The Showbox – Image Credit: Joe Mabel (CC by SA-3.0)
After nearly eight decades in operation, the future of the Showbox, a music venue near Pike Place Market, is uncertain. In late July, news broke out that developer Onni Corp had filed permits to build an apartment building on the site. In the following weeks, musicians and preservationists alike have signed petitions to give the building landmark status. More recently, Seattle City Councilor Kshama Sawant proposed legislation at last Monday’s meeting to include the venue as part of the Pike Place Market historic district created in 1971.
The proposed legislation made it through committee on Wednesday, and will be up for discussion at tonight’s meeting, with a possible (but unlikely) vote. The redevelopment project will not vest until October 18, giving the city plenty of time to consider the implication of such a proposal, including concerns about how the venue’s inclusion would affect the historic district as a whole. Advocates for the building’s preservation have included artists as diverse as Death Cab for Cutie, Pearl Jam, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Macklemore, TV on the Radio and even Katie Perry.
Recent Comments