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Building History

Seattle architect Louis Svarz (1886-1976) designed the Ranke Building #2 in 1926, and it was completed in 1927. The Walk Over Shop, selling shoes and hosiery, opened in this space on 07/27/1927. The Walk Over Women's Shop had a street address of 1505 5th Avenue, the Men's Shop at 420 Pike Street, both on the first floor of the Ranke Building #2. (See "Walk Over Shop ad", Seattle Times, 07/26/1927, p. 10.) On 08/22/1937, the Seattle Times reported a lease of "...the Ranke Building, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pike Street, to Nordstrom's, Inc., involving a a consideration of $200,000 over a ten-year period. Approximately $15,000 will be spent in modernization." (See "Space Leased to Dress Shop," Seattle Times, 08/22/1937, p. 19.) Nordstrom's, Incorporated, (later shortened to "Nordstrom, Inc.,") begun in Seattle, WA, as a small department store in 1901 called "Wallin and Nordstrom," would later expand its presence in the Ranke Building #2 to occupy all of it. Nordstrom purchased Best's Apparel, a Seattle retailer of women's clothing, in 1963; Best's had its flagship store located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Pine Street, and from 1963-1967, the two companies maintained their old separate identities. Between 1967-1971, the Nordstrom Brothers--Elmer J., Everett W. and Lloyd W.--operated their vibrant firm as "Nordstrom-Best." In 02/1971, Nordstrom announced it would soon begin the demolition of all the stores on Fifth Avenue between Nordstrom-Best Apparel at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street and Nordstrom's Shoes at Fifth Avenue and Pike Street." The Seattle Times article added: ""The new store will be possible as a result for Nordstrom-Best will stretch all the way from Pine to Pike. The two stores now on the two corners will be remodeled along with the reconstruction of the other shops on Fifth Avenue." (See "Store to Stretch from Pike to Pine," Seattle Times, 02/11/1971, p. D10.) Seattle architectural firm Roland Terry and Associates collaborating with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, San Francisco, designed this block-long project that joined the Nordstrom Shoe Store in the Ranke Building #2 with the Nordstrom-Best Building to form a new flagship store in 1973. Significant alterations were also made to the building in 1986.

Nordstrom moved out of the Ranke Building #2 (and the other neighboring buildings) in mid-1998 to set up its new headquarters in the former Frederick and Nelson Department Store Building. Nordstrom opened in the Frederick and Nelson Store on 08/21/1998.

Building Notes

The six-story building at 1505 5th Avenue contained 97,720 gross square feet in 2014, 84,614 net. It covered a 13,200 parcel about 0.3 acres in size. In 2014, the building contained retail space on the first two floors taking up 26,400 gross square feet (gsf), 17,459 net, and office were located on the second floor to the sixth composing 71,320 gsf, 67,155 net.