A 130-year-old Seattle landmark was severely damaged by fire in Belltown the neighborhood. The historic Wayne Apartments was scheduled for demolition despite being granted landmark status in 2015. The apartment building dates back to the 1890s. The historic building was damaged early Thursday morning.
Properties, which included Wayne Apartments, were abandoned and slated for demolition, but “are now being regularly entered by people.” One resident said that intimidating individuals and groups are regularly concentrating and loitering in the area, and along the abandoned storefronts and in the alley.
No one was found in the building and no one was hurt putting out the fire. The fire was under control by 5:45 a.m. and Seattle Fire scaled back the response to “a few units” by 6:15 a.m. The cause of Thursday’s fire is currently under investigation. Seattle Fire said no damages were estimated due to the building being slated for demolition.
Documents from the city show that Wayne Apartments was to be replaced with seven stories of market-rate housing with first-floor retail. The fire at Wayne Apartments, located on the 2200 block of 2nd Avenue, was first reported just after 4 a.m. At one point, black smoke from the fire could be seen over the Seattle skyline as crews worked to put the fire out.
The Wayne Apartments building is one of Seattle’s oldest landmarks. It was built between 1889 and 1891 and became a city landmark in Oct. 2015. The building was one of the last examples of a rowhouse. In 2015, the building landmark designation said it “contributes to the distinctive quality or identity” of the neighborhood.
