It's a building with wonderful acoustics, a dramatic building with stained glass and an attention to interior detail that reflects another age. The former First Church of Christ Scientist, built in 1906 and closed last fall after years of declining attendance, is ready for its next use.
The question is, what will that use be?
The church, located at 16th Avenue East and East Denny Way, was sold last year to developers who planned to remodel the church and convert it into 12 upscale condominiums. The smallest unit would be roughly 1,000 square feet, the largest just shy of 2,000. Given the unique characteristics of the building, there's little doubt that they could be turned into something spectacular. Since the building is a designated Seattle landmark, it cannot be torn down or have its exterior altered.
Or maybe not. For the last five months, Dan Fievez has been working to save the church from becoming luxury residences. He learned about the building's sale last summer from Nancy Dickerson, a fellow music lover who used to attend the church. She told him that the building would make for a wonderful performance space.
Fievez took up the idea. A longtime classical music devotee, his goal has been to turn the former church into a performance venue and classical music education organization. The venue would become a 1,300-seat performing arts center, one focused on music education for youth and one aiming to become a musical arts center on Capitol Hill.
"This would be an amazing performance space, with far ranging and long-term community benefits," he said.
For the last several months the building has been used by a film crew, which meant that work on the residential project has been on hold. But filming for "The Spy and the Sparrow" concluded last week, and the window of opportunity for Fievez is closing.
Time is running out. Developers are planning to begin interior renovation by the end of the month. Once that work starts in earnest, the opportunity to save the building for future musical use would be lost.
Fievez has spent the last four months trying to generate the money needed to buy the property back. The idea has generated interest and appeal, but no large financial donations that could be used to purchase the property.
"I'm an opera nut and I know a lot of wealthy patrons who could buy this place with sofa change. I approached every one of these people. Every one was encouraging and even supportive, but as far as funding goes, the Seattle Opera and Seattle Symphony had got to them first," he said.
He heard two responses. One, that it was going to take a lot of work. And two, that it was a great idea.
"No one yet has said that they didn't want this in our town," said Fievez.
Developer Joe Sacotte is not at all opposed to having the property become a performance space. He encourages the idea, but it has to be economically feasible on his end.
"I think this is a wonderful idea," he said. "This is an amazingly sound building. If Dan can come up with an offer that works, I would be happy to turn it over."
To that end, Sacotte has requested $500,000 in earnest money, which, if Fievez can come up with it, would stop the interior demolition and give Fievez a year to arrange for financing the purchase at a to-be-determined price.
"We need people to step up quickly to make it work," he said.
Feivez spoke last week with a community development manager from a local bank and was told the project is viable. The question is whether such financing can be arranged in time. With the film crew gone, Sacotte said he needs to start interior demolition by the end of the week.
"It's certainly easier for me if Dan succeeds. He's a nice guy and I'm rooting for him," said Sacotte. "I'm always optimistic that things can be worked out, but at some point I have to move forward and that time is coming very soon."
Sacotte said that realistically Friday, March 23, serves as a deadline for Fievez to put together a workable offer. Sacotte recently offered some flexibility in the form of a payment plan, which Fievez said could make be the difference.
"I really hope Dan can do it," he said. "I'm prepared to wait as long as possible after we receive earnest money if he needs time to close. It's not that I don't want to do the townhouse conversion, but I think that the use of a performance space makes sense for this building."
If the church is saved from residential development, fundraisers will be held and money raised to complete the sale within a year. The Seattle Performing Arts Center will become an official nonprofit organization.
The space would be used as a classical music venue and also for music education. Fievez is passionate about seeing the center establish itself as a place where children can develop a lifelong relationship with classical music. Students could learn at the center as well as perform in a dramatic and impressive setting.
"This building has better acoustics than Town Hall," said Feivez. "It would be a tremendous asset to this community." (Town Hall was itself a Christian Science church prior to its conversion into a performance space.)
Sharon Lang, walking in as the film crew was moving out, saw the interior for the first time and heard what Fievez is trying to do with the building.
"I hope you save it," she said. Moments later another woman walked in and said much the same thing: "It's great if the public could keep this place. Good luck"
Fievez said he will put together an offer and present it to Sacotte by the end of the week.
"This is something that can be done for our kids and our community," he said. "This could be a wonderful legacy left for our children and our community. I still think I can save it."
Doug Schwartz is the editor of the Capitol Hill Times. He can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com or 461-1308.
[[In-content Ad]]
