The Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority is Seattle City Light’s official Community Partner, granted a 60 year lease on the building to activate and open the space to the public.
The Georgetown Steam Plant was built in 1906 to energize the region’s growing electric streetcar system. At the time, it was at the center of the rapidly growing Georgetown neighborhood. The plant was designed to run on either coal or oil, but shortly after it was built, hydropower became the primary source of energy for the region and the plant operated until 1977 when it was completely decommissioned.
Since its decommissioning, building owner Seattle City Light (SCL) has worked to preserve, repair and restore the building. Under SCL’s management, the Georgetown Steam Plant has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Seattle Landmark and Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
Now, SCL is entrusting the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority (CDA) to steward this historic property into the future.
The CDA is a new non-profit, formed for the sole purpose of realizing the Georgetown Steam Plant’s potential as a community cultural center. Our work is to make this Historic Landmark as safe and accessible as possible and, through community partnership, transform it into a place to gather, learn, dream and celebrate. We have assembled a team of architects, engineers and preservationists working to see what is possible within the constraints of the historic structure and building code.
With this information in hand, we will turn to the community for input:
How can the Georgetown Steam Plant best serve the neighborhoods that house it, Georgetown and South Park?
How can this building and property help the people of the Duwamish Valley thrive?
The project is a continuing conversation between the building’s structural and historical needs and the community’s needs. The CDA will serve as facilitator in this conversation - seeking balance between preserving history and serving the communities of today and tomorrow.
Today, we are creating as many opportunities as we can for you, our community, to get to know this incredible building. Please check back often for updates on events and other happenings at the Steam Plant. Please also visit our project updates page for more information on our vision for the future of the Steam Plant and how you can get involved.
