The Buckingham

Seattle residents will soon be given the opportunity to own a piece of their city’s history.  The Seattle City Council plans on putting two old fire stations up for public sale: Fire Station 37 in West Seattle and Fire Station 38 in the Ravenna/Bryant neighborhood.  Both stations have been out of use for some time and will now be given the chance to serve the community in other ways.

Both properties will be sold through an open-bid auction.  The proceeds will go toward the fire levy fund, which is used to upgrade and renovate other stations, construct new training facilities, and build new fire boats, among other things.  The sales should happen late this year or early next year.

Due to their former purposes, the fire stations’ architectural designs may prove problematic for whoever buys the properties.  With their mazelike structures built for the needs of a fire house, renovating could get tricky, especially since whoever takes these places will have to cooperate with the Landmark Preservation Board.

Another possible problem for selling will be pricing.  How does one decide the value of a historic construct in terms of today’s economic conditions and real estate patterns?

The sale of fire stations around the United States leaves the city of Seattle with high hopes for their endeavors.