'Save The Showbox' Rally In Seattle Wednesday

SEATTLE, WA - A group of activists trying to save the Showbox Seattle venue will rally Wednesday afternoon at Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Avenue.

The rally, organized by Councilwoman Kshama Sawant, will converge on the 3 p.m. Landmarks Preservation Board. The group wants the board to declare the Showbox a local landmark. According to the agenda, the board will not be discussing the Showbox today.

"Often it is affordable housing that we see demolished to make way for new luxury buildings that only the wealthy get to live in. In this case, it is a landmark of Seattle’s history and music that is on the chopping block. In both cases, Seattle is more and more becoming a playground for the rich, with little space for working people and for the culture that makes Seattle so unique," the Facebook event page reads.

British Columbia-based Onni Group wants to redevelop the site of the Showbox into a 44-story residential tower. The ornate art deco Showbox opened in July 1939 and has hosted musicians ranging from Prince to early Pearl Jam.

Image via Google Maps