Condo in Belltown’s historic Austin A. Bell Building listed for $598K

With so many Seattle condos built in the 1980s through the 2010s, a cute condo conversion in a historic building really shines through—like this one-bedroom stunner in Belltown’s Austin A. Bell building, which began construction in 1889.

Bell had been planning the project shortly before his sudden death that same year, and his wife Eva Bell continued construction as a kind of memorial—hence the display of his name in terra cotta beneath the crowning Gothic arch up top. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, added in 1974, with Seattle landmark status coming two years later in 1976. The building was designed by Elmer Fisher, known for building up much of Pioneer Square after the Great Seattle Fire.

Technically, the inside, including this condo, was built up behind the façade in the 1990s after a more modern fire destroyed much of the building. But the condo’s design makes use of the original architecture, highlighting 10-foot arched windows with giant Elliott Bay views and exposed brick. The rest of the condo’s 822-square-foot design is simple so as not to detract, and an open-concept living room, dining area, and kitchen all benefit from the glimpse at the outer façade.

Courtesy of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty

Other aspects of the condo are more fully new construction, although they still maintain a straightforward design. The one bedroom lines a courtyard. Two walk-in closets provide plenty of storage, and a utility room has enough room for a stacked washer and dryer, bike storage, and some extra drawers. A shared roof deck, complete with Space Needle view, looks a little more typical of the rebuild era.

The condo is listed for $598,000, plus $665 a month in homeowners dues.

• 2324 1st Ave 302, Seattle [RSIR]