Deathtrap buildings on Park Avenue unsecured a month after Public Safety Chair assured public they would remain secured

A month ago the North Renton Neighborhood turned out in force at a Renton council meeting, to beg for action in resolving the hazards and blight caused by the dystopian Park Avenue Buildings.  These formerly beautiful office buildings were allowed to swiftly fall into ruin over the past 18 months.

When the damage begun in 2023, many of us encouraged the city to save the multi-million dollar building complex by repairing the property  at owner expense through the enforcement and abatement process defined Renton’s Code Section 4-5-130 .  To meet code, the buildings needed some windows replaced, water dried out, some lights left on, and ideally (with owner coordination) a caretaker or non-profit tenant to keep the buildings looking occupied…the precise steps any good homeowner would take before an extended trip away from home.  The City could take the action to abate the building, and the expense could be billed to the owner and/or placed as a lien on the property.  The money would also come back to the city through property taxes many times over (as opposed to losing all property tax associated with the building, which is ultimately what happened).

The code reads: 301.3.11.1 Abatement: A building or structure accessory thereto that remains vacant and open to entry after the required compliance date is found and declared to be a public nuisance. The code official is hereby authorized to summarily abate the violation by closing the building to unauthorized entry. The costs of abatement shall be a lien against the real property and may be collected from the owner in the manner provided by law.

But instead of abatement, the city apparently kept sending the building owners firmer and firmer letters, like the old trope “we are firmly asking you to fix it, or we will even more firmly ask you to fix it in our next letter.”

Now, the buildings appear occupied by vulnerable persons while replete with deadly hazards: no working fire protection, open elevator shafts, fire exits obstructed, no exit lighting, full sheets of glass falling to the sidewalk, and seemingly every other code violation one could imagine.  When confronted about the lack of action at the City Council meeting, the City Council’s Public Safety Chair offered no response, but many residents felt they got a response from a TikTok video she posted the next day in which she lip synced something like I’d rather be the one being complained about than the salty b**ch complaining. 

The ensuing resident outcry caused the Public Safety Chair to post a new commitment to action on Facebook, Instagram, and elsewhere

She specifically promised  “more aggressive measures to secure the site, including replacing damaged fencing, adding clear “DO NOT OCCUPY” signage, and increasing police patrols. Violators will face criminal charges, and we’re working closely with the Renton Police Department, WA to ensure the property is properly monitored.”

A month later, the buildings look worse than ever. The new fences appear breached in about a half dozen locations, and I’ve heard of no arrests or citations.

I used to work in these formerly beautiful buildings, and they were among my favorite Boeing locations.  Good layouts, great landscaping, plentiful parking, and good lunchtime access to downtown and the Landing. They were safe to visit anytime day or night.  Up until two years ago, the building complex had decades more useful life ahead. It saddens me to see them fall into a dystopian disrepair, and it didn’t have to be this way.