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Monday, July 2, 2007

Seattle Steam Corporation

posted by on July 2 at 14:57 PM

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Like something out of Dickensian London, the Seattle Steam Corporation occupies this monolithic, 110-year-old hulk at Western Ave. and Union, near Pioneer Square. The smoke stack must be at least ten stories high. It’s massive. It’s scary. It’s wonderful.

Apparently the Steam Corp. still supplies many Seattle industries and restaurants with steam heat, including Swedish (for steam sterilization) and the Public Library (for heat). That vent in the street on Pike and Harvard, in front of the War Room, that leaks a continuous curtain of steam? Ventilation from the Steam Corporation, I’m told.

When I passed by on a beautiful, non-Dickensian Saturday afternoon, the building seemed completely abandoned. The windows were blacked out and the smoke stack was silent. Maybe they don’t pump out the steam in summer; maybe the operation has moved elsewhere.

If that’s the case, the building—as beautifully monstrous as it is—needs to be used for something. Illicit underage concerts, anyone?

RSS icon Comments

1

The Seattle Steam plant is still going strong. Maybe the kiddies could see shows at, I don't know... a used clothing store.

Posted by utilityguy | July 2, 2007 3:09 PM
2

I've always though the same...what a great relic (although wouldn't describe Union & Western as near Pioneer Square, more like the Pike Place Market).

Posted by Justy | July 2, 2007 3:14 PM
3

Does anyone know how they produce the steam? Do they own the pipes? Can you sign up to be a new customer, or is it all relics?

When I was two I fell and burned my tum-tum on a scalding steam manhole cover. I still have a little scar.

Posted by Fnarf | July 2, 2007 3:23 PM
4

they send steam throughout seattle? that just seems weird.

and the steam leaks out by the war room? that just seems inefficient. and weird.

but i've never heard of this before.

Posted by infrequent | July 2, 2007 3:27 PM
5

They both start with "P" so that's an understandable mistake for anyone, unless they've lived here for more than a year.

Posted by pike place square | July 2, 2007 3:31 PM
6

fnarf, did you fall on the vent near the war room? because i think according to the nighlife ordindance, you can hold the club responsible. yes, it is retroactive with no statue of limitations.

Posted by infrequent | July 2, 2007 3:32 PM
7

The photo you've shown is another building down near Yesler. The running steam plant is indeed on Western and Union. It's the one with the big orca mural on it. Incidentally, they also supply steam to the WaMu tower.

Posted by Brian | July 2, 2007 3:39 PM
8

How little do I know. They are now called the Seattle Steam Company, and they have been rapidly expanding in the past two decades. They serve more than half of the buildings in downtown and First Hill, and heat nearly 66 percent of the total square footage of their service area, which is just amazing.

That building dates from 1901, which is a little late for Dickens (died 1870). It's near the Market, not Pioneer Square; they have another plant down in Pioneer Square at Post Ave. and Yesler (unless these are mixed up).

There's a complete service map at http://www.seattlesteam.com/servicearea.htm.

Congrats, Mr. Zwickel, this is my favorite Slog post in a long time.

Posted by Fnarf | July 2, 2007 3:46 PM
9

Hitting the nail a bit off-center, but the post reminds me of an article I read in the P-I last year about Seattle Steam switching from gas fuel to recycled wood.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/265015_seattlesteam31.html

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | July 2, 2007 3:53 PM
10

i did get the impression that this building wasnt being used, and that if there was a functioning steam factory in seattle, this isnt it.

but i gotta say, its closer to pioneer square than the market, no? like, in bt downtown and pioneer square, which is only a couple blocks long. in fact, only a blog further down western is the pioneer square tavern.

but hey, im new here, and still hung up on geography. wheres this magnolia place ppl keep telling me about?

Posted by jz | July 2, 2007 4:05 PM
11

Seattle Steam oprates two plants, the one at Western & University, (the one with the orcas), and the plant (pictured) at Western & Columbia. A very active and old company that is now looking to burn waste wood to reduce green-house gases and fuel costs. Its all good.

Posted by peterson | July 2, 2007 4:07 PM
12

Ohmygod. That would be an amazing concert hall.

Posted by Vivian | July 2, 2007 4:37 PM
13

wow that building would make great condos for obscenely wealthy software retirees to use once or twice a year while the rest of us commute from puyallup.

Posted by maxsolomon | July 2, 2007 4:53 PM
14

For those of you who care, and can't figure it out, Slog added a dot to my link, which should be http://www.seattlesteam.com/servicearea.htm

Posted by Fnarf | July 2, 2007 4:56 PM
15

Nice pick, Fnarf. I love every kind of map.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | July 2, 2007 5:16 PM
16

Oh, Lloyd. Can you come talk to Mrs. Fnarf? Our house is practically falling down from all the maps bursting out of it, and she just doesn't understand. I'm not sure, but I think the words "stupid" and "insane" and "what the fuck?" have come up -- and she's not normally big on swearing. Maybe you could straighten her out, and explain why having dozens of OS Explorer 1:25000 maps of places in the UK that I have never and will never visit (Telford? Stoke-on-Trent? Wenlock Edge?) or USGS sheets is, uh, necessary.

Posted by Fnarf | July 2, 2007 5:57 PM
17

@ 3 Boilers.

The stack in the picture still vents condensation, in colder months.

Posted by utilityguy | July 2, 2007 7:21 PM
18

I hear ya, Fnarf. Time to scrap book, hunh? I'm happy keeping my collection to a few big atlases, a drawer full of road maps for where I travelled, and a couple of pretty ones for the walls.

I like imagining myself being the guy that waves the wand of precision, smart coloring and elegant simplicity into a well made (pre-Streets & Trips, yo) map.

What was that Steven Wright joke? I have a map of the United States on my wall. Actual size.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | July 2, 2007 7:46 PM
19

I think that there was an earlier, much cooler-looking smokestack that evoked a kind of "Eraserhead" reality.

Posted by Jim Demetre | July 2, 2007 8:52 PM
20

We had a party once across the street and projected Drag Queen Shoe shots on the Steam building. People passing by were entertained.

Posted by -B- | July 2, 2007 9:11 PM
21

all ages concerts? whatever. let's form a committee to hold Gay pride there next year?

Posted by frederick r | July 3, 2007 4:17 PM

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