DEVELOPMENT: Teardown time for long-vacant Highland Park house

| Development | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tips. This is the site of a long-awaited demolition in Highland Park – one of the vacant houses at 9th/Henderson, the subject of numerous complaints as well as fire calls. It was originally among the holdings of the late prolific real-estate investor Harvey Rowe but most recently, records show, it changed hands again three months ago, attributed to foreclosure. The status of permit applications for a 12-townhouse development on the 13,000+-square-foot site isn’t clear – they were originally filed almost two years ago before the ownership change; there are townhouse proposals for the parcels to the north, too.

Alki resident May 15, 2024 (2:57 pm)

This is great news. So many trespassers and fires to keep the neighborhood on edge for so many years. The new homes will be welcomed.

WC May 15, 2024 (2:58 pm)

Thank goodness! The Rowe houses have been a blight on the neighborhood for so long, it’s great to see them being taken care of, even if it’s slow. The Creepy Doll House was flipped a few years back. Hoping the commercial properties in White Center will be next, since they’ve changed ownership.

Another One May 15, 2024 (3:46 pm)

The doll house was weird, but it was well-kept by the renter, until he had a medical issue and couldn’t return to his home.
- WC May 15, 2024 (5:56 pm)
  
  Those windows were broken out on it for a solid two years before it was sold.
Alki resident May 15, 2024 (6:45 pm)

My friend lived a couple of doors down from the doll house. He passed away four years ago and couldn’t bring myself to drive that way again so didn’t know it was flipped. I imagine everyone’s first reaction seeing it was the same, lol

snowskier May 15, 2024 (4:07 pm)

Wish our permitting system was faster in Seattle but I’m always glad to see these dangerous houses come down. These are the exact type of properties that the fire department wants to see removed faster for neighborhood safety purposes. Couldn’t agree with them more.

T REX May 15, 2024 (5:00 pm)

I always wondered what those houses must have looked like way back when. They were not always neglected and empty, very sad yet very needed.

Alki resident May 15, 2024 (6:43 pm)

One was a daycare for many years but I don’t remember back in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s a shame they got to this condition.

Delridge Neighbor May 15, 2024 (7:01 pm)

Rob May 16, 2024 (5:47 am)

With gas an electricity prices going up maybe the demo crew could let people collect some of the clean wood for our would stoves. This would help off set the high cost to heat our homes.