Site Report #3

Welcome to Block 26.

Before settlement of the University District, Block 26 and the surrounding area began as natural land vacant of people. The area was covered in hills, swamps, and various tree species much like the rest of Seattle. When the area started to be settled, swamps and hillsides created problems for settlers. To solve their issues of varying elevations, the city of Seattle water-blasted hills in the area and filled in swamps. With more even land, settlers began to take residence in areas around Lake Union.

 Block 26 was originally double its current size and was zoned for business and commercial uses. For decades, this block and others served the area as the place to be for business and retail ventures.

Despite the area’s economic success, the building of the Campus Parkway Underpass in 1950 would drastically change uses for Block 26. Construction of the underpass would cut the size of Block 26 and others in half. Developments in the area would also disrupt commercial activities and force various businesses to relocate elsewhere.

Seeing available land close to their campus, the University of Washington purchased what was remaining of the block two decades after the construction of Campus Parkway. Knowing the potential in land, the UW constructed Condon Hall in 1973.

The building that stands on Block 26 today is the original Condon Hall constructed back in the early 70s. Condon Hall used to house the UW School of Law, but the department outgrew Condon and moved to a bigger facility. UW then repurposed Condon to be a half-way house for departments while various buildings were being renovated. Today, Condon Hall now houses various start-up projects and is nicknamed Start-Up Hall.