Participate In the Demise of Rainier Cold Storage

The Rainier Cold Storage Stock House--part of the beautiful and historic and absolutely irreplaceable Rainier Cold Storage campus in Georgetown--is being replaced. The building cannot be saved as Seattlest has previously discussed here and here, and a campaign to try to force property owners Sabey Corp. to preserve it as-is seems like it wouldn't hold up in the face of the condition of the building, despite the Seattle Historic Landmark status it currently enjoys. Brooke Best, Friend of Georgetown History, told Seattlest in an email, "Sabey made great efforts (beyond what most developers would have done) to come up with alternative proposals to demolition." But demolition it is.

So, the next best thing for someone who wants to get involved is to participate in the design process of whatever will replace the Stock House and Sabey seems to be welcoming that participation:

This, however, is new territory - dialoging directly with a community on the design of a property. Though we have certain criteria and needs, we want to hear from the community about what they want to see. Although every idea will not come to fruition, every idea can be heard. We could read the Georgetown Neighborhood Plan (we actually have!) but we don’t want to rely on something that was drafted years ago. We want to hear from you directly.

As we have previously announced, we currently envision a replacement for the Stock House that will be about 2/3 the size (sq ft) of the Stock House volume (the Stock House stands at about 120,000 sq ft), but generally equal in height with retail at street level and office above.

We are seeking community input about design. We’d like to hear your ideas about the new developments. You may see something we are overlooking or one suggestion may inspire us to take a different direction. What do you like? What don’t you like? What do you want to see and what should be avoided? What’s important and what does the community value? What materials should be used? How should it look and feel? Are there examples of projects that you like? Why do you like them? Those are the questions and answers we are seeking.

They're also soliciting community involvement in the use (or reuse) of the building materials that currently make up the Stock House.

This method works this way: a crew enters the building and takes it apart- or as much of it as they can- recovering pillars, joists, machinery, and other materials for potential use in construction projects. As we know, much of the material is in a compromised state but much of it can be used for other means. For instance, the exterior bricks might not be suitable for a new structure but they could be used for pavers or a courtyard.

This opportunity appears to fit within the values of this neighborhood, which is why we are exploring this possibility even more than we typically would. We are interested in hearing the neighborhood’s thoughts about deconstruction. If you were able to attend a tour, what materials were of interest and how could the community reuse them? What projects could be implemented with what is salvaged? For the record, we will salvage and reuse the timbers, although there may be other wood that could be reclaimed and is in excess of what we can use. We also will retain unique aspects like the Stock House sign.

If the Re-Store is reading this they are currently initiating a covert campaign to get their hands on those bricks, if they don't already have a contract for them, so get in touch with Sabey soon with details of your master reuse plan. Email your treatise to Rainier(at)sabey.com.