The Times Company announced that the two blocks would be sold to Vancouver-based developer Onni Group for $62.5 million, with $29 million paid for the Times Building in November.[42][43] In November, the group unveiled their proposal to build four high-rise residential towers on the two blocks, including two 240-foot-tall (73 m) towers over the Seattle Times Building.[44] The building's landmarked facades are planned to be preserved and restored, and used as a retail podium with a rooftop plaza.[45][46] In 2018, the company submitted new plans for the block that would include two office towers of 16 and 17 stories.[47]

Squatting incidents

 
The building in 2016, boarded up in preparation for demolition

Since the site was sold to Onni in 2013, a series of incidents with squatters and vandals have drawn attention to security issues at the vacant building. In October 2014, the city of Seattle began exploring legal action over Onni's failure to secure the site; KIRO-TV reported that at least 10 squatters occupied the building, whose first floor had been boarded up.[48]

On September 30, 2015, the Seattle Police Department cleared the building of squatters, an estimated 50 to 200 people, after unsuccessful attempts by Onni to secure the property. Prior to the operation, the city had received several complaints and medical calls to the building in response to drug overdoses.[49][50]

A series of fires in November 2015,[51] December 2015,[52] and July 2016 led to a proposal by the city to accelerate the demolition permitting process for the site.[53][54] Seattle Fire Department operations battalion chief Bryan Hatings called the building a "death trap" after the July 2016 fire, and reported at least 10 to 12 squatters had been living there.[55]

Demolition and construction

The demolition of the building's north and west side began in October 2016.[56] The west side addition was fully demolished by March 2017, and other portions of the complex were demolished by September 2017.[57] Two sides of the facade were preserved and are planned to be integrated into the new building.[47] Work was paused for several years until a master use permit was issued by the city government in March 2022. Excavation of the five-story underground parking garage at the site began later that year. The project, named 1120 John, is planned to include 935,951 square feet (86,952.7 m2) of office and retail space in two buildings that are 16 and 18 stories tall.[58]

References

  1. ^ a b Seattle City Council (March 15, 1996). "City of Seattle Ordinance 118046". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Report on Designation: Seattle Times Building" (PDF). City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. August 15, 1995. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  3. ^ "The New Homes of The Seattle Times". The Seattle Times. September 21, 1930. p. 2.
  4. ^ Kreisman, Lawrence (February 27, 2004). "Mountain Magic: In lodges, a Seattle architect honors the adventurous spirit". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Reamer, Robert C. (June 1931). "The "Seattle Times" Building". The Architect and Engineer. Vol. 105, no. 3. San Francisco. pp. 19–26. Retrieved September 6, 2016 – via The Internet Archive.
  6. ^ a b "Times in New Building Tomorrow". The Seattle Times. March 1, 1931. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Seattle Times To Build". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. August 30, 1929. p. 2. Retrieved September 6, 2016 – via Google News Archive.
  8. ^ "Times Plans New Home On Fairview". The Seattle Times. August 29, 1929. pp. 1–2.
  9. ^ "Work Begins On Times' New Home". The Seattle Times. September 26, 1929. pp. 1–2.
  10. ^ "Building in Seattle Due For Big Gain". The Seattle Times. December 29, 1929. p. 12.
  11. ^ "$600,000 Bonds Issued For New Times Building". The Seattle Times. June 9, 1930. p. 26.
  12. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  13. ^ "Construction of New Home Began on June 9, 1930". The Seattle Times. March 15, 1931. p. HC-7.
  14. ^ Blethen, C. B. (December 9, 1930). "An Explanation". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
  15. ^ "Moving of Times to New Home Gigantic Task". The Seattle Times. March 1, 1931. p. 16.
  16. ^ "Times' New Plant Without Newspaper Peers". The Seattle Times. March 15, 1931. p. HC-2.
  17. ^ "What the State Thinks: Times Moving". The Seattle Times. March 15, 1931. p. HC-6.
  18. ^ Duncan, Don (October 21, 1980). "Ed Donohoe: A Don Quixote who rarely misses". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. p. 7. Retrieved September 6, 2016 – via Google News Archive.
  19. ^ Anderson, Rick (February 22, 2012). "For Sale: The Seattle Times – Its Historic Headquarters, Anyway, for Twice Its Value". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  20. ^ "Times Matches City's Progress: Work Is Begun on Three-Story Addition". The Seattle Times. March 4, 1947. p. 3.
  21. ^ "The Times Strides Forward with Seattle". The Seattle Times. December 14, 1947. pp. 8–9.
  22. ^ a b "Business Gain Forced Times To Construct New Plants". The Seattle Times. April 7, 1963. p. 23.
  23. ^ Duncan, Don (January 14, 1981). "Global issue: What about P.-I. landmark?". The Seattle Times. p. A7.
  24. ^ "'The Times' Time". The Seattle Times. January 3, 1960. p. 7.
  25. ^ a b The Johnson Partnership (October 2014). "Seattle Times Building Complex—Printing Plant Landmark Nomination" (PDF). City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  26. ^ Mapes, Lynda V. (February 16, 2017). "History coming down: Old Seattle Times building tumbling". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  27. ^ "Expansion, New Equipment Bring Later News Home Sooner". The Seattle Times. July 16, 1964. p. 16.
  28. ^ "Each New Press Can Run 60,000 Papers an Hour". The Seattle Times. March 26, 1967. p. 39.
  29. ^ "$6 Million Times Expansion Nears Finishing Stages". The Seattle Times. April 21, 1968. p. 34.
  30. ^ Brazier, Don (May 22, 1983). "Start to finish: The JOA begins and a career ends". The Seattle Times. p. A28.
  31. ^ Richman, Dan; James, Andrea (March 16, 2009). "Seattle P-I to publish last edition Tuesday". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  32. ^ Lane, Polly (March 6, 1985). "Expansion Cited in Times Purchase". The Seattle Times. p. B5.
  33. ^ Alexander, Karen (May 22, 1992). "The Times' North Creek Presses Debut In A Smooth Run". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  34. ^ Lewis, Peter (August 3, 1995). "Landmarks Board Rejects Times' Request". The Seattle Times. p. B3.
  35. ^ "The Times Wins Zoning For New Plant". The Seattle Times. March 12, 1996. p. B2.
  36. ^ Serrano, Barbara A. (May 16, 1996). "South Lake Union Changing, Commons Or No Commons". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  37. ^ McOmber, J. Martin (June 15, 2004). "Vulcan to buy land from Times". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  38. ^ "Times sells building to California real-estate investors". The Seattle Times. January 27, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  39. ^ Cohen, Aubrey (January 27, 2011). "Seattle Times moving out of historic headquarters (Seattle Times)". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  40. ^ Pryne, Eric (February 21, 2012). "Seattle Times Co. explores sale of two blocks in South Lake Union". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  41. ^ "Seattle City Council passes South Lake Union rezone" (Press release). Seattle City Council. May 6, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  42. ^ Bhatt, Sanjay (July 31, 2013). . The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  43. ^ Stiles, Marc (November 27, 2013). "Canadian developer pays $29 million for Seattle Times' old HQ". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  44. ^ Bhatt, Sanjay (November 19, 2013). . The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  45. ^ Stiles, Marc (May 16, 2014). "Condos or apartments? Canadian developer shares details of mega project in Seattle". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  46. ^ "1120 John Street". Shaping Seattle: Buildings. Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  47. ^ a b Minnick, Benjamin (February 28, 2018). "Onni may switch to offices for part of its big SLU development". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  48. ^ Guerrero, Maria (October 14, 2015). "City threatens legal action against owner of building with squatters". KIRO 7 News. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  49. ^ Clarridge, Christine (September 30, 2015). "Former Seattle Times building now home to thieves, squatters". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  50. ^ Miller, Mark (September 29, 2015). "Cops clear dozens of squatters out of old Seattle Times building". KOMO 4 News. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  51. ^ Bush, Evan (November 12, 2015). "Fire at old Seattle Times building forces squatters to leave building again". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  52. ^ "Crews battle another fire at old Seattle Times building". KOMO 4 News. December 10, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  53. ^ Lee, Jessica; Beekman, Daniel (February 23, 2016). "Squatters to hasten demolition of old Seattle Times building". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  54. ^ Lee, Jessica (July 15, 2016). "Officials preparing to issue demolition permit for old Seattle Times building". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  55. ^ Lee, Jessica (July 13, 2016). "Fire quickly put out in vacant old Seattle Times building". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  56. ^ Gilbert, Greg (October 18, 2016). "Demolition started on Old Seattle Times building". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  57. ^ Minnick, Benjamin (March 16, 2017). "Onni cues up apartment towers as newspaper plant comes down". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  58. ^ Miller, Brian (July 20, 2022). "Onni starts digging up dirt for offices within landmarked Seattle Times facade". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved January 6, 2023.

External links

  •   Media related to Seattle Times Building at Wikimedia Commons

March 11, 2023
seattle, times, building, confused, with, times, square, building, former, headquarters, seattle, times, located, seattle, washington, united, states, three, story, building, occupied, newspaper, from, 1931, 2011, replacing, times, square, building, originally. Not to be confused with the Times Square Building The Seattle Times Building is the former headquarters of The Seattle Times located in Seattle Washington United States The three story building was occupied by the newspaper from 1931 to 2011 replacing the Times Square Building It was originally built in 1931 and later expanded to accommodate more office space and larger presses Seattle Times BuildingThe building s exterior in 2007General informationTypeOffice buildingArchitectural styleArt DecoLocationSeattle Washington U S Address1120 John StreetCoordinates47 37 12 8 N 122 20 06 5 W 47 620222 N 122 335139 W 47 620222 122 335139 Coordinates 47 37 12 8 N 122 20 06 5 W 47 620222 N 122 335139 W 47 620222 122 335139OpenedMarch 2 1931 1931 03 02 Renovated1947 1964 1968 1979Closed2011Demolished2016 2017ClientThe Seattle TimesOwnerOnni GroupHeight27 feet 8 2 m Technical detailsMaterialReinforced concrete Indiana limestoneFloor count5Design and constructionArchitect s Robert C ReamerArchitecture firmMetropolitan Building CompanyMain contractorTeufel amp Carlson BuildersSeattle LandmarkDesignatedMarch 11 1996 1 The exterior and roof of the Seattle Times Building were designated a city landmark in 1996 Designed by Robert C Reamer with elements of the Art Deco and Moderne styles the reinforced concrete building was representative of early 20th century architecture in Seattle The newspaper moved out of the building in 2011 and sold it in 2013 to Onni Group a Canadian real estate developer who plans to build four residential skyscrapers on the site and adjacent parking lot to the south Onni plans to preserve the building s facade and integrate it into the podium of a 240 foot tall 73 m building converting it into a rooftop balcony Demolition of the building began in October 2016 after incidents involving squatters on the property Contents 1 Architecture and design 2 History 2 1 Additions and renovations 3 Demolition and redevelopment 3 1 Squatting incidents 3 2 Demolition and construction 4 References 5 External linksArchitecture and design Edit The main entrance of the building photographed in 2007 The Seattle Times Building was situated on a full city block bounded to the south by John Street to the west by Boren Avenue North to the north by Thomas Street and to the east by Fairview Avenue North the complex was located in the South Lake Union neighborhood north of Denny Way The complex was composed of six buildings including the original office building and printing plant built in 1931 and several additions Most of the buildings were made of reinforced concrete with some Indiana limestone used in the oldest buildings facades 2 The original building which measured 135 feet 41 m long 68 feet 21 m wide and 24 feet 7 3 m high 3 was designed in 1930 by Robert C Reamer noted for his work in Seattle s Metropolitan Tract as well as Yellowstone National Park 4 The building was described as an Art Deco piece featuring elements that would later be used in Moderne architecture Its symmetrical columns and massing were drawn from Beaux Arts classicism with elements of minimalism Reamer was also influenced by Paul Philippe Cret s calls for starved classicism 2 The front entrance of the 1931 office building on the southeast corner of the block faced south on John Street towards Downtown Seattle and had the newspaper s name etched into the stone above the main entrance the sign was supplemented for several decades by an ornate golden sign with the newspaper s letterhead that was installed above the main entrance The exterior of the office building had subtle details including etched columns and aluminum grillwork on the windows forgoing ornaments for a simpler design that emphasized its mass 5 The main entrance was behind an elaborate aluminum gate decorated with octagons spirals and floral patterns At the sides of the entrance were limestone panels with floral patterns carved into relief 2 Inside the public lobby of the building were walls and floors made of light tan Botticino marble the latter in a terrazzo pattern The rest of the building used rubber tile for flooring colored green and brown 5 The printing plant attached to the office building as well as the later additions had simpler designs cast entirely in reinforced concrete 2 History Edit The Times Building facing John Street in the 1970s featuring the golden Times logo installed in 1947 From 1916 onward the Blethen Building near modern day McGraw Square was the headquarters and printing plant for The Seattle Times one of Seattle s two daily newspapers The newspaper had been founded in 1896 and moved from two previous offices and printing plants each time relocating further and further north of the city s historic central business district By 1930 the newspaper s circulation averaged over 100 000 copies per day and the strain of its growth had caused the location to run out of office space and present logistical problems with printing and distribution especially as Stewart Street used by delivery trucks and nicknamed Times Alley had grown to become a major thoroughfare for automobile traffic 2 6 In the summer of 1929 The Seattle Times Company unveiled plans to build a new complex of buildings along Fairview Avenue in the Cascade neighborhood for their new offices and printing plant to be a modern class A office with 120 000 square feet 11 000 m2 of floor space 7 The old building was built to be readily converted into a traditional office building previous plans had called for the building to be raised to nine stories to accommodate the newspaper s growth 8 A groundbreaking ceremony was held by the newspaper s staff and the Metropolitan Building Company on September 26 1929 both of whom expected the project to be completed the following year 9 The building s foundations were designed and built to support a possible 20 to 30 story skyscraper above the three story office 10 The 1 25 million project equivalent to 22 27 million in 2021 was partially funded through 600 000 in bonds advertised in the Times 11 12 Construction on the site began on June 9 1930 with major excavation by general contractors Teufel amp Carlson 13 To prepare for the moving of printing presses the Times began publishing shorter versions of its dailies in December 1930 14 The newspaper began publishing at the new building on March 2 1931 using a press capable of printing 40 000 copies per hour 6 15 The new facility was heralded as the finest plant yet built for an American newspaper by the paper s publisher C B Blethen 16 other newspapers from around the state of Washington congratulated the Times on their move and complimented the building and plant on their modernity and functionality 17 The building s location on Fairview Avenue gave rise to a nickname Fairview Fanny coined by Teamster columnist Ed Donohoe to refer the newspaper s reputation as a stodgy and slow to change paper 18 19 Additions and renovations Edit The first major addition to the building a three story office building with 7 500 square feet 700 m2 of floor space primarily for the classified advertisements department was completed to the west in 1947 The 125 000 project was postponed during World War II because of a shortage in materials resulting in cramped conditions as circulation had during the building s 16 year history doubled to more than 175 000 daily and 225 000 on Sundays A gold illuminated sign with the Times logo in 6 foot tall 1 8 m letters was also placed atop the building s entrance on John Street 20 21 In 1950 the building was expanded to the north by 150 000 square feet 14 000 m2 housing a larger mailing room a new newsroom and offices for the Associated Press bureau and Sunday departments 22 A clock and temperature sign on the southeast corner of the building was installed in December 1959 with text reading Today s News Today it sparked comparisons to the Seattle Post Intelligencer s globe that was installed in 1948 used as symbols of each paper s philosophy 23 24 The clock was later changed to read Since 1896 and a digital temperature display was added below it was stopped permanently at 2 40 when the building was vacated 25 26 Post war growth in newspaper readership prompted an even larger 3 5 million expansion in 1964 to fit eight unit presses and a new three story press room to the west of the printing plant 22 27 Four years later an even larger 6 million addition would use up the last of the surface parking lots on the property s block building a two story newsroom clad in reinforced concrete instead of the limestone used on the 1931 building a skybridge was built across an alley to connect to the older office building 28 29 In 1979 the new newsroom was renovated and modernized and a nearby alley was filled and enclosed 25 On May 23 1983 the Seattle Post Intelligencer began its joint operating agreement with the Times leading to both newspapers printing their dailies and combined Sunday edition at the Seattle Times Building 30 the joint operation would cease in 2009 after the P I ceased publication and moved to an online only format 31 The move prompted the Times to purchase additional land for future expansion including the Troy Laundry Building to the north for a total of 14 acres 5 7 ha in the South Lake Union neighborhood 32 Printing of both papers would later be supplemented by a 150 million satellite plant in Bothell that opened in 1992 with options to build other plants in Renton and downtown Seattle reportedly under consideration 33 Demolition and redevelopment EditExternal image Rendering of proposed use of Times Building as a rooftop deck DJC On March 11 1996 the Seattle City Council designated the exterior and roof of the original 1931 building as a Seattle city landmark having approved a recommendation from the Landmarks Preservation Board 1 2 The move was prompted by a long term proposal from The Seattle Times Company to redevelop their land in South Lake Union at a cost of 150 million while preserving the historic character of the two buildings 34 The plans included two 10 story office buildings a larger printing plant and a multilevel parking garage 35 36 The Seattle Times Company began selling parcels of its land in South Lake Union to real estate developers in 2004 to avoid layoffs and to pay for legal fees during a court battle against the Seattle Post Intelligencer 37 In January 2011 The Times Company announced their plans to move out of the Seattle Times Building and into the 1000 Denny Building a block away with the former building readied for redevelopment 38 39 The following year the company began marketing the two remaining blocks they owned including the Times Building and a parking lot to the south asking for 80 million total 40 A rezone of South Lake Union was approved by the city council in May 2013 allowing for buildings as tall as 240 feet 73 m on the properties 41 On July 31 2013 The Times Company announced that the two blocks would be sold to Vancouver based developer Onni Group for 62 5 million with 29 million paid for the Times Building in November 42 43 In November the group unveiled their proposal to build four high rise residential towers on the two blocks including two 240 foot tall 73 m towers over the Seattle Times Building 44 The building s landmarked facades are planned to be preserved and restored and used as a retail podium with a rooftop plaza 45 46 In 2018 the company submitted new plans for the block that would include two office towers of 16 and 17 stories 47 Squatting incidents Edit The building in 2016 boarded up in preparation for demolition Since the site was sold to Onni in 2013 a series of incidents with squatters and vandals have drawn attention to security issues at the vacant building In October 2014 the city of Seattle began exploring legal action over Onni s failure to secure the site KIRO TV reported that at least 10 squatters occupied the building whose first floor had been boarded up 48 On September 30 2015 the Seattle Police Department cleared the building of squatters an estimated 50 to 200 people after unsuccessful attempts by Onni to secure the property Prior to the operation the city had received several complaints and medical calls to the building in response to drug overdoses 49 50 A series of fires in November 2015 51 December 2015 52 and July 2016 led to a proposal by the city to accelerate the demolition permitting process for the site 53 54 Seattle Fire Department operations battalion chief Bryan Hatings called the building a death trap after the July 2016 fire and reported at least 10 to 12 squatters had been living there 55 Demolition and construction Edit The demolition of the building s north and west side began in October 2016 56 The west side addition was fully demolished by March 2017 and other portions of the complex were demolished by September 2017 57 Two sides of the facade were preserved and are planned to be integrated into the new building 47 Work was paused for several years until a master use permit was issued by the city government in March 2022 Excavation of the five story underground parking garage at the site began later that year The project named 1120 John is planned to include 935 951 square feet 86 952 7 m2 of office and retail space in two buildings that are 16 and 18 stories tall 58 References Edit a b Seattle City Council March 15 1996 City of Seattle Ordinance 118046 City of Seattle Legislative Information Service Office of the City Clerk Retrieved September 6 2016 a b c d e f Report on Designation Seattle Times Building PDF City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board August 15 1995 Retrieved September 6 2016 The New Homes of The Seattle Times The Seattle Times September 21 1930 p 2 Kreisman Lawrence February 27 2004 Mountain Magic In lodges a Seattle architect honors the adventurous spirit The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 a b Reamer Robert C June 1931 The Seattle Times Building The Architect and Engineer Vol 105 no 3 San Francisco pp 19 26 Retrieved September 6 2016 via The Internet Archive a b Times in New Building Tomorrow The Seattle Times March 1 1931 p 1 Seattle Times To Build The Spokesman Review Associated Press August 30 1929 p 2 Retrieved September 6 2016 via Google News Archive Times Plans New Home On Fairview The Seattle Times August 29 1929 pp 1 2 Work Begins On Times New Home The Seattle Times September 26 1929 pp 1 2 Building in Seattle Due For Big Gain The Seattle Times December 29 1929 p 12 600 000 Bonds Issued For New Times Building The Seattle Times June 9 1930 p 26 1634 1699 McCusker J J 1997 How Much Is That in Real Money A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States Addenda et Corrigenda PDF American Antiquarian Society 1700 1799 McCusker J J 1992 How Much Is That in Real Money A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States PDF American Antiquarian Society 1800 present Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Consumer Price Index estimate 1800 Retrieved April 16 2022 Construction of New Home Began on June 9 1930 The Seattle Times March 15 1931 p HC 7 Blethen C B December 9 1930 An Explanation The Seattle Times p 1 Moving of Times to New Home Gigantic Task The Seattle Times March 1 1931 p 16 Times New Plant Without Newspaper Peers The Seattle Times March 15 1931 p HC 2 What the State Thinks Times Moving The Seattle Times March 15 1931 p HC 6 Duncan Don October 21 1980 Ed Donohoe A Don Quixote who rarely misses The Spokesman Review Associated Press p 7 Retrieved September 6 2016 via Google News Archive Anderson Rick February 22 2012 For Sale The Seattle Times Its Historic Headquarters Anyway for Twice Its Value Seattle Weekly Retrieved September 6 2016 Times Matches City s Progress Work Is Begun on Three Story Addition The Seattle Times March 4 1947 p 3 The Times Strides Forward with Seattle The Seattle Times December 14 1947 pp 8 9 a b Business Gain Forced Times To Construct New Plants The Seattle Times April 7 1963 p 23 Duncan Don January 14 1981 Global issue What about P I landmark The Seattle Times p A7 The Times Time The Seattle Times January 3 1960 p 7 a b The Johnson Partnership October 2014 Seattle Times Building Complex Printing Plant Landmark Nomination PDF City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board Retrieved September 6 2016 Mapes Lynda V February 16 2017 History coming down Old Seattle Times building tumbling The Seattle Times Retrieved April 26 2017 Expansion New Equipment Bring Later News Home Sooner The Seattle Times July 16 1964 p 16 Each New Press Can Run 60 000 Papers an Hour The Seattle Times March 26 1967 p 39 6 Million Times Expansion Nears Finishing Stages The Seattle Times April 21 1968 p 34 Brazier Don May 22 1983 Start to finish The JOA begins and a career ends The Seattle Times p A28 Richman Dan James Andrea March 16 2009 Seattle P I to publish last edition Tuesday Seattle Post Intelligencer Retrieved February 2 2017 Lane Polly March 6 1985 Expansion Cited in Times Purchase The Seattle Times p B5 Alexander Karen May 22 1992 The Times North Creek Presses Debut In A Smooth Run The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Lewis Peter August 3 1995 Landmarks Board Rejects Times Request The Seattle Times p B3 The Times Wins Zoning For New Plant The Seattle Times March 12 1996 p B2 Serrano Barbara A May 16 1996 South Lake Union Changing Commons Or No Commons The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 McOmber J Martin June 15 2004 Vulcan to buy land from Times The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Times sells building to California real estate investors The Seattle Times January 27 2011 Retrieved September 6 2016 Cohen Aubrey January 27 2011 Seattle Times moving out of historic headquarters Seattle Times Seattle Post Intelligencer Retrieved September 6 2016 Pryne Eric February 21 2012 Seattle Times Co explores sale of two blocks in South Lake Union The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Seattle City Council passes South Lake Union rezone Press release Seattle City Council May 6 2013 Retrieved September 6 2016 Bhatt Sanjay July 31 2013 Seattle Times Co reaches 62 5M deal for SLU parcels The Seattle Times Archived from the original on October 11 2016 Retrieved September 6 2016 Stiles Marc November 27 2013 Canadian developer pays 29 million for Seattle Times old HQ Puget Sound Business Journal Retrieved September 6 2016 Bhatt Sanjay November 19 2013 Developer proposes 4 residential towers in SLU The Seattle Times Archived from the original on October 11 2016 Retrieved September 6 2016 Stiles Marc May 16 2014 Condos or apartments Canadian developer shares details of mega project in Seattle Puget Sound Business Journal Retrieved September 6 2016 1120 John Street Shaping Seattle Buildings Seattle Department of Construction amp Inspections Retrieved September 6 2016 a b Minnick Benjamin February 28 2018 Onni may switch to offices for part of its big SLU development Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce Retrieved March 26 2018 Guerrero Maria October 14 2015 City threatens legal action against owner of building with squatters KIRO 7 News Retrieved September 6 2016 Clarridge Christine September 30 2015 Former Seattle Times building now home to thieves squatters The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Miller Mark September 29 2015 Cops clear dozens of squatters out of old Seattle Times building KOMO 4 News Retrieved September 6 2016 Bush Evan November 12 2015 Fire at old Seattle Times building forces squatters to leave building again The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Crews battle another fire at old Seattle Times building KOMO 4 News December 10 2015 Retrieved September 6 2016 Lee Jessica Beekman Daniel February 23 2016 Squatters to hasten demolition of old Seattle Times building The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Lee Jessica July 15 2016 Officials preparing to issue demolition permit for old Seattle Times building The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Lee Jessica July 13 2016 Fire quickly put out in vacant old Seattle Times building The Seattle Times Retrieved September 6 2016 Gilbert Greg October 18 2016 Demolition started on Old Seattle Times building The Seattle Times Retrieved October 22 2016 Minnick Benjamin March 16 2017 Onni cues up apartment towers as newspaper plant comes down Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce Retrieved March 16 2017 Miller Brian July 20 2022 Onni starts digging up dirt for offices within landmarked Seattle Times facade Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce Retrieved January 6 2023 External links Edit Architecture portal Media related to Seattle Times Building at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Seattle Times Building amp oldid 1141238752, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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