This Saturday February 21st the Fremont Neighborhood Council and the Fremont Historical Society invite members of the community and any interested parties to an unconventional wake. Organizers hope the mournful event, to be held at the Fremont Baptist Church, will draw attention to the decline of rental houses in the neighborhood. The event can be followed on Twitter under #FremontHouseWake.
A Wake for Fremont’s Affordable Rental Houses
The Fremont neighborhood will be hosting a wake for Fremont’s Affordable Rental Houses on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at Fremont Baptist Church, 717 North 36th Street, Seattle. Over the last two years the Fremont neighborhood has lost a great number of the neighborhood’s rental houses, many of which were older homes built before the 1930s. This event will spotlight more than a dozen of these homes that have been demolished or are planned for demolition. This event is sponsored by the Fremont Neighborhood Council and the Fremont Historical Society.
Join with neighbors to mourn this loss of historical heritage, housing diversity, green space and affordability. Learn the details of the housing inventory that has been demolished and the stories of the families that lived there. Find out how you can contribute to upcoming efforts that stop this loss of affordability.
“Neighbors are concerned about the changing face of Fremont,” said Fremont Neighborhood Council President Stephanie Pure. “This is an opportunity to draw attention to this issue. The Fremont Neighborhood Council has taken the unusual step of filing a SEPA (State Environmental Protection Act) appeal on one of the projects. We encourage residents to come hear about that appeal.”
“The Fremont Historical Society (FHS) is dedicated to building awareness and appreciation of the history of a unique and early Seattle neighborhood”, said Judie Clarridge, volunteer, Fremont Historical Society. “We think it is important to tell the stories of these houses and the people who lived in them. Fremont has been fortunate that many historic buildings have been preserved and are in use today, but residents are concerned that the current pace of new construction may mean the loss of older houses and commercial buildings that give Fremont its character and economic diversity. We think this event will be a good opportunity for discussion on this important issue.
