Slog - Comments on Demolition on Boren http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren The Northcliffe Apartments have stood vacant for the last four years, according to a neighbor standing at Boren Ave and Seneca St yesterday afternoon. "I've been waiting for this for a long time," she said, holding her camera phone. But it was news to me. I'd just ran off the bus because the driver announced we had to take "a detour to avoid a building demolition." Virginia Mason Hospital is expanding. The existing wings have some seismic instability problems, the hospital says, so its razing the Northcliffe to make room for a new wing. Fair enough. But, still, the Northcliffe... Copyright 2008 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:30:18 -0800 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:59:00 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by NapoleonXIV What a beautiful old building.

That said, if they were able to take it down that fast, it wasn't going to be too seismically stable.

I would not have wanted to weather an earthquake in it.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946591 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946591 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:22:13 -0800 Comment by haunted leg It was sad to see a pretty brick building go down, but the neighborhood has smelled of rotting things and mold ever since they took the windows out of the building several months ago, so I'm glad at least the smell will be gone.

]]> haunted leg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946600 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946600 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:23:55 -0800 Comment by Zander Brick buildings hold up pretty well in Earthquakes. Seattle has a number of buildings that have already been through a number of shakers.
Another sad part of this story is the loss of affordable housing stock.

]]> Zander http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946607 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946607 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:30:50 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Fucking evil. Virginia Mason, rot in hell. Build your shit somewhere else. That building should have been saved.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946611 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946611 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:52:14 -0800 Comment by Storey is Dead. that's why i love seattle so much. as long as you include parking and main level retail, tear that old shit down.

]]> Storey is Dead. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946634 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946634 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:31:45 -0800 Comment by John Where should VM be building, if not there?

I'd blame condo developers and City Hall for loss of affordable housing long before I'd blame the hospital.

]]> John http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946643 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946643 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:03:11 -0800 Comment by Madashell If I remember correctly, way back when, this building used to house nursing students when VM had its own nursing school. It's sad to see an old building go, but it's a long time coming. I've worked at VM and the place is a crammed shoe box. They're overdue for an expansion and have to go somewhere, I guess.

]]> Madashell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946644 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946644 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:12:19 -0800 Comment by Jeff Well, at least it's not yet another new condo project or a conversion.

]]> Jeff http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946661 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946661 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:31:22 -0800 Comment by Boylston That place was a total crackhouse 10 years ago.

]]> Boylston http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946663 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946663 Boom Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:58:40 -0800 Comment by John Love Virginia Mason - they have saved my life several times.

World class medical resource center - much expertise in five or six major medical areas.

Let's hope they are maxing out height and under ground parking for the future - and then will limit expansion by tear downs.

Completely rebuilt - that building would have been GREAT medium priced housing - how little we plan anything.

]]> John http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946667 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946667 Boom Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:26:23 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV While I am very pro-old building, I'm not seeing any reinforced concrete being pulled down in those pictures. Which is why they were able to take it down so fast.

That building could have been a disaster.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946716 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946716 Boom Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:27:06 -0800 Comment by Trevor That building should have been saved. Wanna know what could have been demolished instead? The parking lot between VM and Town Hall. Replace it with a larger underground garage and build up. Save housing in the process.

John I'm glad Virginia Mason saved your life. Their misdiagnosing my appendicitis twice resulted in my system going septic and my almost losing my life. Since they didn't remove my appendix when they "drained" me, I got appendicitis again 6 months later. They charged me $75000 for their malpractice. I was hospitalized 4 years later as a result of the episode, and I'm still suffering complications now nine years later. I would never recommend that anyone go to Virginia Mason, especially not their overcrowded emergency room where they have people triaged on stretchers in the hallway.

]]> Trevor http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946804 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946804 Boom Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:06:51 -0800 Comment by John Trevor - sorry to hear the negative story.

My recent problems are heart and diabetes. And in those fields, for me, they have been excellent.

Years ago, the almost killer was serious hep.

]]> John http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946811 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c946811 Boom Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:16:18 -0800 Comment by Madashell Trevor @ 12 -
Did you sue? Seems like you had an open-and-shut case, by your description.

]]> Madashell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c947080 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c947080 Boom Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:29:01 -0800 Comment by Madashell BTW, ERs all over the place are overcrowded:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-emergency9feb09,1,5278651.story

]]> Madashell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c947089 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c947089 Boom Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:33:22 -0800 Comment by Adrian Whoa. I used to live there in 95. I loved it, we could play music as loud as we wanted, that was the beauty of these old buildings, not like today.

]]> Adrian http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c947578 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c947578 Boom Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:15:14 -0800 Comment by as OMG! this is the building I was talking about on a different comment. We'll I guess if it stood the 2001 (was it?) earth quake?.. well no I know these old buildings may not be so safe, but there are ways to reinforce them. I guess if this baby was a celebrity like UW's Suzallo Library, someone would come up with the money to fix it.
The seismic upgrade on Suzallo is awesome by the way :)

Somehow though, these old buildings have a charm that most of new generation condos are missing... It's our consumerist generation.

]]> as http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c948744 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c948744 Boom Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:30:19 -0800 Comment by as OMG! this is the building I was talking about on a different comment. We'll I guess if it stood the 2001 (was it?) earth quake?.. well no I know these old buildings may not be so safe, but there are ways to reinforce them. I guess if this baby was a celebrity like UW's Suzallo Library, someone would come up with the money to fix it.
The seismic upgrade on Suzallo is awesome by the way :)

Somehow though, these old buildings have a charm that most of new generation condos are missing...

]]> as http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c948745 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c948745 Boom Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:30:50 -0800 Comment by RR This was a great old building and it makes me SICK to hear that it was torn down. God help us.

]]> RR http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c952684 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/demolition_on_boren#c952684 Boom Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:59:00 -0800