Smith Tower Going Condo? (22. February 2007, 14:41 by Derek Young) ~ Check It Out
This is one of the most blatant non-Tacoma posts ever, but I think it’s worth it. Historic Smith Tower, Seattle’s first skyscraper, has filed papers to begin exploring a conversion from office space to condominiums. This should make all those new Belltown condos look pretty dull…
Link to the Seattle PI
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The comments to the article could be talking about a building conversion here in downtown Tacoma.
1 | Posted by MG | Feb 22, 03:00 PM
Have there been any office-to-condo conversions in Tacoma? (As opposed to apartment-to-condo…)
2 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | Feb 22, 04:18 PM
Wow. The whole “highest and best use” concept is being chucked out the window.
Aubrey Cohen is a big REIC booster but I could see the motivation behind this move. The building is enough of an icon that many people would be a willing to pay a premium for the status. Heck, I would be willing to do so if the general market rates weren’t so daft.
Re: Tacoma, I don’t think that I got what I was supposed to from the comments section of the PI article. Where was Tacoma mentioned? I have to say I think Tacoma needs office spaces downtown at least as much as condos, so I’m not such that such a conversion would be a win for the city. If the project were special enough, perhaps it would serve as a magnet for downtown. I’m scratching my head trying to think of a suitable candidate, though. The old City Hall is already being converted, right? What does that leave in the iconic structure category? Are they going to hang gondola-condos from one of the bridges?
3 | Posted by Erik S | Feb 22, 05:25 PM
In a related Seattle story, discussing the Smith Tower, we need to get ones of these:
In another move to create a residential neighborhood in downtown Seattle, Mayor Greg Nickels said this morning the block-wide hole in the ground across from Seattle City Hall will be turned into a $300 million “civic square” with a 32-story condo and office high-rise.
That should create active street activity and a nightlife.
This concerns me…if you’ve ever spent time in the Smith Tower, you’ll know that the interior spaces are also very important. I.E. the porcelain hex tile floors, brass elevators, and fireproof faux wood patterned metal mouldings, trim and doors. It is a total treasure and not very many buildings exist in such a great state of suspended animation.
Going from an office use to residential is a big challenge architecturally. Old City Hall is doing it now, but they have the benefit of a blank slate (building was gutted years ago). The Perkins is another example of a near total interior remodel from office to residential.
6 | Posted by tom waits | Feb 22, 07:25 PM
another thing that is too bad really is that SAMIS Land Co helped ensure Pioneer Square’s preservation because Sam Israel held on to his portfolio forever. So they’ve traditionally been a patient owner, which is the perfect kind of ownership for old, historic buildings (of course, so long as they’re kept up and leased out).
I do think that a condo conversion of this building could turn out to be a real shame—not a compatible new use, as they say.
7 | Posted by tom waits | Feb 22, 07:52 PM
I’m scratching my head trying to think of a suitable candidate, though. The old City Hall is already being converted, right? What does that leave in the iconic structure category?
The former Medical Arts (Municipal building) would be up there on the list.
8 | Posted by morgan | Feb 22, 11:13 PM
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