Teepees' end: sad but legal

The unannounced demolition of the vacant Twin Teepees restaurant on Aurora Avenue North prompted many expressions of outrage but was perfectly legal, according to city officials.

The kitschy building, which had been heavily damaged inside by fire in June 2000, had not been officially nominated as a historic landmark, and the proper procedures were followed, said Alan Justad of the Department of Construction and Land Use, which authorized the demolition.

"There are people out there now saying, `Jeez, I should have done something,' " said Justad.

"Unfortunately, it's too late. If it had been nominated as even a local landmark, it would have been different."

The Twin Teepees, which opened in 1937 on Aurora near Green Lake, was torn down Tuesday morning without fanfare or warning, sparking protests from people who heard about the demolition only after the fact.

They said the building was among the few remaining true Seattle icons.

"I'm sad, and I'm angry," wrote Steve Thornton of Fremont in an e-mail to The Seattle Times. "It's not just a restaurant, it's a part of our cultural landscape and it should have been saved."

Through the years, the distinctive building — modeled after Native American tepees and intended to lure motorists from the road — had been considered for landmark status, but it was never nominated.

"Everybody thought somebody else had already done it," said one city official.

Preservationists scrambled yesterday to find out what had happened. Some said the Department of Neighborhoods' Historic Preservation Office and Landmarks Preservation Board had fallen asleep on the job.

But Karen Gordon, the city's historic-preservation officer, said her office did not know a demolition permit had been issued.

"It's a shame the process wasn't carried out in a more public fashion," Gordon said. "Certainly, people have recognized the Twin Teepees as an unofficial landmark."

Rob Pierides of Seattle, who had owned the building since 1980, said he found it oddly coincidental that everyone cares about the building now.

"Last year, I was having all these problems, and I went to the city for help, but they kept bumping me from one person to the next, from office to office. They thought it was a big joke," said Pierides, who obtained the demolition permit.

After the fire a year ago, Pierides said he wanted to fix the building and reopen, but city inspectors found lead paint in walls, asbestos in floor tiles and dry rot in beams.

They also told him that the restrooms, which were upstairs, needed to be relocated to make them more accessible.

"I couldn't afford it," said Pierides, who also owns the 125th Street Grill on Aurora. "It was going to cost more to rebuild it than it was worth."

Pierides said he hopes to sell the land to a developer who intends to build apartments and retail space. But the decision was not an easy one, he said.

He was at the restaurant, which he used to call his "first girlfriend," when the backhoe arrived just after 9 a.m. But he couldn't stay, he said.

"As upset as people in this city are to see it go, there's probably no one more upset than me. I started there when I was 21, and I poured my life into it. It's heartbreaking."

Christine Clarridge can be reached at 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com.