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Building History

Originally, This early-20th-century skyscraper had 6 stories. It originally accommodated medical professionals and contained a pharmacy and other stores in its basement and ground floor spaces. Two developers, Fred J. Eitel and his brother, David F. Eitel, erected the steel-frame skyscraper at an approximate cost of $75,000. On 03/07/1906, the J. A. Livesley Company purchased the office and commercial building from the Eitels. In 09/1906, new owner sought a permit to add a story at a cost of $18,000. It is thought that Willam Doty Van Siclen was the architect of the seventh-floor addition, as well.

By 1978, the once-full building lacked tenants on any of its upper floors. Only the ground floor spaces had been rented; this deterioration mirrored the immediate neighborhood's slide, and it became a crime hotspot one block away from tourists at the Pike Place Market.

On 09/25/2002, Richard G. Nimmer, Sr., and his wife, Sandra L., "sold" the building (for $0) to a real estate development company, 1507 Group LLC, with the purpose of demolishing it to build a larger mixed-use building. The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board considered controls and incentives for this landmark status on 01/16/2008. William Justen, Managing Director of the Samis Foundation, supported the landmarking of the Eitel Building in 2006. He did this because he wanted to preserve views of the neighboring 1521 2nd Avenue Tower in which he had a personal stake. The Eitel Building's owner, Richard G. Nimmer, Sr., sought no landmarking and controls on the building. He proposed c. 2007 a 22-story building that would be built above the original six stories. The building would be gutted, and the original facade only of the Eitel Building would be preserved. Creation of this new 22-story Eitel Building would block views from a significant portion of the 1521 Second Avenue tower, making this condo tower worth less. Justen and Nimmer tangled previously when the Monorail Authority was considering where to place a station in the area. Each landowner wanted the other's property condemned.

Building Notes

The main entry had an arch supported by 4 Corinthian columns; acroteria, coffered vaulting and elaborate decorative detailing distinguished the vaulted doorway.

The Seattle Commercial School occupied space in the Eitel Building in 1906. (See Polk Seattle Directory Company's Seattle City Directory, 1906, p. 1193.)

Alteration

An addition of a seventh story was made c. 1906-1907.