February 11, 2008 Seattle Times
A new angle on Seattle's skyline
January 26, 2008 Seattle Times
An exodus, filled with uncertainty
May 31, 2007 Seattle Times
How historic downtown sanctuary was saved
On a hot Tuesday night last summer, King County Executive Ron Sims and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels stood together in a small, crowded parlor at First United Methodist Church and made a heartfelt pitch to a skeptical audience.
May 30, 2007 Seattle PI
$32 million deal saves historic church
Buyer known for its preservation work
A historic church building that turns 100 next year will be saved.
And First United Methodist Church finally will move to the new Belltown home the congregation has dreamed of for years.
May 30, 2007 Seattle Times
Deal preserves downtown church; congregation will move
The century-old sanctuary of First United Methodist Church will be nominated for landmark status and its congregation will find a new home north of Belltown once a deal with developer Nitze-Stagen closes later this year, officials on both sides announced this morning.
May 20, 2007 Seattle PI
First United Methodist sanctuary spared in land deal
In a unanimous decision at an all-church meeting Sunday, members of the downtown First United Methodist Church voted to sell their property to Nitze-Stagen developers to build an office building in a deal that spares the sanctuary.
September 18, 2006 Seattle PI
Congregation likes plan to save old building downtown:
Praise the Lord and pass the blueprints for Belltown church
First United Methodist Church members embraced an offer Sunday that could save the seemingly doomed historic church in downtown Seattle from the wrecking ball.
September 13, 2006 Seattle Times
Tentative deal may preserve historic sanctuary
Seattle First United Methodist Church has reached a tentative agreement to sell its historic Fifth Avenue sanctuary to a developer that would save the building, only three months after the congregation voted to sell to a different developer that planned to demolish it.
August 27, 2006 Seattle Times
Developer with plans to demolish church backs out
August 26, 2006 Seattle PI
Historic First United Methodist church reprieved:
High-rise developer pulls offer to buy it
August 4, 2006 Seattle PI
City developers rush to save 100-year-old church building:
First United Methodist takes offers
August 3, 2006 Seattle Times
Developer proposes new plan to save sanctuary
July 7, 2006 Seattle PI
New bid could be historic church's salvation;
developer's offer may save it from the wrecking ball
Seemingly destined for demolition, the historic First United Methodist Church in downtown Seattle may yet be rescued, with a preservationist developer sweetening its offer for the 100-year-old building even as the deadline neared for the church to confirm its sale for a teardown.
July 4, 2006 Seattle Times
First United Methodist will consider alternate offer
The goal is "to save the sanctuary," said Kevin Daniels, Nitze-Stagen president. "It's a building that belongs not only to the church and its congregation but, with its 100 years of history, to the city. It is a critical building to save."
Members of the church's building committee plan to meet Wednesday evening to discuss the offer, said the Rev. Kathlyn James, the senior pastor. "We are going to seriously consider it."
June 11, 2006 L.A. Times
Strong Beliefs in Fate of This Church
Michael Godfried, president of Save Our Sanctuary, said the congregation needed to think about its legacy. "Do they want to go down in history as the congregation that let the sanctuary be demolished? Don't they have a social responsibility to take a deal that preserves the building if they can?"
June 6, 2006 Seattle Times
Developer gives church a competing offer
A Seattle developer who jumped in Monday to offer $23.2 million for First United Methodist Church's downtown property — and preserve its historic sanctuary building — has a history of restoring old buildings.
June 5, 2006 Seattle PI
Members back deal to demolish downtown church
Separate developer offers new plan to save sanctuary
Members of First United Methodist Church in Seattle voted overwhelmingly Sunday to complete a deal with developer Martin Selig that will give them property to build a new church in Belltown and demolish their nearly 100-year-old building.
But that didn't discourage Kevin Daniels, president of Nitze-Stagen real estate development, who late Sunday afternoon said his company plans to make the church a $23.2 million cash offer today to buy the property, with the historic sanctuary in place.
June 3, 2006 Seattle Times
Methodists set to vote sunday on demolition Church leaders supporting the deal say that even with an affirmative vote, they would be open to any viable offer that would preserve the building.
May 21, 2006 Seattle Times
Church demolition protested Nearly 40 people gathered across the street from a landmark downtown Seattle church Saturday to protest its almost certain demolition to make way for a new skyscraper.
April 1, 2006 Seattle PI
Razing plan inspires a rescue mission...High-rise developer Martin Selig has made a deal with First Methodist, giving the congregation part of a block he owns at Third Avenue and Battery Street in Belltown in exchange for the church property. Under the agreement, the church is required to tear down the distinctive, domed sanctuary before Selig takes ownership.
March 4, 2006 Seattle Times
Final talks under way, church's days numbered A distinctive terra-cotta-domed church sanctuary that has been
part of downtown Seattle's architectural and spiritual landscape since 1910, and has been a target for historic
preservation since the mid-1980s, is almost certainly destined for demolition....
March 3, 2006 Seattle PI
End in sight for historic church building...In the 1980s, the city of Seattle nominated the church for landmark status. The move sparked a decadelong legal battle between the city and the church, which did not want such status for its building.
In 1996, the state Supreme Court sided with the congregation and decided that a landmark designation for the building would violate its constitutional right to free exercise of religion.
That means the church is free to tear down the building before it sells.
November 23, 2005 Seattle Times
Methodist Church can be torn down court rulesThe First United Methodist Church on Fifth Avenue can be demolished, the state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, rejecting an appeal by preservationists who were hoping to acquire the sanctuary.
November 23, 2005 Seattle PI
Appeals Court says downtown church may demolish sanctuary...This isn't the first time the church has fought off preservationists.
In the late 1980s, the city of Seattle nominated the church for landmark status. The move sparked a decadelong legal battle between the church and the city.
April 26, 2005 Seattle Times
Talks stall on acquiring historic Seattle sanctuary...Preservationists trying to broker a deal to acquire the sanctuary from First United Methodist Church said recently that at least two local developers have made serious offers, including one they describe as a full-price cash bid.
But a First United official said the church does not consider the offers viable and is moving forward with its original plan to demolish the sanctuary as part of a half-block redevelopment.
"It's disappointing because it seems like they [First Unitedcials] have not given us evidence that they desire to negotiate in good faith," said Anthea Hartig, director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's western office in San Francisco. "We've not only come up with viable development alternatives that preserve the sanctuary, we've brought in numerous developers to talk to them.
"What more can we do?"
July 29, 2004 Seattle PI
Seattle OKs plans to demolish historic downtown church...Historic Seattle has received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to find a way to save the historic building
The group is planning a brainstorming session in the fall to come up with ideas.
Preservationists say they would like to help the congregation find a different site downtown where it can continue its mission and serve its congregation.
July 24, 2004 Seattle Times
Elite group files appeal to save 1910 sanctuary...Telecom executive Craig McCaw and his wife, Susan, head the list of prominent business, civic and philanthropic leaders, which includes several current and former Microsoft executives. Their group, Friends of First United Methodist Church, thinks a solution can be found to preserve the sanctuary while meeting the church's objectives of maximizing its land value so it can continue to serve the needy.
January 21, 2004 Seattle PI
Draft EIS for demolishing historic church now available...Members say they must tear down the distinctive domed church at Fifth Avenue and Marion Street in order to continue their ministry of providing food and shelter for the homeless.
December 4, 2003 Seattle Times
A time to break down, and a time to build up
May 30, 2003 Seattle PI
Downtown's oldest church, First Methodist, listed as 'endangered' First United Methodist Church was placed on a list of the country's most endangered places yesterday, putting pressure on the church and preservationists to keep the oldest church in downtown Seattle intact.
May 30, 2003 Seattle Times
National Trust lists historic church as "endangered' Chaney said Historic Seattle is convening a group of local heavyweights, including former Mayor Paul Schell and several prominent developers and architects, to come up with ways to extend the sanctuary's life by giving it a new one. There are precedents in town. A former Capitol Hill church is now an architect's office and a former First Hill church is a community cultural center
January 8, 2003 Seattle Times
Rainier Club joins plans to raze church
May 8, 2002 Seattle PI
Historic Seattle church coming down -- and going up