They’re new. They’re shiny. They’re elegant. …They stand out like a sore thumb. In a district that’s accustomed to general disrepair, we’re not used to nice things on the street. So why are they here? Well, after a pole base was found broken on the SW corner of 1st Ave S and S Main St, we quickly reported the issue to the City via Find It Fix It. Like magic, a couple weeks later the base was replaced with said gilded looking base. We almost reported it to Find It Fix It again, but decided to dig deeper. A few rounds of emails to multiple City departments later, our friends at Seattle City Light give us the full scoop: It’s actually a cast bronze. It will patina over the next year to look just like all the other bases. So enjoy the shiny bronze color while it lasts! And reclaim some sense of your lost hope we can have nice things (we sure have, thank you SCL). Don’t be surprised to see more of these bases crop up around new construction, and as Seattle City Light replaces those that are irretrievably broken. These bases can be found at 1st Ave S and S Main St, and on both the north and south sides of the new 200 Occidental building.
The Alliance for Pioneer Square works to help preserve what makes Pioneer Square the most authentic, engaging and dynamic neighborhood in Seattle.