A Seattle-based real estate developer plans to convert a historic downtown building, which for more than a century has served as a church sanctuary, into a restaurant with ballroom space.
Daniels Real Estate has owned this 107-year-old building since 2008, one year after Daniels was founded. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that Daniels has submitted information to the City Landmarks Preservation Board, with drawings that show the main and balcony levels of the church being turned into a restaurant, and the basement of the church becoming a ballroom area.
People would be able to enter the restaurant from Fifth + Columbia, a $400 million, 43-story tower that Daniels started building in June 2014 and is scheduled to complete in 2017. The lower floors of the high rise will become SLS Seattle, a luxury hotel whose interiors were designed by French designer Philippe Starck, who is also redesigning the church. The upper floors will be offices.
ZGF Architects designed the tower, which is being built by JTM. Seattle-based Ron Wright & Associates/Architects is also involved in the project.
When Daniels Real Estate paid $32 million to the First Methodist Church to acquire the sanctuary and an adjacent property, it had agreed to preserve the sanctuary and move its congregants to a new church near the Seattle Center. The Business Journal reports that Daniels had turned the sanctuary into a recital hall, and leased the building to a branch of Mars Hill Church, which disbanded on January 1.
Kevin Daniels, the developer’s owner, says there’s at least a year’s worth of work to move the sanctuary project from “the big idea stage” to fruition.
A Seattle developer has submitted plans to convert a history church sanctuary into a two-floor restaurant with ballrooms. Rendering courtesy Ron Wright & Associates, ZGF Architects
The converted restaurant will be accessible from a 43-story tower the same developer is building next door, which should be completed by 2017.
Related Stories
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 23, 2013
Manhattan's landmark Marble Collegiate Church modernized
Helpern Architects, Structure Tone led the Building Team in a multi-phase project.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 4, 2013
Nifty video shows planned development of La Sagrada Familia basilica
After 144 years, construction on Gaudi's iconic Barcelona edifice is picking up speed, with a projected end date of 2026.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 19, 2013
Roof renovation tips: Making the choice between overlayment and tear-off
When embarking upon a roofing renovation project, one of the first decisions for the Building Team is whether to tear off and replace the existing roof or to overlay the new roof right on top of the old one. Roofing experts offer guidance on making this assessment.
| Sep 11, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 3 coverage
Day 3 coverage of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo, taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Sep 10, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 2 coverage
The BD+C editorial team brings you this real-time coverage of day 2 of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Aug 26, 2013
What you missed last week: Architecture billings up again; record year for hotel renovations; nation's most expensive real estate markets
BD+C's roundup of the top construction market news for the week of August 18 includes the latest architecture billings index from AIA and a BOMA study on the nation's most and least expensive commercial real estate markets.