Following up my serieson historic preservation in 2009, there's some good early news to report.
First is that this week, the Seattle Landmarks Board voted to make Washington Hall a city landmark. It was found to qualify under two criteria landmarks criteria (it architectural significance and its connection with the city's cultural heritage). The goal of building boosters now is to restore it and perhaps return it to public use as a multi-cultural community resource. It's future is still to be hashed out.
Second, historic preservation consultant Mimi Sheridan writes to say that she'll be presenting a landmark nomination for the George Carmack House to the city board on Feb 18, unless the schedule is changed. The George Carmack House was the last residence of the man whose discovery started the Klondike Gold Rush, the event that put Seattle on the international map. The future of the house is in question due to possible development.
Next, Donovan Rypkema, the historic preservation and economic development consultant quoted in my story, has posted a piece about my two stories on his blog including an email Q&A with me in which he elaborates on some of the issues I covered in my piece. For anyone interested in more on his views regarding the whether historic preservation has a role to play in the Obama-era economic recovery, you can get more at his Website.
Lastly, unless the story about the Seattle-Post Intelligencer's sale and possible folding is in the category of a "Christine Gregoire is going to be Obama's Secretary of Commerce" misreading of tea leaves, who is going to get that beautiful, historic P-I globe? Let's hope we don't have to decide for many years to come and long may it turn above the Pee-eye pay-puh before it winds up at the Museum of History and (the former newspaper) Industry.
