Catfish Corner and The Facts. These have been the familiar landmarks on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and E Cherry St. But even when I was a kid, The Facts newspaper building looked like it was falling apart.

Mona West, who purchased the property a year ago, has filed a proposal with the city’s Department of Planning and Development to build a three-story development with residential and commercial units on the site. “We are just exploring options at this point,” she tells me. If they do proceed, West is committed to keeping the newspaper based in the same location. “That’s The Facts’ corner and we’d like to continue that tradition in a more modern building—something that fits with the neighborhood,” she says.

The newspaper, published in Seattle for 44 years, is “From the voice of the African American community.” The current issue and the iconic yellow sign on the corner both promote the upcoming Martin Luther King Day march.

When I walked by to take pictures, four “open” signs were posted in the window. But nobody answered the door. When I called today, a gentleman answered but didn’t know anything about the development proposal. I’ll update this post when I hear back.

An early design guidance meeting is tentatively scheduled for February 20th at 6:30 PM.