King County judge rejects council's move to protect Showbox theater
Summary
The Seattle City Councils plans to protect the Showbox theater were brought to a halt Friday after a King County Superior Court judge ruled the temporary zoning of the venue as illegal. RELATED: Seattle Council approves another 6 months protection for Showbox, future still uncertain The ruling by Judge Patrick Oishi effectively opens the Showbox back up to being put on the market by Forbes, who filed the initial lawsuit against the city in September 2018 when the city council first voted to expand the Pike Place Historic District to include the theater. His attorney, John Tondini, told Crosscut after the hearing that "all options are on the table," but they wanted to speak with the city first. gets a date for landmark consideration of the Seattle venue The Showbox has been a fixture on First Avenue for 80 years and sits just across the street from Pike Place Market. The judge ultimately ruled however that it was illegal spot zoning and an unlawful action by the city.