“Preserving these spaces isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about ensuring future generations know who came before them, the battles fought, and the resilience that built this city. Seattle thrives when it honors its past while building its future.”

The landscape of the Central Area has changed drastically over the past 50 years. A long history of redlining and housing discrimination in Seattle made the neighborhood one of the only areas Black residents could live. Because of this, many Black Seattleites put down roots there, growing their families and building a vibrant, supportive community. In the 1970s, the Central Area was a hub for Black-owned businesses, churches, and schools. Over the years growth and gentrification displaced much of the community, transforming the neighborhood from a place with more than 80 percent Black residents to fewer than 10 percent today.

While growth is inevitable, it doesn’t have to include uprooting the past. The history of a place is important, and the preservation of cultural hubs should be as well. For the past 60 years, Byrd Barr Place has provided essential human services and self-sufficiency programs to the Central Area community and helped build the political strength and economic wealth of the Black community statewide. Originally founded as Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP) and transitioning to Centerstone in 2012, the organization was renamed as Byrd Barr Place in 2018 to honor the legacy of legendary Seattle civil rights leader Roberta Byrd Barr.

“Ms. Roberta was a community leader, an educator and a journalist. She was a powerful advocate, standing up for what is right and elevating the voices of the Black community and the poor. When Seattle teachers boycotted and demanded desegregation in 1966, Ms. Roberta was in the ranks and headed a Freedom School — a temporary, free school for African Americans — at the YMCA. In 1973, she became principal of Lincoln High School — both the first woman and the first African American — to hold such a position in Seattle Public Schools.”

The organization moved into Central Area Historic Landmark Old Firehouse 23 in 1968 after their office was damaged by arson. Built in 1909, the building was in dire need of renovations and improvements that the organization was unable to complete because they did not own it. Community members long advocated for the transfer of ownership of Firehouse 23 from the City of Seattle to the community organization in order to protect it from displacement and development. After being delayed through three mayoral administration changes and term negotiations, the ownership transfer finally came to fruition in 2020, a move attributed to the mass protests against systemic racism that summer. The transfer secured a long-term home for the organization in the neighborhood and fortified essential services for people struggling to make ends meet. It also allowed Byrd Barr Place the opportunity to move forward with renovations to the century old firehouse.  

We recently connected with the Byrd Barr Place Director of Strategic Initiatives, Tiffany Kelly-Gray, and architects David Strauss and Andreas Baatz to learn more about the history of the organization, the process of renovating the historic building, and the importance of preserving cultural spaces. 

Tiffany, Byrd Barr Place

Can you tell us a bit about Byrd Barr Place’s history and mission?     

Byrd Barr Place has been a pillar of Seattle’s Central Area for 60 years, standing strong in the fight for economic and racial justice. Born out of the civil rights movement in 1964, it started as the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP)—a bold effort to address poverty and inequality in one of the city’s most vibrant Black communities.

While the name has changed, the mission has never wavered: to empower people with the essentials—food, housing, energy assistance, and financial tools—to build long-term stability and thrive. It’s not just about services; it’s about standing up for equity, amplifying voices, and ensuring Seattle remains a place where everyone has a fair shot at success.

How has Byrd Barr Place evolved over the years? How has it remained the same?

Over the decades, Byrd Barr Place has grown, adapted, and expanded—because communities change, and we rise to meet those needs. What started as emergency support has transformed into a powerhouse of programs tackling the root causes of poverty, offering financial education, homeownership assistance, and policy advocacy.

But one thing has remained constant: our deep commitment to racial and economic justice. The faces of Seattle may shift, but our purpose remains firm—to uplift, to serve, and to be a voice for those too often left out of the conversation.

Can you talk about the process of transferring ownership of Fire Station 23 to Byrd Barr and the significance of this?

Imagine a historic fire station, standing tall for over a century, transformed into a hub for community empowerment. That’s what Fire Station 23 means to Byrd Barr Place. For years, we worked out of this space, renting it from the City of Seattle. But in 2020, a hard-fought battle was won—the City transferred full ownership of Fire Station 23 to Byrd Barr Place. This wasn’t just a real estate transaction; it was a victory for Black-led organizations, proving that our community deserves permanence and a place to call home.

Owning this space means we are here to stay. It’s a declaration that Seattle’s Black history will not be erased and that organizations like ours will continue to lead, support, and empower for generations to come.

A 116-year-old building has charm, but it also has challenges! The recent $12.8 million renovation wasn’t about luxury—it was about safety, sustainability, and making sure this space serves the community for the next century. That being said, the building is beautiful, and people feel valued when they come in for service.

Staying in the Central Area wasn’t just important—it was non-negotiable. This community has been the heart of Seattle’s Black culture for generations. We refuse to be pushed out. This renovation wasn’t just about a building; it was about preserving a legacy.

Why is it important to preserve cultural and historic spaces in Seattle?

Seattle is changing fast, and with that change, too many pieces of our city’s Black history have been erased. But history matters. Our spaces matter. When we fight to keep cultural landmarks like Fire Station 23, we’re saying: Black history is Seattle’s history.

Our communities deserve spaces that reflect our stories. A city without its cultural roots is just another collection of buildings. Preserving these spaces isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about ensuring future generations know who came before them, the battles fought, and the resilience that built this city. Seattle thrives when it honors its past while building its future. We constantly call our ancestors into space with the naming of our meeting rooms to the name of our organization itself. We believe in legacy, and we also believe in meeting the needs of our clients and our community today.

David and Andreas, SHKS Architects

Can you tell me how you got involved in the restoration/renovation process of Byrd Barr?

My colleague and friend, Mark Brands of Site Workshop referred Clark Lindsay of Pacific Project Management to me in 2016. Clark wondered about the process of rehabilitating Fire Station 23, a Seattle Landmark, for continued use by Centerstone (now Byrd Barr Place), a social service organization and food bank. I met with Clark and Andrea Caupain Sanderson, the executive director of Centerstone, and explained a two-part process: documenting existing conditions and program inquiry. Two questions: what needed to be done to the existing building to sustain it? And, what did the organization need the building to do to strengthen the community? That began a predesign planning phase to identify the project scope and budget in light of code implications. This predesign study was a key to fundraising.

Schematic design began in 2019 and continued through the Covid pandemic into 2021. Construction began in June 2021.

Upgrades included:

• Earthquake-proofing—because we need to be here for the long haul
• Modernized spaces—to better serve clients, host events, and support staff
• Restoration of historic elements—honoring the past while building for the future

What renovations were needed on the building?

As an unreinforced masonry building, the old fire station required significant improvement to resist contemporary design seismic forces. The building’s electrical and mechanical systems were in poor condition and the organization of rooms no longer met the demands of the organization. The magnitude of improvements qualified the project as a “Substantial Alteration” as defined in the Seattle Building Code. “Substantial Alteration” entails compliance with current building, mechanical, electrical, and energy codes with latitude given to Landmark buildings.

How did you ensure the renovations upheld the historic structure and cultural significance of the building?

The building has two histories: as a part of Seattle’s public safety infrastructure in Seattle’s historically Black neighborhood and as a center for civil rights. In 1971, when it was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, the building had been operating as a community center since the late 1960’s. The City of Seattle granted the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP) access to the building after CAMP’s office was destroyed by arson in 1968.

The original fire station’s “character defining features” consist largely of the exterior masonry, green tile roof, massing, and composition of door and window openings. With the exception of window replacements and a few openings infilled with masonry, “character-defining features” have been retained through several building alterations. When the fire station was nominated to be a Seattle Landmark, little of the original interior remained.

The building has two cultural significances, too. Its status as a staid element of public infrastructure is represented by its simple masonry mass, large doors opening onto a public way, and a tall tower (for drying fire hoses). Its significance in civil rights history is documented in the press and in histories of the Central Area. Maintaining the mass of the building exterior sustains a city marker; transforming the spaces inside extends a civil rights tradition of open access and social equity.

Did you run into any challenges during the process? If so, can you explain how you worked with Byrd Barr and the Historic Preservation team to work through them?

The initial budget for the rehabilitation was insufficient to achieve the vision of a social center, advisory office, and food bank as valuable, inviting, inspiring community assets. Through the courses of programming, design, and fundraising, the design and project management team worked with leaders from Byrd Barr Place to communicate design intent clearly representing costs and values to donors and grant giving organizations. The clarity and consistency of communication was central to the success in raising funds.

The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board and staff, especially, remained accessible and cooperative as the project developed. Both understood the challenges of rehabilitating and transforming the building while recognizing those elements of the building that continued to hold historic value. Access and familiarity with the building and building process formed the basis for responsive interaction during construction as unanticipated conditions arose. Adjusting the position of a braced frame allowed removing masonry from window openings that had been closed in the 1960’s. The change was approved administratively by Landmarks staff, speeding the process.

Why is it important to make sure historic elements of buildings are preserved?

Communities identify themselves with historic elements. So, the importance of preservation lies in community identification with the patterns of use developed over time and an appreciation for the elements that have inscribed themselves in our memories of places. The “extra work” is the activity of resisting the reduction of technique and culture to carelessness. The “extra work” is just care. The stewardship of carbon resources and historic resources is now an imperative for both cultural and existential survival.