Let’s remember when Ivar (of Ivar’s fame) bought the Smith Tower, on this day in 1976 (May 19)
One of Seattle’s most iconic buildings has quite an interesting history. For a few years, it was owned by beloved rich guy Ivar Haglund.
On May 19, 1976, Ivar Haglund (1905–1985), the restaurateur famed for his escapades, folksinging, storytelling, and waterfront clam restaurant, buys Seattle’s Smith Tower for $1.8 million. He buys it because he likes it. As a child in 1913 he had seen the building under construction. Smith Tower was for many years the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.
The building had a flagpole on top that was little used because of the expense of replacing wind-damaged flags. Kite shop owners Tom Deen and Bill Hull sold Haglund a 16-foot windsock from Japan where such banners were flown for good luck. Soon after “The Rainbow Salmon” as Ivar called it, was unfurled on September 29, 1977, the City of Seattle notified him that it violated municipal code. This launched a good-natured dispute between Haglund and the City, documented almost entirely in verse. After an outpouring of public support for Haglund and a poetic public hearing, the City granted a variance for the windsock.
Although he had no intention of making money on the project, Haglund sold the building on January 18, 1985, for $5.5 million. Ivar Haglund died less than two weeks later. In his memory the windsock was flown at half-mast.
Obviously he should’ve kept the building, as he might still be alive today. Or his estate would have even more money, as per Wikipedia:
In January 2015, Seattle-based real estate investment and operating company Unico Properties bought Smith Tower for $73.7 million. Later that year, the new owners stopped the visitor tour and began remodeling the public areas, including the Chinese Room, which had been closed since 2014. A new speakeasy-themed restaurant, with Prohibition era-inspired food and drink was built on the Observatory floor, in the same space as the Chinese Room, which was permanently closed. Parts of the Chinese Room decor and furniture, such as the Wishing Chair and carved teak ceilings, were used in this new restaurant.
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