Next month, King County will reopen its downtown Seattle administrative building, which was closed in 2022 because of costly renovation needs and the spread of remote work. The building will now be used temporarily to accommodate employees returning to the office.
The decision is tied to County Executive Dow Constantine’s policy. In January, he announced that employees in the executive branch would have to work in the office at least three days a week. The full transition was expected to be completed by spring 2026, but that target has not yet been reached.
According to the administration, 16,300 county employees currently work in the office at least two days a week. By next month, about 12,800 people — slightly more than three-quarters of the executive branch workforce — are expected to shift to a schedule of at least three office days. This figure includes workers such as bus drivers and jail guards, who have always worked primarily at their job sites.
Not all employees have supported the changes. In the spring, about 75 people occupied the lobby of the Chinook Building to protest the mandatory return. The county services administration building became the site of the demonstration because of its prominent public lobby, with a steady flow of employees, visitors and executives. Protesters said many tasks could be performed remotely, while commuting and working in the office increased costs and burdens. Their signs also said the public needed services, not additional office desks.
The new policy has created a shortage of workspaces. According to a consultants’ report, the county would be short more than 2,500 spaces if employees worked three days in the office and each had a dedicated desk. Even with shared desks, about 1,150 additional workspaces would be needed. Under a two-day schedule, the shortfall would be only about 200 spaces. Workstations could be arranged more densely, used in shifts, or assigned to employees on a hybrid model without permanent desks. The county has already set aside $5.4 million for the costs and could request another $16.7 million this fall for leasing, renovations and IT infrastructure.
The shortage of space could increase demand for affordable offices and make them harder to find, although the surplus of commercial real estate in downtown Seattle could limit rent increases. In the longer term, the county will likely need to renovate, repurpose or make greater use of other buildings, taking their condition and lease terms into account.
The administrative building next to the county courthouse was constructed in 1971. Its massive Brutalist style, gray concrete, diamond-patterned screen and hundreds of small hexagonal windows have sparked debate. Some consider the structure an important example of 20th-century urban architecture and a work of public art; others see it as bleak and unwelcoming. The phrase “the ugliest building in the world” remains a provocative journalistic label, not an official title. The diamond-patterned screen protects the rooms from sunlight while also creating a distinctive façade that many people find unattractive.
Next month, the fifth floor of the building will be occupied by the Department of Public Health. The building is also temporarily housing a sobering center designed to serve up to 40 people.
A major modernization of the building is not currently planned; its cost was estimated at $80 million in 2019. County officials say the structure was maintained in working order during its closure, and they consider the water safe for drinking and hand-washing; bottled water is provided to employees when necessary. Officials emphasize that the building will be used temporarily while the county searches for and prepares other spaces.
Based on: King County will reopen shuttered building as workers return to office