On Monday at the famous Seattle Gas Works Park, crews began dismantling ladders and pedestrian catwalks from its cracked towers. Sparks from cutting torches and the clatter of falling metal did not faze midday sunbathers seated just behind the fencing around the structures. The nearly 8-hectare park on the north shore of Lake Union was once a coal-gasification plant and opened to the public in 1976.
Partial demolition of one of the city’s most iconic landmarks began after an almost eight-month dispute among city agencies. From September through March the City Department of Parks and Recreation could not get approval from the Landmarks Preservation Board, which twice rejected requests to remove hazardous elements. Officials said changes were necessary because of accidents: in July last year a 15-year-old Ballard High School student died after a fall, and since 2012 the park has recorded two other deaths and 11 serious injuries.
The board’s veto was bypassed on March 30 when the Department of Construction and Inspections unexpectedly issued an order to remove the unsafe ladders, pipes and catwalks by May 15. City rules prohibit altering landmarks without the board’s approval, but include an exception for dangerous structures. The parks department applied for a permit the following day, and it was approved two weeks later. Now several bicyclists and park visitors are filming the work on their phones as they watch the historic transformation.
Based on: Demolition of ladders, catwalks underway at Seattle’s Gas Works Park