What do you see when you walk up and down 35th Ave NE in Wedgwood? Do you notice the kinds of buildings? Some old, some new, and varying styles of architecture? Wedgwood’s original Balch houses were Cape Cods and colonials, built in the 1940’s. When QFC moved into its grocery store building in 2000 and did some remodelling, the Wedgwood Community Council asked QFC to add touches which harkened back to the Balch development which gave Wedgwood its identity. That is why QFC has a gable-front and wood trim, to reference a bit of the same early-American architectural style as Balch’s Cape Cods and colonials.
We have already seen a big change in Wedgwood with the addition of the new Jasper apartment building. More changes in the business district will eventually come with redevelopment of various sites. The Wedgwood Community Council’s land use process seeks to keep up on changes so that we can have input. Please do note the upcoming Coffee Talk dates where you can come and find out what’s going on in Wedgwood.
More info about architecture in Wedgwood, including some examples of outstanding modern-era buildings, is on Valarie’s history blog at: http://WedgwoodinSeattleHistory.com/