The sudden closure of Mod Pizza in Pioneer Square has left a significant void in the heart of Occidental Square Park, a historic and iconic site in Seattle. With Mod Pizza’s departure, over 90% of the retail space attached to the park now sits empty, casting a shadow over the once-bustling neighborhood.
The owner of the entire block on the western side of the park where the Grand Central Building sits empty, Unico Properties, has garnered a reputation for purchasing major Seattle landmarks and leaving them vacant, purportedly for renovations that they themselves deemed unnecessary when they pitched their purchase plan.
Now, a quarter of the opposite side of the park, where Weyerhauser is headquartered, lies empty, depriving workers of another popular lunch spot and creating another empty storefront visitors will have to walk past on their way to the stadiums.
The closure of Mod Pizza has exacerbated the struggles faced by businesses surrounding Occidental Square, which have long grappled with neglect and the aftermath of the pandemic and fear of riots that forced boards onto every window. Emergency services catering to the homeless population have also contributed to the neighborhood’s challenges, giving the impression of a place overrun with homeless people when it’s actually a safe place where people go to get help.
After a time you learn that many of the learned behaviors accumulated on the streets can be off putting to those unfamiliar with the behavior. Explaining to visitors the benign nature of people huddled in front of a shuddered businesses smoking fentyl can be difficult. When said behaviors include throwing chairs, breaking windows cussing out and intimidating employees or having all out gang fight with chains and baseball bats in front of your showcase pizza joint it can become a deal breaker.
While there are glimmers of hope on the horizon, such as the upcoming openings of two new music venues on Occidental Avenue, progress has been slow and hard-won. Pressure on property owners, including the owner of the Grand Central Block, has been necessary to prompt action, highlighting the need for greater accountability and community engagement in revitalizing Pioneer Square.
Despite the obstacles, there are signs of resilience and determination within the neighborhood. Businesses like Baba Yaga and Golden Roosters are forging ahead, providing new venues for live music and entertainment. However, their success remains contingent on addressing the broader issues of vacancy and neglect that continue to plague Pioneer Square.
Ironically our biggest hope remains Unico Properties staying true to their word. That they are renting out the spaces on Occidental Avenue is encouraging, them re-opening the Grand Central Block to leases for the bakery, booksellers, artists, and makers that filled it only a few years ago would improve the neighborhood dramatically. It’s easy to envision a future where Unico leads the Historic South Downtown Seattle revitalization. They’ve articulated a vision and demonstrated their ability to deliver before. but the time for them to act is now. How many businesses in the area can survive another year of it looking like this?
If Unico and absentee owners like that of the Del Mar building don’t start making a good faith effort to renting their properties it will be up to the community to pressure the mayor and city council to create more incentives to renting at true market rates, a vacancy tax is one method. If we truly want affordability we need to have all of these spaces open and rented at a price the market can sustain. The supply is artificially low in key parts of the neighborhood and visitors can feel it.
Rather than fund programs that subsidize the property owners’ decision to not rent by paying them to have art in their empty windows or on the boards that protect them, the city should take proceeds of a vacancy tax to pay for small businesses to be in those spaces. There are entire blocks of Seattle’s 3rd Avenue that you would have to pay people to rent because they are so unsavory if not outright unsafe. A dramatic shift in approach is needed if we expect to preserve the historic spaces in our downtown and I’m prepared to see it start in Seattle’s first neighborhood.