“Scrappy Projects”
BY RAY JOHNSTON
Last night the City of Auburn and JA won an award from Historic Seattle for our renovation of the old Post Office in Auburn. It is now a vibrant arts center called Postmark. The project was a scrappy one…
Postmark Center for the Arts / Photo by Will Austin
The building, once a post office, became a public health facility before going fallow over a decade ago. It had received various remodels that reflected their time – faux columns and other additions concealed a wonderful steel superstructure, beadboard ceilings and terrazzo floors.
The City of Auburn acquired the building not long after the great recession for a good price. They then applied for and received a series of grants from 4 culture and others.
Work began as funds allowed, beginning with repairs to windows and the start of more intentional planning for the latest iteration of the building. The old Post Office, in the heart of downtown, was adjacent to a defunct dinner theater and to some extent the center of a nascent arts district.
The City Manager, the head of the Parks Department and the new arts director conspired in increments over 7 years to restore the old post office and to give it new life as the Postmark Center for the Arts! City staff, a supportive grantor and a willing design and construction team worked to take advantage of available funds and to make the project happen.
Postmark was scrappy because it came to fruition motivated by optimism and vision.
Read more about scrappy projects we have been involved in, such as TwispWorks and Shared Roof, on Ray Johnston’s Substack!