Site Report #2: Environmental History

After spending some time with a collection of historical maps I now feel like I have a better understanding of the environmental history of both my block and the University District as a whole.  While looking over topographical maps of the U-District I have seen the natural environment change as the earth was shifted and sculpted to make way for the ever churning wheel of development. The area at and around my block, while not as hilly as other sections of Seattle, still has a perceptible downward grade that gradually leads to the water of Lake Union.  This kind of topography would have posed problems to early developers of the land in the U-District; the downhill flow of any water source would need to be redirected into channels so as to not interfere with construction.

This block has undergone many changes over the years like most of the University District. It lies on the edge of what was the original plot of land that was then called Brooklyn in 1890 (by James Moore, a prominent Seattle developer at the time). As was the case for all of the land in the early University District there were a number of trees to clear and from 1885 to 1890, one hundred acres were cleared to make way for the future development of the University District.  It is also important to note that during this time of tree clearing there was substantial work being done to grade the district streets to prepare for the new buildings to be built. During this time there was no real street planning past what today is 45th Street (then called Franklin Street). I wasn't able to find concrete information on the degree of which the grade of the landscape was changed but according to survey data collected in 1969, typical grading of streets around my block hovers around six to nine percent. (SDOT) The first building of prominence on this block was the Brooklyn Building, built in 1929. This one of the largest buildings in the district at the time and set the precedent for the construction of the Safeco tower in 1970.

The current environmental condition of the site is one that bears no resemblance to the site of the 1890s. The block, like many others in the University District is now completely covered in concrete. Because this is a plaza, the area is completely developed with little in the way of natural plants besides some token small trees and landscaping. One place to look for the previous natural condition of this site is in the construction of the new University District light rail station directly adjacent to the block. Here you can see the layers of soil that have been unearthed as the construction progresses, giving you a view into the what the block might have looked like many years ago.  The only other remnant of the pre University of Washington Plaza environment that remains is the carefully regulated landscaping that exists on the sidewalks surrounding the complex. This landscaping includes small trees and shrubbery that are unlikely to be the same ones that existed 100 years ago.