The Metropole

The Metropole Building is a 34,800-square-foot historic renovation and adaptive reuse project in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, restoring two connected 1892-era structures (Busy Bee and Metropole) and returning long-vacant space to active community use. The work required a careful balance of preservation and modernization, pairing high-craft masonry and sandstone restoration with a seismic retrofit approach suited to a complex historic shell.

The team completed extensive façade repair and masonry rehabilitation, including investigation and testing, repointing, and targeted reconstruction where conditions required it. A signature scope reclaimed approximately 2,000 square feet of below-grade areaway space (Underground Seattle) beneath the sidewalk and restored daylighting elements, transforming long-neglected square footage into usable area while honoring the buildings’ historic character and performance goals. Designed to achieve LEED Platinum with a target EUI of 18, the project reflects disciplined coordination across restoration, structural, and below-grade work in a tight urban setting.