By Aaron Allen, The Seatle Medium
Members of the Seattle Black Fire Fighters Association (SBFFA) are expressing frustration over delays in a court ruling regarding the disputed sale of a historic property in Seattle’s Central Area. Despite a 2022 King County Superior Court decision blocking the sale, the property was allegedly sold in October 2024 by the organization’s executive board, sparking outrage among retired members and other plaintiffs.
On January 17, 2025, Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs-Martin postponed a decision on halting the sale and ongoing renovations, setting a new hearing date for January 31. Plaintiffs, including retired SBFFA members, had hoped for a swift resolution to enforce the previous court ruling.
“My initial reaction is disappointed that we didn’t have a timely decision,” said Clarence Williams, a retired firefighter and former SBFFA president. “This has been going on for quite some time, and the courts seem to be moving slow in terms of enforcing its own decision.”
The plaintiffs allege that the sale of the property was conducted improperly, without the consent or knowledge of the association’s broader membership. They argue that the delay in enforcing the court’s earlier ruling has allowed the buyer to continue making changes to the property.
“The courts had made a decision as to what should be done, and all we are asking is that they enforce the decision that was already handed down,” Williams said. “By them taking this long to do it, it is giving more time to the persons who bought the property to continue making repairs and doing different things to the property, thinking that it’s a settled deal, which we feel it is not.”
Attorney for the plaintiffs, Yohannes Sium, also criticized the delays and their potential impact on the case.
“Obviously, I want this decision sooner rather than later,” Sium said. “In particular, because we see that the buyer is taking advantage of the delay by working on the house, even though she knows about this pending matter and pending motion for contempt. She knows what we served her, she knows what’s going on, but the delay is causing her, I think, to maybe move faster, tell her contractors to work faster, and get more invested in the project to change the facts on the ground.”
The property, located at 2302 E. Pike St., was purchased by SBFFA in 1972 to serve as a resource for the African American community, preserving its heritage and maintaining a lasting presence in the Central Area. Williams alleges that the sale was conducted without proper notification or a vote of the membership, jeopardizing a site that has significant historical and cultural importance for Seattle’s Black community.
“We were not even aware of the sale or that it was being proposed to be sold,” Williams said.
“We bought [the property] as an office space and to eventually have it as a Black history or history museum,” he continued. “We have a majority of African American firefighters who do not want to get rid of the building, and there seems to be a small number, three people on the executive board, who proposed the sale. We have been trying to reason with them not to sell.”
Online real estate listings describe the property as a four-bedroom, 2,270-square-foot home. It was listed for $675,000 in January 2022 and marketed as an “investor alert” with redevelopment potential in a prime location. The listing highlighted its proximity to restaurants, parks, and public transit, emphasizing its appeal as a development opportunity.
The sale comes amid ongoing gentrification in the Central Area, which was once a predominantly Black neighborhood. Many SBFFA members believe keeping the property is crucial to preserving the community’s history and legacy.
“I think this action is a tragedy,” said newly retired firefighter Roberto Jourdan. “Everyone knows that keeping property such as this, and the history behind it, is the treasure that it is.”
“The intent on buying the house in the first place was for Black firefighters in the community to have access to it in perpetuity,” Jourdan continued. “And so, for us, [it was] a matter of having a corner we could call our own no matter what else was going on around it.”
Erwin Chappel, an active SBFFA member, also criticized the alleged lack of transparency surrounding the sale.
“I think the best thing would have been to pause the situation, get all the information, and with that being said, I think the sale was rushed,” Chappel said. “A lot of us feel that even if a sale was on the table, it should have been up for a majority vote.”
Source: Seattle Medium
