theparkerfamily

oddity. after a 19th century fire destroyed some 25 blocks of old seattle downtown, the city took the opportunity to (literally) raise the city out of the puget sound by passing an ordinance mandating the streets raised eight feet (or higher) during the reconstruction.

unfortunately, it seems like certain business owners downtown didn’t take the law too seriously. they opted to rebuilt at the old (lower) street level only to have the city come through in the next couple of years and turn their first floors into basements.

oops.