Save the B&O Building!

I think it was a year or so ago when I first heard that the building B&O Espresso occupies (1650 Olive Way) was going to be torn down to make way for a typical 6-story-residential-with-first-story-commercial development. B&O protested and the neighbors did too, but the DPD said the plan was ok and that was that.

For the last few months I've been seeing little yellow business cards with "Save the B&O Building" on them. And then my mom(!) sent me a link to the Seattle Weekly blogpost on the subject. Apparently the fight's still on to the save the B&O building. It's a worthy cause - the building is pretty neat looking and it's over 75 years old (a "character building" as they call it in the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay-to-be). There are also 2 four-plex apartments on the lot, and we all know that whatever residential space takes their place will a lot more expensive than what's there now.

So, check out the Capitol Hill Organization Insuring Cultural Equity's website. It has pretty historical pictures and a convenient online petition if you feel like throwing your signature in to support the cause.

Note about B&O's new location-to-be on Broadway: I have heard that B&O is opening its Broadway location while it's still operating at 1650 Olive. So if the 1650 block is saved, we get two B&O's? Time to find out more...