The Showbox Gets A Temporary Win

FilmMagic – The ShowBox
The Showbox in Seattle lit up Jan. 27, 2016 when the venue hosted an after-party for the premier of the HBO’s series “Vinyl.” A wave of public outcry swept across social media after news broke that developers had submitted plans to replace the iconic venue with condos.

Seattle music fans scored a short-term victory in their attempt to save one of the scene’s landmark venues, as the City Council voted to temporarily include The Showbox in a historical district.

Venue supporters crowded the council chamber according to The Seattle Times, and the Council passed the ordinance to extend the boundaries of the Pike Place Market Historical District for 10 months by vote of 8-0. 

Councilmember Kshama Sawant pushed for legislation that would have expanded the historic district to encompass additional boundaries, but the proposal was reduced to cover only The Showbox in the week prior to the vote.

When news broke in July via The Times that Canadian developer Onni Group planned to replace the venue with a 440-foot, 442-unit apartment tower, a wave of supporters rushed to the venue’s aid resulting in a website and a petition that gathered more than 93,000 signatures.

“This @ShowboxPresents Market closing cannot stand!” Dufff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses fame wrote on Twitter. “This place has musically flavored what Seattle IS at its core. Progress is great and all, but not at the cost of the soul of the city.”

Councilmember M. Lorena González plans to submit a resolution in the coming months to lay out the city’s plans for The Showbox, according to The Times. The ordinance still needs the signature of Mayor Jenny Durkan, according to the paper.