Crew uncovers original façade during Seattle demolition

The original façade of a 1928 building was revealed during the demolition of the Mercer Arts Arena in Seattle, a report by KIRO Radio says. The façade was hidden by a series of brick walls that were constructed during a remodel in 1961.

According to the report, demolition contractors began knocking down the brick wall and revealed the façade, including two gargoyles, original doorways, arches and medallions, before quickly demolishing the architecture.

Various groups involved in the project, including the Seattle Opera, Seattle Center and several consultants, assumed the façade has been mostly demolished during the remodel, according to the report. The publicly owned facility was demolished because it was seen as a vacant building now “blighting the Seattle Center campus,” the Seattle Opera says. The organization is using the space to make room for its new headquarters.

Opera spokesperson Kym Michela told KIRO Radio that the demolition manager said the building was significantly altered—the ornate frontage was removed and the roof-line was dramatically changed, leaving behind any 1927/1928 elements.

The Opera received a permit to demolish the building and was granted permission to do so after a firm called Historic Research Associates Inc. (http://hrassoc.com/) (HRA)  in Seattle conducted an evaluation, and the Seattle Center and the historic preservation staff of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods reviewed the building’s architectural and historic significance, the report says. Through the organizations’ review, the building received a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS), which allowed the permitting process to move forward.

The existence of the façade was not addressed in the DNS because it wasn’t mentioned in HRA’s report, the report says. Heather Miller, senior historian with the company who conducted the evaluation, told KIRO Radio that she looked around the upper floors and on the roof and at a small and unadorned portion of the façade that was visible on the second floor of the building. She said that there was no way to find the ornately decorated portions of the façade because it would have been impractical or dangerous to access that part of the building.

According to the report, original 1928 plans for the arena revealed four gargoyles on the north wall of the building. Michela confirmed to KIRO Radio that the gargoyles are intact, and will be preserved and donated to the city of Seattle.