_{Triangle Bar, courtesy of Slightlynorth}

The Viaduct has been the source of controversy since I moved here- when we arrived a year and a half ago, Seattle residents were preparing for the now-infamous no-no vote on replacing the viaduct. While talk swirled around us about surface street options and tunnels, we happily ignored the subject, and instead enjoyed the harbor views while speeding along it to West Seattle and Burien and back up to our place on north Aurora.

Now, a state preservationist wants to get historic landmark status for the viaduct. Don’t get me wrong- I love the viaduct wholeheartedly- it’s one of my favorite parts of the city. But, much like the Ballard Denny’s debacle, I can’t imagine naming an aging transportation structure a historic landmark will change the fact that eventually something will have to be done about it. But it seems like Seattle may be bound to repeat the mistakes of its recent past. My favorite paragraph from the article is below:

Other structures on the national register have been subsequently torn down, said state architectural historian Michael Houser. “Listing doesn’t mean it can’t be torn down,” Karen Gordon, the city’s historic preservation officer, said of the viaduct. “Listing in the national register is honorific.”

The whole situation just leaves me befuddled.

Related posts:

1. Online voter registration almost a reality
2. seattle, all viaduct all the time. please make it stop.
3. Spin the Bottle…
4. On the Viaduct Replacement: Jean Godden
5. Today in Seattle history: The Space Needle