No Demolition for Seattle's 1904 Fir Lodge
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | Jan. 28, 2011
Seattleites concerned about the future of a 1904 log house in West Seattle received good news this morning, when plans were unveiled to renovate, rather than demolish, the city landmark.
Last year, owner Tom Lin announced plans to demolish the Alki Homestead, a former restaurant. At a briefing today before the Architectural Review Committee of Seattle's Landmark Preservation Board, architects from Alloy Design Group presented preliminary plans for Lin's renovation of the Alki Homestead as a restaurant. The Landmark Preservation Board must approve the plan before any work can begin, and the architects will appear before the committee again later this year.
"We are cautiously optimistic," says Eugenia Woo, director of preservation services at Historic Seattle. "The issue now is, what is their approach to restoration? We understand that the building is not in good condition, so we know there will have to be some replacement [of original features]."
The Alki Homestead, originally known as the Fir Lodge, a beach estate, was damaged in an electrical fire in January 2009. Earlier this month, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation filed a complaint with the city's compliance enforcement department, citing neglect of the city landmark.
"We've been concerned about reports that there are windows open," says Chris Moore, field representative for the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We want to see that the owner is basically following what's required for a city landmark."
Four Seattle groups have formed a coalition to preserve the homestead: Historic Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, 4Culture, and Southwest Seattle Historical Society. On July 4, 2010, the coalition held a lively rally attended by about 200 people, chanting, "This Place Matters," according to Brian Turner, regional attorney in the Western Office of National Trust. "It was inspirational," says Turner, who spoke at the event. "It was just incredible to see so many people come out and support one of the most important landmarks in West Seattle."
Last year, Historic Seattle hoped to buy the building, but negotiations with the owner failed. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society owns the city's other log house, located half a block from the Alki Homestead, and restored that structure as a museum in 1997.
The coalition has always been confident that the Alki Homestead can be saved as well, Woo says. Last fall Historic Seattle commissioned a building assessment from a preservation architect and structural engineer to study the vacant building. "We know it's difficult. … [But] we know it can be done."
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