Seattle industrial land gentrification

Captcha · Jun 11, 2012

I'm looking for a Seattle neighbourhood that was previously light industrial but that has shifted to either residential or maybe commercial over the last couple decades.

I found articles on gentrification in the Ranier Valley, but as far as I can tell that was more low-end residential before the shift. I need a neighbourhood that used to be light industrial. It would be fine if the transition was still in progress - I have a corporate raider character who wants to buy the old business and break it up and sell it - one prime asset should be the land the factory is sitting on.

Thanks for any help with this!

LoopyLinde · Jun 11, 2012

Maybe Belltown, but that was more lower income housing. And now is in decline again. The South Lake Union neighborhood seems to be in the process. There are or used to be many small businesses there. Sodo? Still very industrial with plans to add housing. The port is in on it IIRC.

The issue with Seattle is that it was always really a working class city. Many neighborhoods were a bit shabby. Gentrification at first was more about fixing up in residential neighborhoods, and then adding infill housing. Plus industrial areas are still in use for industry.

I'd say Capitol Hill is another one. Not that much industry but definitely developers are getting in there and basically destroying all the small businesses along certain streets. That's been in the news lately. Pike or Pine street, with plans to level old buildings from the 20's and build high rise condos.

Don't know how much help that was. Large parcels of land with factories on them are scarce here. Check out Sodo or Georgetown.

Captcha · Jun 12, 2012

Do you think it would be realistic for the factory to be on the edge of downtown? It's a toy factory, not heavy industry, and not super-huge.
I just want it to be somewhere that it made sense to build a factory forty years ago, but where the land would now be better utilized in something higher-end.

Karen Junker · Jun 12, 2012

There's an old bread making factory on Jackson street and around 17th that has been turned into high end apartments.

The old Rainier brewery in Sodo has been turned into condos and artist lofts.

I'd think about using the Atlantic neighborhood, just between downtown and Leschi -- there are some old factories that are being turned into homes and so on.

Seattle industrial land gentrification

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LoopyLinde

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Karen Junker

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