Friends of the Market rally to save the Market from the wrecking ball, 1969.

Friends of the Market has been an education and advocacy organization for over 60 years. Since 1964, it has singly, or with allies, advocated for or opposed public policies affecting Pike Place Market and fought for historic preservation and renewal in downtown Seattle and the Market.

Pike Place

Pike Place has functioned as the Market’s only loading dock since 1907 and is recognized as a specific character area of the Pike Place Market. Maintaining the traditional flow of pedestrians along with commercial and private vehicles is critical to the successful operation of the Market and provides access to the Market community and its needs. Friends of the Market continues to monitor and resist private campaigns (or public policies) that have the potential to interfere with the traditional operation of the Market and threaten the success of Market merchants, farmers and crafters. We offer educational materials and opportunities, and participate in public meetings and events to ensure that the traditional use of Pike Place be respected. Friends of the Market remains highly concerned about the April 2025 pilot project that partially closed Pike Place to some vehicular traffic. The pilot project was intended to be temporary during street repairs and if continued may have detrimental impacts on the operation of the Market.

Fresh Produce at Pike Place Market

While neighborhood farmers markets have been thriving in Seattle, Pike Place Market has struggled to keep and attract farmers selling fresh local produce. The permanent “High Stalls” along the Main Arcade — intended to house merchants selling a wide variety of fresh produce year-round — have also dwindled in number. Friends of the Market actively supports the return of more fresh produce for sale at the Pike Place Market through direct support and advocacy for Market farmers, high stall produce merchants and produce stands.

In 2024, Friends of the Market featured a farmer panel discussion and held a farmers “summit” to celebrate Market farmers and to attract interested farmers.

REMINDER: The PIKE BOX CSA program is a good way to support local farmers. Get the details on ordering and pickup on PDA website.

Victor Steinbrueck Park

This popular park located within the Market Historical District, designed by Victor Steinbrueck, Friends of the Market founder, and Rich Haag, well-known landscape architect, continues as an active advocacy priority. The park recently underwent renovation and reopened to the public in April 2025.

During the process of planning for the renovation, Friends of the Market successfully advocated for respect for the original park design. Many of the original significant features are retained, but with the addition of more seating, an expanded children’s play area and Native language and art incorporated into the design.

During the public process in 2019, some stakeholders called for the elimination of the park’s two totem poles because totem poles were not traditionally included in Coast Salish art. Friends of the Market advocated for the retention of the totem poles because they are a part of the Park’s original design, were designed by renowned Seattle Native artist and professor Marvin Oliver, and because they were a part of a tradition of shared art and culture among Pacific Northwest tribes and immigrants. The Market Historical Commission protected the totem poles in its decision on the renovation, requiring that they be reinstalled at the park.

In December 2023, Seattle Parks and Recreation applied to the Market Historical Commission to remove the totem poles permanently. The Commission denied the proposal. Parks appealed the Commission’s decision. Friends of the Market successfully intervened in the appeal to join the Department of Neighborhoods in supporting the Commission’s decision and submitted a motion to dismiss the appeal. On March 28, 2024, the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner dismissed the appeal. In November 2024, after being stored horizontally outdoors for 19 months, four inches above soil, the totem poles were eventually moved indoors. Friends of the Market actively participated in advocating for appropriate restoration of the totem poles. After the Parks Department contracted with Makah Master Carver, Greg Colfax, the poles were moved to Neah Bay for restoration. We anticipate that the poles will be reinstalled at Victor Steinbrueck Park in August 2025 or later.

Friend of the Market continues our advocacy to ensure that the poles are adequately restored and reinstalled at the park, and that new signage is installed that explains their history and significance to the Market and to Seattle.

The Showbox

The Showbox, across First Avenue from the Market, is a long-time music venue with a storied Art Deco ballroom and decades of music and theater productions. In 2018, its owner proposed to raze the Showbox and build a 44-story luxury residential tower. Friends of the Market with many allies won landmark designation from the City Landmarks Preservation Board in July 2019 both for the building’s exterior and parts of the interior. Since then, the Board has postponed the next step in the landmark process:  the Board’s consideration of “controls and incentives” for the building. Controls will describe required protections to the physical elements of the building, and the owner has argued for no controls. BUT the Board has no current schedule for considering controls and incentives.

Hahn Building

The three-story Hahn Building sits directly across from the main entrance to the Market at First Avenue and Pike Street. In early 2019, the owner proposed to raze it and build a 14-story glass and steel high-rise luxury boutique hotel. Friends of the Market worked with other advocates to oppose this plan because it is out of scale and would look over the Market entrance. The Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) designated the Hahn Building exterior as a landmark in January 2021 despite two previous negative LPB decisions. Friends’ advocacy will continue as the LPB considers “controls and incentives” to impose on the landmark.

Historic District Expansion

The proposal to build 14 to 44-story towers across First Avenue from the Market, at the sites of the Showbox and the Hahn Building, inspired Friends of the Market to consider a proposal to expand the Market Historic District to the half blocks along First Avenue between Union and Stewart Streets. The Market should not have to crouch behind a towering wall of gray glass boxes. As of early 2021, Friends is reviewing two large sets of documents from our public disclosure request on this subject. This review will inform the effort to expand the district.