Unsafe building forces 100 artists to find new home
by KOMO StaffThursday, July 21st 2011

http://komonews.com/news/local/unsafe-building-forces-100-artists-to-find-new-home

AASEATTLE — For more than a hundred artists, the Western Building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square is an affordable work space. It’s been that kind of place for the last 30 years.

Inside the 100-year-old building at 619 Western, there’s an art walk once a month when artists have a chance to show, and possibly sell their creations.

Unemployed architect Madison Baddoberan found new life when she moved in to create her abstract art here.

“There aren’t a lot of aspects of just exposure for emerging Seattle talent, and this is the place where it happens,” Baddoberan said.

Baddoberan and the other artists already knew they would have to move next year as workers started digging the new viaduct tunnel underneath the building. But now there’s new troubles and they must be out by Oct. 1.

“This took like, everyone, a little bit off guard,” said artist Bryan Theis.

The city’s Department of Planning had the building inspected in March and determined it is unsafe. The city says the Western Building is one of 500 buildings they yellow tagged after the 2001 Nisqually quake.

Owners were told to make safety changes, but those changes were never made to this building.

And as Theis inks a project for Marvel Comics, he says he’s beyond upset at being forced to leave.

“And Pioneer Square is so rich with with history, and you know, it’s Seattle, and with art — you just can’t get any place like this,” he said.

Unless the owners fix the building by October – something that would likely be very expensive – the building will soon be empty.

Meanwhile, the WSDOT was planning to reimburse the artists for next year’s move. Officials say the artists will still get the financial help, only sooner.