Seattle (Wash.). Historic Preservation Program

The Office of Urban Conservation was created in 1975 as part of the Dept. of Community Development (DCD). It was founded in an era of citizen protests against a proposed urban renewal program that would have demolished Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. The office's mandate was to coordinate Seattle's historic preservation programs and administer the city's landmark boards and historic districts. When DCD was abolished in 1992, the office became the Historic Preservation Program in the Dept. of Neighborhoods. The Ballard Avenue Landmark District was created by the Seattle City Council in 1976. Ballard Ave. was the core of the area's central business district for decades. When Market St. became the main arterial, Ballard Avenue's development effectively came to a standstill, preserving its character as a small-town main street with buildings from the 1890s to 1940s, along with the occasional hitching post. The Office of Urban Conservation, and later the Historic Preservation Program, provided staffing to the Ballard Avenue Landmark District Board.

The Office of Urban Conservation was created in 1975 as part of the Dept. of Community Development (DCD). It was founded in an era of citizen protests against a proposed urban renewal program that would have demolished Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. The office's mandate was to coordinate Seattle's historic preservation programs and administer the city's landmark boards and historic districts. When the DCD was abolished in 1992, the office became the Historic Preservation Program in the Dept. of Neighborhoods. The International Special Review District was created by the City Council in 1973 in order to preserve the neighborhood's unique Asian-American character. It was the only area in the continental U.S. where Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and African Americans combined to build one neighborhood. The District contains early 20th century hotels and commercial buildings, and part of the area is listed on the National Register. The International Special Review District Board was established in the 1970s. One focus of the Board was to encourage development of housing and pedestrian-friendly businesses, which was of special concern with the construction of the Kingdome just west of the neighborhood. The Office of Urban Conservation, and later the Historic Preservation Program, provided staffing to the board.

The Office of Urban Conservation was created in 1975 as part of the Dept. of Community Development (DCD). It was founded in an era of citizen protests against a proposed urban renewal program that would have demolished Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. The office's mandate was to coordinate Seattle's historic preservation programs and administer the city's landmark boards and historic districts. When DCD was abolished in 1992, the office became the Historic Preservation Program in the Dept. of Neighborhoods. From 1852 onward, Pioneer Square was the center of Seattle's commercial activity. The Great Fire of 1889 destroyed twenty-five blocks of downtown, but the city immediately began rebuilding, using fire-resistant stone and brick. The neighborhood flourished during the Alaska gold rush, but as the central business core began to move northward, Pioneer Square became host to rough taverns and seedy hotels. A city plan to raze the district in the 1960s generated a grass roots preservation movement led by architects Ralph Anderson and Victor Steinbrueck. In 1970 they succeeded in having the neighborhood designated as a national historic district as well as Seattle's first preservation district. The Pioneer Square Historic Preservation Board was instituted in 1971, and the Pioneer Square Special Review District Board in 1974. The two boards began holding joint meetings in Oct. 1979, and continued this practice until Sept. 1981 when they were consolidated as the Pioneer Square Preservation Board. The Office of Urban Conservation, and later the Historic Preservation Program, provided staffing to the boards. The Architectural Review Committee was a Pioneer Square Preservation Board subcommittee.