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500 Park Avenue North, Renton, Wa, before recent neglect. The 1970’s building received a major update in the 1990s, when glass block that was wrapping the stairwells was replaced by sheets of glass matching the rest of the exterior. This building was pleasant to work in, with large bright office spaces, a great layout, and excellent parking.
When writing my previous blog entry about the pending demolition of 500 Park Avenue North in Renton, I ran a google image search for the property and noticed that the photos that came up were mostly the building in its current sad state of decay. After demolition, this building and the nearby 535 Garden Avenue North building will ideally be remembered the impressive way they looked for the first 30-50 years during Boeing use, not the dystopian way they looked during the last three years under ION Renton ownership. To help us remember them in a positive way, I captured some views from Google Maps in the years before the recent neglect set in, and I’m posting them here for posterity.
500 Park Avenue North with 535 Garden Avenue North in the background, Renton, Washington. When under Boeing ownership.
The Park Avenue North entrance to Renton’s Garden Plaza office park. 535 Garden Avenue North is on the left, 500 Park Avenue North is on the right, and the 4 story parking garage (with connecting skybridges) is at the back. Photo from 2018, when Boeing had ownership.
535 Garden Avenue North, Renton, Wa. This entrance is actually on North 6th Street. Photo from time when Boeing had ownership.
The North 5th Street entrance to Renton’s Garden Plaza Office Park. This entrance off of a quiet side street provided an easy side access to the parking garage and both buildings. Photo from during Boeing ownership.
The Garden Avenue North entrance into the Garden Plaza Office Complex, Renton, Washington, under Boeing ownership
If you look at voter turnout in North Renton, they’re getting the government they deserve. They barely vote. And when they do vote, they vote for crazy Seattle leftists.
Derp. Democratic Socialism is the future.
In 2011 Renton adopted a City Center Community Plan after a two-year highly-involved planning effort. The 164 page plan created the 20-year vision for the heart of our city, which includes North Renton.
The plan speaks clearly to protecting the North and South Renton neighborhoods. It includes numerous statements like “Retain single- family character of residential areas in City Center EC11. Protect and enhance single- family residential neighborhoods to ensure these areas can help support the economic development of City Center.”
The plan also talks about improving the appearance of the “gateway” of Park Avenue North, and improving the walkability and appearance of Park Avenue North between downtown and the Landing.
It’s hard to find anything currently happening in North Renton that supports this plan; the South Tobin neighborhood and small businesses are being demolished, a 100-foot high apartment complex is proposed on a railway easement next to the historic homes, Park Avenue office buildings have fallen into dystopian condition, other small businesses on Park Avenue North are struggling, crime has become such a concern that Boeing has had to fence all their parking lots– Every member of Renton City Council should be actively helping this neighborhood, per the adopted plan.
While some people might think this is just a localized problem for one or two downtown neighborhoods, it actually impacts the success and reputation of our entire city. North and South Renton are two of our most historic neighborhoods, and vital to our efforts to rejuvenate our downtown and keep the Landing prosperous.
The map below is out of the plan:
New plan.
Park Ave N renamed Desolation Row
Time for a fresh new Mayor.