(Image: NWMLS)
A building that embodies some of the histories of Capitol Hill — including its never ceasing appetite for tearing down and building back up — is up for sale.
Here is the realtor’s description for the $2.15 million listing for 1117 Pike:
Built in 1906 this three story commercial building is for sale for the first time in almost 40 years. The Pike Building is located just above downtown Seattle in an A+ Capitol Hill location. This offers a Buyer the rare opportunity to purchase a pride-of-ownership property located only 3 blocks from downtown Seattle.
“The property offers endless potential for an investor to redevelop the property or maintain the existing use,” the marketing copy concludes.
The three-story, 1906-built hotel building has been home to a “bathhouse” for decades. Today known as Club Z, the sex club is one of the few left in the city and one of only two left on Capitol Hill. Steamworks continues to operate nearby on Summit Ave. Another, Basic Plumbing, closed in 2012 and is now the home of Lost Lake.
The Stranger’s Christopher Frizzelle wrote this fascinating history of the Club Z building’s place in Seattle and LGBTQ history — a mix of early 20th century hotels, World War II internment, AIDS, drugs, and sex — as the property was being planned for demolition and development in the early 2000s. A project to create a multi-story condominium development began the permitting process but never made it past planning phases. The property continues to be held by the same real estate investor who purchased it in the 1970s.
While those plans won’t be dusted off, new mixed-use development on the property is probably a given.
We’ve reached out to the real estate agent representing the owners and Club Z to learn more.
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Quick, landmark it!
(kidding)
If you believe in ghosts….I sure wouldn’t buy a condo in that building!
This might just be a rumor, but I’d heard that the structure that houses Z right now is essentially holding up the apartment building next to it. To tear it down could cause instability in the building next door. Again, this could be nothing, but to look at the brick building, also seems at least somewhat plausible?
To be honest, I thought that story was REAL and originated here (on CHS). To tear down Club Z would be so expensive it wouldn’t make sense financially to do it.
In an article or comments? I challenge your sourcing :)
Here’s a “geotechnical report” for the Wintonia from 1993 (PDF)
Annnd here are some notes from a 2003 land use planning session for the abandoned redevelopment project that would have replaced the Club Z building. No mention of concerns about supporting Wintonia.
It does appear from the photo that it is holding up the block in both directions and its loss could make all of Capitol Hill dangerously unstable. This should be the pilot for City Hall’s ever-postponed program to rehabilitate unreinforced masonry structures.
Rumor the Wintonia was rehabbed when the Catholic Church bought it and turned it into transitional housing. City codes wouldn’t allow a building being held up by another building to continue being inhabited.
9 stories and 24 units. Ha. These days they’d practically ad a zero to that 24. And parking? LOL.
I once was across the street in the art store (that used to be there) and someone jumped out this building to their death.
The windows are boarded up and have been for at least 20 yrs
In the photo you can clearly see two fire escapes on the side of the building. They can’t board those up.