Site Report 3
The location where block 3 is located was once thickly forested (Tobin and Sodt, 7). In 1891 the Latona Bridge was built across lake union which helped the development of the area (Tobin and Sodt, 13). The key factor in the district’s growth was the University of Washington’s move to the area in 1895 (Niesen, 17). In 1908 the block was scarcely settled compared to the rest of Seattle but it was much more developed relative to the surrounding University District area [map 3].
Between 1915 and 1929 there was a lot of growth in the University District. The construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal between 1911 and 1917 stimulated growth in the University District. The old Latona Bridge was remodeled in 1916 before the ship canal opened and served until a new Eastlake bridge was built (Tobin and Sodt, 13). This bridge opened in July 1919 as the University Bridge (Tobin and Sodt, 13). 10th Avenue NE, which is now Roosevelt Way, was established as a major north-south road from the completion of this new bridge (Tobin and Sodt, 14).
In 1928 there was a small gasoline station on the north east corner of the block, which is now the location of a Chevron gas station. Tracks of the Seattle Municipal Railway ran along 45th street and can be seen in the photograph from site report 2. The advancement of the roadways along the block helped accelerate the areas development.
The block was zoned as a “general commercial zone” according to a zoning map published in 1960 [map 1]. In 1968 the largest buildings were located along Roosevelt way and 45th street [map 2]. The east and south side of the block consisted of only small commercial or residential buildings, which can be seen in the detailed aerial survey from 1968. The building along 45th street contained a shop called Indoor Sun, which was established in 1970 and focused on selling indoor plants. Directly next door there was a three story brick building called the Muriel Apartment (Historical Preservation). Both buildings were demolished in 2003, and in 2004 the Kennedy building was built in its place. The current block is well developed to cater to the heavy traffic which resulted from the early development of the major roadways along the block.