SEATTLE -- Demolition work at the Rainier Cold Storage site will result in the closure of one block of Airport Way South in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood during the weekends of January 12-13 and January 19-21.

The closure of the 6000 block on Airport Way will result in traffic being rerouted to Michigan Street and 4th Avenue South. Airport Way businesses in this area will remain open and able to be reached by sidewalk. The businesses bordering this closure area include Georgetown Records, Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery, Big People Scooters, Jules Maes, Georgetown Tile Works, Smarty Pants, 9 lb Hammer, and All City Coffee. Renowned Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery is featuring an exhibition around Patrick Rosenkranz’s release of “Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution” on the 1960’s underground cartoonists. Parking for these businesses is available at the corner of Airport Way and 13th Avenue.

Sabey Corporation, site owner and general contractor for the project, and demolition subcontractor J. Harper Contractors, will perform the demolition work. This phase of the Rainier Cold Storage project is expected to take eight weeks, but Airport Way traffic is expected to only be disrupted for five days.

The Rainier Cold Storage site is 5.5 acres with five historic buildings. The goal of the Sabey Corporation is to redevelop the site, preserving and upgrading four of the historic buildings. It was determined after months of investigation that the fifth building – the Stock House – is structurally unsound and must be demolished.

“We have a highly skilled demolition contractor because this is a delicate job,” said Jim Harmon of Sabey Corp. “We want to remove the building that is structurally unsound without harming the adjoining buildings so we can move forward with upgrading them.”

The Stock House was built in 1903 as a beer cellar. After Prohibition the building was converted to cold storage. However, the slab floor was never adequately insulated for the minus-12 degree temperatures that, over time, resulted in the ground below the building freezing 24 feet down to bedrock and severely heaving the building. When Rainier Cold Storage discontinued operations in 2003 and turned off the cooling system, the building began to sink.

“The Stock House building is sitting on a big, melting ice cube that as it melts makes the building increasingly unstable,” Harmon said. “The building has already settled significantly and has become dangerous, which is why the city agreed with us that demolition was the only option. Once this task is done we will be able to go about restoring the remaining buildings.”

Plans call for the site to be redeveloped over the next five years into a mixed-use project including its current industrial, office and artist space along with envisioned retail and residential uses. Development plans call for preserving the historic landmark buildings with structural upgrades of the un-reinforced masonry and adding a new building in place of the Stock House.

“Our intent is to redevelop the project in a manner that is respectful to our current tenants and the surrounding neighborhood while promoting the re-emergence of this historic site,” Harmon said.

The remaining buildings to be redeveloped include the Brew House, the Malt House, the Bottling Plant and the General Office.