History

The Sea View, originally conceived as the Sea Breeze, began construction in 1930 with an approximate cost of $400,000 by the Lewis Investment & Realty Corporation.  The building was officially opened on September 7, 1930 with over 4,000 people visiting the building on opening day to view the ornate building, constructed in the beautiful Art Deco style of architecture.  It was considered extremely modernistic in design and function.  Features of the Sea View included an eighty-five car garage, attractive lobby facing the Sound, a large ballroom where tenants could entertain guests, its very own elevator, laundry room, automatic refrigeration appliances, house telephones, hardwood floors, and beautiful French doors leading to dinettes and especially designed wall beds.  At the time of its opening, seventy-five percent of the rooms in the building had a marine view.

 

Over the years, the Sea View has been sold several times, most recently in 1968 for $477,000 and then again in 1972 for $525,000.  The apartments were then converted to condominiums and sold to individual buyers.  Our current association was officially incorporated on October 26, 1998 as the "Seaview Condominium Homeowners Association" and the Sea View officially became the "Seaview".  As a homeowner pointed out, at the time of incorporation, the name of the building was Sea View, but much of the paperwork had already been filed.

 

Click here for view full page article in The Seattle Daily Times, from Sunday, September 7, 1930.

 

Click here to download a full set of the original building plans.