We got a tip that the long-dormant former commercial space on the northwest corner of 18th and Carpenter Sts. was being demolished, so we zoomed on over to snap a couple of photos.

A look to the recent past. Image from Google.

We knew that the property had been listed on the market for some time, and that the most recent asking price had been $199K. We figured that the property had been purchased and that the new owner was getting started on the inevitable duplex or triplex on the 17 x 71 foot lot. Imagine our surprise when we spoke with someone in the the listing agent’s office, who told us that the property was still active on the market. When we told the agent that the building was being torn down, they seemed only a little surprised. Apparently, the building had been condemned some time ago, and was on the city’s demolition list. It was supposed to have been torn down last week, but the owner convinced L&I not to do it. This time, the owner must not have gotten the memo.

Barclay Rand Inc has owned the building since 1987, paying $8,500 for it at the time. After about ten years, they stopped paying their property taxes, resulting in over $3,700 in tax liens at this time. We’re not sure whether the city’s polite demolition of the building will make it easier or more difficult to sell now- but we do know that the owners should be expecting a hefty bill from the city for services rendered. Maybe they should have taken any of what the listing agents described as “numerous very fair offers.”