Metropolitan Tract (Seattle) facts for kids

The Metropolitan Tract is a special area of land in downtown Seattle. It is owned by the University of Washington. This area is about 11 acres big. That's like 11 football fields! You can find it in a rectangle between Seneca Street, Third Avenue, Union Street, and Sixth Avenue.

A Look Back: The History of the Tract

The Metropolitan Tract was once the first campus for the University of Washington. But in 1895, the university moved to a new, bigger location. After the university moved, some of the old buildings were still used. The law school used one, and the main building was rented out. It was used by the Seattle Public Schools and later by the Seattle Public Library.

As new business buildings started to go up, the original university building was moved. It went a few blocks away to Fifth Avenue. Sadly, this old building started to fall apart. People tried to save it and move it to the new campus, but it didn't work out.

Leasing the Land

The state government allowed the university to rent out or sell this downtown land. In 1902, they decided to rent it out instead of selling it. However, a small piece of land was sold to the U.S. government. This was for a federal building, and people thought it would make the rest of the land more valuable.

The first company to rent the land started building. But their lease ended quickly. Then, in 1904, a man named James A. Moore took over the lease. He finished the first building and helped extend Fourth Avenue through the old campus.

In 1907, James Moore passed his lease to the Metropolitan Building Company. This company hired a famous design firm from New York City called Howells & Stokes. Their goal was to create a big plan for the area. They wanted to build a "city within a city." At that time, it was the biggest downtown building project ever in the United States!

Building a "City Within a City"

The plan by Howells & Stokes was very detailed. It included a big department store, offices, a hotel, and homes. They also planned a small public space. All the buildings were designed to look similar. They would be 11 stories tall. They would have fancy decorations made of terracotta at the top and bottom. The middle parts would be brick.

Their designs mixed two styles: Beaux Arts and commercial (Chicago school). This meant the buildings would look balanced and have clear storefronts. They planned ten buildings, but only five of them were actually built.

Howells & Stokes had a local helper in Seattle, Abraham H. Albertson. He made sure the buildings were built correctly. After the design firm closed in 1917, Albertson and others kept working on the project. Today, the Cobb Building is the only one left from that original plan.

The Tract Today

Today, the Metropolitan Tract is a busy place. It has over 1.4 million square feet of office space for rent. It also has over 200,000 square feet of shops and businesses. There are about 450 hotel rooms and more than 2,000 parking spots. The area is managed by two main companies through long-term leases.

Important Buildings in the Metropolitan Tract

Some buildings in the Metropolitan Tract are very important. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are special and protected.

• Cobb Building - 1305 Fourth Avenue, Seattle 98101
• Fairmont Olympic Hotel - 411 University Street, Seattle 98101
• Skinner Building - 1326 Fifth Avenue, Seattle 98101
• 5th Avenue Theatre - 1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 (This theater is inside the Skinner Building!)

Other notable buildings in the Metropolitan Tract include:

• Financial Center - 1215 Fourth Avenue, Seattle 98161
• 1200 Fifth - 1200 Fifth Avenue, Seattle 98101
• Puget Sound Plaza - 1325 Fourth Avenue, Seattle 98101
• Rainier Tower and Rainier Square - 1301 Fifth Avenue, Seattle 98101

New Buildings and Changes

In 2013, the University of Washington announced big plans. They wanted to rebuild the Rainier Square shopping mall. This mall was right next to the Rainier Tower. The old lease for the mall ended in 2014.

The new project replaced the mall with a huge skyscraper called the Rainier Square Tower. This building is 58 stories tall! It has a mix of uses: lots of office space, over 200 apartments, and a 165-room hotel. Construction on the Rainier Square Tower started in 2017 and was finished in 2020.

The new Rainier Square Tower, seen in May 2020 from 4th Avenue and Union Street.

Images for kids

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  The Cobb Building, the only building left from the original plan.

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  An old advertisement from 1915 for the "University Tract."

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  The beautiful entryway of the Fifth Avenue Theater.

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  The grand lobby of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.