Historic Seattle

Greg Smith knows a thing or two about real estate investment in Seattle. A fifth generation Seattleite, his family began investing in local real estate shortly after arriving in the late 1860s. Growing up, Greg watched the skyline rise while working jobs that connected him to the city’s historic core: running the concession stand at UPS’s Waterfall Garden Park, operating the elevator at Smith Tower, and later serving as building engineer at the Dexter Horton Building.

After attending the University of Washington, Greg joined his father at Martin Smith Inc., helping build it into one of the region’s most respected property management firms, known especially for its stewardship of historic buildings. After more than 20 years in the family business, he pursued his passion for high density urban development, founding Urban Visions in response to the environmental threats posed by Seattle’s 1980s sprawl.

Greg’s focus on the urban core has kept him deeply connected to the historic neighborhoods he loves, particularly Pioneer Square. In addition to an extensive portfolio of historic renovations and ownership in the neighborhood (Reedo Building, Lowman and Hanford Building, Central Building, Burke State Buildings), Urban Visions developed and owns 200 Occidental (Weyerhaeuser’s headquarters) and The Jack.

He also partnered with local artists and entrepreneurs to purchase and renovate the Good Arts Building, renewing its vitality and providing stability for arts and cultural organizations, later selling a majority interest to Historic Seattle, ensuring its long term stewardship.

Most recently, Urban Visions purchased the vacant Grand Central Block, composed of the Grand Central, City Loan, and Buttnick buildings. His commitment to its revitalization includes relocating the Urban Visions team to the building. New tenants include Nebula (Café Nordo), Prairie Underground, and Hoyle Hat Co.

Historic Seattle is honored to recognize Greg Smith for his steadfast dedication to preserving meaningful places, his thoughtful approach to development, and his enduring commitment to making Seattle the best it can be.

In a moment when many of Seattle’s historic buildings face uncertain futures, Nick Ferderer has emerged as one of the city’s most imaginative champions of creative activation. Perhaps unintentionally, he has become a powerful ally in preservation. As founder of Base Camp Studios and Base Camp Studios 2, Nick has transformed long vacant historic buildings in Belltown into vibrant galleries and affordable artist studios filled with creatives and community energy.

This year, Nick expanded his impact even further. In April, Base Camp Community, an affiliate nonprofit, became the owner of the 116 year old Gibraltar Tower at 1518 Third Avenue, another vacant historic building. His vision? To convert the tower into affordable, for sale, condo style artist lofts and studios. While he works to secure financing and permits, the building—now renamed the Parnassus Project, after Mount Parnassus, mythical home of the muses—serves as affordable temporary studio space for artists.

Through these efforts, Nick aims to strengthen Seattle’s arts ecosystem and help revitalize the downtown core. Historic Seattle sees an additional impact. His work slows the dangerous trend of demolition by neglect.

Nick’s approach is hands on. He knows how to work hard. When he signed the lease for the landmarked Bergman Luggage Building in August 2023, the building was in severe disrepair. There were thirty nine shattered windows, 55,000 pounds of trash, twenty toilets, sixty mahogany doors, three hundred brass picture frames, and lots of pigeons. Yet something about it spoke to him. He placed a sign in the window: “Vacant Too Long. Creative Community Space Coming Soon.”

Today, thanks to Nick’s vision and determination, three previously vacant historic buildings—one a designated landmark—are alive with activity. By bringing people, art, and purpose back into these spaces, he is preserving their physical fabric and restoring their role in the community.

Historic Seattle proudly honors Nick Ferderer with the 2026 Council Award for his extraordinary contributions to creative activation, community vitality, and preservation.

In 1980, members of downtown Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church were moved to action when they discovered people sleeping on their church doorstep. Responding to Rev. David Colwell’s challenge to “find a solution,” they founded Plymouth Housing, an independent nonprofit dedicated to developing and operating housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Today, Plymouth provides stable homes and support to over 1,500 adults across 18 buildings in Seattle and King County. One of those buildings is Pacific Apartments, a 1915 landmark at 4th and Marion.

Originally constructed as the Leamington Hotel and Apartments, the building emerged during a period of explosive early 20th century growth. Its red brick exterior and richly ornamented terra cotta façade exemplify early 20th century craftsmanship.

By the early 1980s, the building had closed, eventually becoming a flashpoint in Seattle’s housing crisis. After Operation Homestead occupied it, Plymouth purchased the building in 1993. Renamed Pacific Apartments, it became a place of stability for neighbors exiting homelessness.

Recognizing evolving resident needs, Plymouth undertook a second renovation completed in 2025. Aging single room units were replaced with fully private studios and one bedroom apartments, accessibility was improved throughout, community spaces were refreshed, and historic features were carefully restored.
Thanks to Plymouth’s commitment and determination, Pacific Apartments continues to enrich Seattle’s architectural landscape while advancing Plymouth’s mission, providing homes, healing, and hope, so that our neighbors who have experienced chronic homelessness can thrive.

Project Team: ARC Architects, Rafn Co. Construction, Richaven Architecture and Preservation

Smith Tower has been a defining presence in Seattle’s skyline since 1914. Over its long life, it has weathered difficult chapters, repeated ownership changes, periods of high vacancy, and even a mortgage default that left much of the building empty. Its most recent transfer, a deed in lieu of foreclosure, underscored deep uncertainty about its future.

When the 42 story tower went up for sale in 2023, it was marketed simply as an “investment offering”. Nearly half its office and retail space was vacant. Many investors hesitated, deterred by high interest rates and low demand for office space.

But one local investment group saw opportunity. One year later, Smith Tower had new, robust, local ownership with deep roots in Seattle.

“Smith Tower is a pillar of the Seattle skyline… This investment is a testament to our core belief that the future of the city of Seattle, along with the people who live and work here, is very bright,” said Joe Razore, Founding Principal of GT Capital.
GT Capital didn’t just acquire the building. They invested in its future. A voluntary seismic upgrade was completed across multiple tower floors. The project incorporated fluid viscous dampers, advanced seismic resilience technology that reduces seismic forces while minimizing invasive structural interventions. Because the work occurred inside an actively occupied historic high rise, the project required exceptional coordination and overnight construction.

These upgrades strengthen the building’s longevity, improve safety, and help lower insurance costs, enabling GT Capital to offer competitive lease rates. Tenants are responding. As of August 31, 2026, Smith Tower’s vacancy rate is down to 18%, half the downtown average.

Historic Seattle celebrates GT Capital’s vision, leadership, and early success — a powerful example of how thoughtful community investment can strengthen both a beloved landmark and the future of a downtown.

Investment Group: Seattle based GT Capital (Lead), prominent Seattle families, Freestone Capital Management, Evergreen Ventures Seismic Project Team: Coughlin Porter Lundeen, WG Clark Construction Co.

For more than two decades, Feliks Banel has been one of the Pacific Northwest’s most trusted keepers of memory. His Emmy Award–winning television work for the Seattle Channel, Edward R. Murrow Award–winning radio and podcast reporting, and his years as deputy director of MOHAI (1999–2006) have shaped how generations understand Seattle’s past.

Today, Feliks is the producer and host of CASCADE OF HISTORY, the region’s most popular live radio show and podcast devoted to local history, public affairs, culture, and preservation. Across all his platforms, he is one of Seattle’s most fearless chroniclers of preservation battles, documenting threats, advocating for architectural integrity, and holding institutions accountable for the futures of historic places.

His reporting on the proposed sale and out of state relocation of the National Archives and Records Center at Sand Point in 2020 exemplifies this commitment. Feliks broke the story and illuminated why the archives matter: treaty documents for more than 270 federally recognized tribes; 50,000 files from the Chinese Exclusion Act; records from Japanese American incarceration camps; and more. “People say they can feel their ancestors in these documents,” he noted. A new archive center will soon be built in Seattle.

Feliks brought the same clarity and conviction to the fight over Memorial Stadium, built in 1947 to honor 762 Seattle high school graduates who died in World War II. “The stadium itself is the memorial,” he reminded listeners. Only the memorial wall remains.

And during the Gas Works Park controversy, Feliks again became the primary watchdog, documenting the City’s attempts to bypass required approvals, filming the moment the first tower was cut in April and returning day after day as crews worked and withdrew.

For Feliks, preservation is not only about protecting structures. It’s about honoring the people, communities, and stories that give places meaning.
Historic Seattle proudly recognizes Feliks Banel for his unwavering dedication to storytelling, advocacy, and truth telling in service of Seattle’s history.

In 1975, a catastrophic double levy failure left Seattle Public Schools facing a financial crisis that forced them to consider massive cuts to basic programming, including kindergarten. In response, a small group of parents formed a private kindergarten. That single class became University Cooperative School.
Originally housed in a rented church basement, in 2002, the school purchased the Maxwell Building in 2002. Built in 1925 as a commercial auto garage, the building has long embodied the eclectic, small scale character of the University District neighborhood.

After 20 years in the building, the school had expanded. It was time to move forward with the master plan to inhabit the entire footprint of the two-story building.

“Our building was made with valuable and long-lasting materials. Its detailing and features, decorative facades, transom windows, terra cotta medallions, and unique glasswork were made with tried-and-true methods of workmanship. It was built to last. Our building anchors the corner on the last stretch of The Ave and has witnessed the aesthetic and cultural history of our city and neighborhood fast disappearing.” (Rise & Shine Campaign Materials)

Rather than relocating or replacing the structure, UCoop embraced a vision of adaptive reuse. Over the past ten years, a series of carefully sequenced renovations allowed the school to remain fully operational throughout construction. The centerpiece of the effort was the seismic retrofit. Upon completion, UCoop became the first school in Seattle to be officially removed from the City’s Unreinforced Masonry list.

Throughout the renovation process, the project team prioritized sustainability and stewardship. The reuse of the existing building conserved embodied energy, reduced construction waste, and preserved a familiar neighborhood landmark that reflects the neighborhood’s historic scale and texture at a time when many older structures face redevelopment pressure. University Cooperative School, a small institution with big preservation values.

Project Team: Cast Architecture, Sellen Construction, Swenson Say Faget, Westlake Consulting Group

Fun fact: did you know the Dearborn House used to be a plastic surgeon’s office before Historic Seattle acquired the building in 1997? It’s been HS’s headquarters ever since! Built in 1907, the house was a single-family residence until 1953, then converted to professional offices and occupied by a succession of medical practitioners. Currently, the Dearborn House is only one of four remaining significant homes on First Hill, the other three being The Stimson-Green Mansion (owned and operated by the WA Trust for Historic Preservation Washington Trust), Hofius House (owned by the Archdiocese), and the Stacy House (now the University Club). 

The Dearborn House grounds are open to the public, and our First Hill neighbors can be seen walking through the property’s Healing Garden and enjoying the building’s historic architecture. The curated garden was designed and fostered by HS’s expert horticulture team. The garden was created in partnership with Valerie Segrest (Valerie Segrest), an enrolled member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and native nutrition educator who specializes in local and traditional foods. Through the use of plants and interpretive signage, the Healing Garden’s purpose is to help teach visitors about the land’s original stewards’ history of medicine, cuisine, and culture.

While the Dearborn House itself is not open to the public, we encourage you to take a visit to the home and walk through the gardens. Learn more about our properties and all the other projects on our new and improved website by visiting www.historicseattle.org/project/ (linked in bio). 

Founded in 1977, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State (BHS) has long served as a steward of Black history, ensuring that stories, places, and legacies too often overlooked are documented, honored, and protected. Their recent leadership in securing the landmark designation of The People’s Wall stands as a defining achievement in community powered preservation.

Located at 1919 E Spruce Street in the Central District, The People’s Wall borders the former second headquarters of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party (1969–1971). The concrete retaining wall and its 1970 mural, painted by Dion Henderson, depicts national and local civil rights figures. It remains a vivid tribute to the Party’s commitment to community care, self determination, and liberation. As the nomination notes, the Wall is “all that physically remains” connecting this site to a pivotal era in Seattle and national civil rights history.

Its survival is extraordinary. After multiple FBI raids, the Panthers vacated the building in 1971. The federal government seized and demolished it in 1973. Despite decades of redevelopment and the dramatic displacement of the Central District’s Black community—from over 70% of residents in the 1970s to roughly 10–14% today—the Wall has endured, untouched and never defaced.

To address the underrepresentation of Black heritage sites on Seattle’s Landmarks List, BHS partnered with Historic Seattle in 2023 to deliver a landmark workshop series for emerging Black advocates. In January 2026, BHS representatives and a workshop participant submitted the nomination for The People’s Wall. In June, the Landmarks Preservation Board voted unanimously to designate the wall a city landmark, having met five of six landmark criteria.

This designation protects not only a physical place but the stories, struggles, and triumphs embedded within it. Historic Seattle is honored to celebrate BHS for their dedication to Black cultural preservation and their leadership in shaping a more inclusive and truthful historic landscape for our city.

Montlake Elementary School has anchored its neighborhood since 1914, when it opened on the historic Portage isthmus. where Duwamish people once carried canoes between Lake Union and Lake Washington. The school began as a single portable building serving 25 students. In 1924, it was replaced by a Georgian detailed brick school designed as the foundation for a larger campus. Planned north and south wings were never built, leaving Montlake dependent on portable classrooms for decades.

The school faced persistent challenges: steep slopes, one of the smallest parcels in the district, and entrances accessible only by stairs. At times, Seattle Public Schools considered closing it.

In 2013, the Montlake Community Club led a successful effort to landmark the building, highlighting its architectural significance and its role as a neighborhood touchstone. Going forward the building would be protected regardless of district planning.

While the school’s historic character remained intact, its facilities, including six portables, no longer met the needs of students, educators, or families. Seattle Public Schools’ recent renovation and expansion finally fulfills the original 1924 vision by completing the once unfinished school.

Working within a tight 1.65 acre site with 25 feet of grade change, SPS and its project partners undertook a complex effort to expand the campus while preserving the landmarked structure. The historic building was shored on three sides during excavation. Original wood doors, built in wardrobes, chalkboards, trim, floors, and windows were carefully restored.

The new addition was intentionally lowered to maintain neighborhood scale and sunlight patterns. It now houses the gym, cafeteria, classrooms, and library—spaces previously located in portables. Atop the gym sits the District’s first rooftop field. After a century of barriers, Montlake is fully ADA compliant.
Seattle Public Schools’ stewardship demonstrates how honoring the past can coexist with bold investment in the future.

Project Team: Building Envelope Technology & Research, DLR Group, Hargis Engineers, LPD Engineering, Metrix Engineers, Skanska, The Greenbusch Group

Thank you so much First Hill Seattle and Pike Place Market for welcoming us back to the First Hill Friday Farmers Market! Preservation chats, new friends, free stuff, and gorgeous dahlias made for a great time. The First Hill market is extending through the end of October, be sure to check it out on Terry Ave between Madison St and Spring St from 10am - 2pm.