Seattle

Key Players

Owner/Developer Urban Renaissance Group

Lead Design Firm Mithun

General Contractor Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty Co.

Structural Engineering Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Mechanical and Plumbing Engineering Auburn Mechanical

Civil Engineering Geodesign

Serving as a Washington Mutual Bank for some 50 years, the Modernist-style building at 1101 Second Ave. in Seattle became vacant in 2007. Less than 10 years later, it is once again part of the commercial landscape after undergoing $16 million in renovations.

The four-story, 80,000-sq-ft office building with five levels and a 50,000-sq-ft parking structure underwent seismic upgrades, shear wall installation and fiberglass window installation. Other features included a two-story covered entry and the integration of new mechanical and electrical systems.

The building team faced numerous challenges, including a densely packed public utility corridor and the task of preserving an existing Art Deco bronze handrail system that no longer met code, project officials say.

The building now houses architectural firm MG2.