As proposed legislation would make it easier to tear down dangerous vacant buildings in the city of Seattle.
A photo of a growing drug den located inside an abandoned restaurant in Seattle 's Belltown neighborhood. would make it easier to tear down dangerous vacant buildings in the city of Seattle . Residents and business owners in Belltown are voicing worry about a growing drug den inside an abandoned restaurant.
Located at the 2200 block of 2nd Avenue, the old Mama's Mexican Kitchen restaurant has been vacant since 2016. In the years since, neighbors told KOMO News the building has become a hotbed for drug use and crime. Yet they said the city of Seattle has consistently failed to knock down the structure.In order to get the attention of city leaders, two nearby business owners, Jeff Granville and Kevin Dares, deliberately entered the building and recorded the extensive destruction inside of it. They then shared the footage exclusively with KOMO News. Throughout seven different videos, a considerable amount of drug paraphernalia is seen in the footage. The videos also capture mounds of trash and stacks of clothes throughout the former restaurant, as well as matrasses and propane tanks. It was truly horrifying and it really impacted me," said Granville, referring to the things he witnessed inside the building. "This is a mental health issue, either started by addiction and gone to mental health or mental health leading to addiction. Regarding the city of Seattle's response to the troubled property, Dares shared an email with KOMO News where a commander with the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct said narcotics detectives and a crime prevention coordinator would soon be scoping out the specific area near the building.WATCH: " should be a place that’s protected instead of forgotten, which I feel happens quite often," said Jessica Norton, owner of a nearby salon.aimed at reducing vacant building fires in Seattle. Harrell's proposed change to the city's fire code would allow the Seattle Fire Department to order and complete demolition or remediation of unsafe vacant buildings. Harrell said the legislation would give Seattle fire crews a new tool to take quick action to remedy derelict buildings that threaten the health and safety of neighborhoods. Numbers from the mayor's office show there were 77 vacant building fires in 2021, 91 in 2022 and 130 in 2023. There were already 30 this year heading into this week, Harrell's office said. These dangerous vacant buildings are known hazards that put our first responders and the surrounding community at risk,” Harrell said in a press release. “While the city has taken steps to encourage adaptive reuse of vacant structures for new purposes, we cannot allow these unmaintained structures to put lives and property at risk from trespassers, arson, and other crimes.
Vacant Buildings Drug Den Belltown Legislation Safety Crime Fire Code
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Belltown Hellcat' driver charged for reckless driving in downtown SeattleThe 20-year-old driver posted videos on social media of himself driving over 100 mph in downtown Seattle.
Read more »
Seattle Cops Use Belltown Hellcat’s Instagram Reels To Charge InfluencerClout chasing online can lead to real world consequences as the driver of a Dodge Charger Hellcat in Seattle recently learned
Read more »
Seattle weather: Drier, sunnier weather ahead for Seattle this weekendThough we're tracking isolated showers today, the forecast for this weekend is looking brilliant - complete with beautiful sunbreaks and highs in the 60s.
Read more »
Here's why there's a giant inflatable rat in downtown SeattleHere's why a giant, inflatable rat has moved into Seattle's Belltown neighborhood.
Read more »
Seattle City Council considers changes to Seattle Police Department's hiring processThe draft ordinance was discussed at a committee meeting at Seattle City Hall on Thursday afternoon.
Read more »
How, when to watch Seattle sports teams on FOX 13FOX 13 Seattle is proud to partner with local sports teams, including the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Storm and Seattle Seawolves.
Read more »