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The Good Arts Building

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Moving Forward

AuthorPosted byadmin on January 13, 2021|Comments Off on Moving Forward

In 2015 an unlikely crew—artists, developer, coffee-shop owner—forged an alliance to buy a historic building in Pioneer Square. We dubbed it the Good Arts Building, in an homage to the “Good Eats Cafeteria” that once occupied it, and also as a statement of their purpose. Since its inception, Pioneer Square has historically been home to the performing and visual arts. During economic down-times, artists have snatched up cheap warehouse space, while scrappy black-box theatres claimed dilapidated storefronts, revitalizing the neighborhood in the process. Artists, theatres, art galleries and small quirky businesses have given the neighborhood its identity and “vibrancy” as they say nowadays. The Good Arts Building was founded so that these creators of cultural and economic value could stick around to reap the benefits.

Our model for sustainability harvests the synergy of the complementary businesses that occupy the building: the studio artists attract attendees to exhibitions and events; those attendees patronize the restaurants and shops. A guy who comes in for a haircut buys a vintage suit and has it tailored, all without leaving the building. Part of the coffeehouse doubles as a gallery, bringing interest to the restaurant and income to the artists.

The arts were infused into every corner, raising the foot traffic and the value of the location, while the rents of the studios remained affordable to creative small businesses, yet sustainable for the building. Over the past five years, work spaces for artists have alarmingly disappeared across the city: In the same period, Good Arts added 14 studios to ’57 Biscayne’s existing 14, plus a street-level arcade of maker and micro-retail spaces.

Making space for the arts turned out to be a good business decision. The art studio tenants have paid rent in full every month of the pandemic, and helped us get through the year.

A boutique guest rental for overnight stays supplements our revenues. Moreover, a model of 100% occupancy, rather than the traditional 80%, along with the creative use of underutilized spaces, has allowed us to  pay our bills while still maintaining affordability.

In 2017, we combined our three corner storefronts to create a new anchor location for Cherry Street Coffee House, with a stunning remodel by Atelier Drome architects. That same year, we converted a neighboring long-vacant storefront into Good Arts Arcade, consisting of four boutique-sized retail spaces that open on to a central gallery, currently occupied by a bespoke tailor, hair design studio, and a perfumerie.

The Good Arts retail Arcade at 108 Cherry Street

We also gave the exterior its first paint job in over twenty years, with a new color scheme designed by the resident artists. Customized steel flower basket hangers, featuring pictorial nods to the buildings’ colorful occupants past and present, and handmade by owners Richlovsky and Coulter, reinforce our identity and add visual interest. In 2019, Bad Bishop Bar picked up the final storefront and gave it a gorgeous makeover, opening to rave reviews.

Classic Pioneer Square flower basket hangs from a bracket nodding to the famous boxing gym of the 1950’s-60’s on the 3rd floor

As it turns out, making space for the arts was a really good business decision. This year, when the restaurants and retail tenants saw a precipitous drop in revenues, or had to close entirely, our rental receipts took a hit, just like those of every commercial building owner. However, the art studio tenants have paid rent in full every month of the pandemic, and helped us get through the year.

Our tenants and partners continue to creatively respond to challenges: Cherry Street Coffee, a daytime business, is making room in the mezzanine for Sake Nomi tasting room, an evening destination. They will share some seating (when we can sit inside again), and their coexistence will add to the dynamism of the whole. We invested in community when we bought this building, and community is what is helping us survive.

Good Arts partners host a Main Street America tour in 2019

This year, we are looking for additional partner-owners, people who share our vision of a world where creatives reap the benefits of their work, to help write the Good Arts Building’s next chapter. It’s an opportunity to invest in the creative economy and Seattle’s future. Contact us if this sounds like you.

Posted in Building History

The Artist and the Developer

AuthorPosted byadmin on November 16, 2016|Comments Off on The Artist and the Developer

Last spring, UW Professor Jeff Schulman interviewed some of the Good Arts partners for his Seattle Growth Podcast. He hadn’t used much of our material in the original series, (we got pre-empted by the mayor, whatever), but then a couple of days ago Jeff wrote us:
“With all the divisiveness in country, I felt like now was a good time to share the powerful story of the good that can come from approaching challenges and community members with an open mind.”
The story of the Good Arts Building is, literally, A Very Special Episode of the Seattle Growth Podcast:The Artist and the Developer, available on iTunes. It’s a half-hour and very uplifting, even if we do say so ourselves.

Posted in Good Arts in the News

What’s up with the boxing gloves?

AuthorPosted byadmin on July 11, 2016|Comments Off on What’s up with the boxing gloves?

If you were to look up as you walked past the Good Arts Building, you might notice that our flower baskets aren’t hanging from the standard-issue Pioneer Square brackets. Two of the buildings’ owners designed and built these brackets to pay homage to some of the characters and institutions from the building’s colorful history.

Schelles’ Grotto, a notorious speakeasy (and worse) occupied the basement at the turn of the last century; several other saloons existed on the first floor over the years, including the Yankee Clipper Tavern.

Hershberg Men’s Clothiers were among the building’s first tenants; their highly visible signage dominates the corner in early photos.

Wolf’s Good Eats Cafeteria, whose name is emblazoned on the building in photos from the teens (and the inspiration for our name), occupied both second and third floors. The cup also marks the future location of Cherry Street Coffee House!

The Skid Road Theatre (1975-1980) was an important part of Seattle’s (and Pioneer Square’s) theatrical history; actors and directors who went on to shape local professional theatre worked there in their early years.

The 102 Cherry Club (basement, 1940’s) figures prominently in Se- attle jazz history as the club where visiting acts would wind down and play casual, unadvertised sets after public mainstage shows elsewhere. Our future plans involve restoring the basement to a performance space.

The Evergreen boxing gym occupied the third floor in the 1940’s -’60’s. Among the memorable quotes attributed to ts irrepressible proprietor, George Chemeres: “I lived by the sweat of my imagination” – which also happens to be an appropriate motto for the current second-floor occupant, ’57 Biscayne art studios.

An early sketch for the design
An early sketch for the design

discs, welding, steve coulter, pioneer square, good arts
The waterjet-cut steel discs awaiting assembly

clamped
A bracket assembled and ready for welding.

welding
Good Arts co-owner Steve Coulter welding a bracket.

Posted in Building Features

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Recent Posts

  • Moving Forward
  • Annie Get Your Gun!
  • Adorable micro-storefront available in the Good Arts Arcade
  • The Art Wall is now public. What a great time to buy art.
  • October 24: Bad Bishop grand opening & ’57 Biscayne industry night
  • Stay at the Salon Rue de Cerise
  • One lovely large studio is available at ’57 Biscayne
  • Coming May 3: “You Are Here, Too” and a big fat Open House
  • “The Devil Showed Up Early”
  • Oodles of art throughout the building: First Thursday, September 7
  • Art Around the Building
  • Building Events
  • Building Features
  • Building History
  • For Lease
  • Good Arts in the News

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