Axios Seattle

May 06, 2026
It's Wednesday! We're almost awake now.
🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 71 and a low of 50.
Today's newsletter is 727 words, a 2.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 🏗️ Gas Works tower changes underway
Demolition is underway at Gas Works Park to remove ladders and platforms from the historic gas towers there — an effort by Seattle officials to prevent more climbing injuries and deaths.
The big picture: Three people have died falling from the towers since 2008, while others have been seriously injured, according to the city parks department.
One of the people who died was Ballard High School student Mattheis Johnson, 15, who fell after climbing the towers last July.
Catch up quick: Removing the towers' pedestrian access points was a topic of debate for months — one that at times pitted historic preservation against public safety.
- The city's Landmarks Preservation Board rejected multiple proposals from the parks department to remove ladders and catwalks from the towers, which are remnants of a former coal gasification plant on Lake Union.
Yes, but: The city's Department of Construction and Inspections overrode the landmarks board's authority earlier this year, labeling the tower ladders, catwalks and platforms a hazard that must be removed.
- The department's order requires the safety issues to be resolved by May 15.
- Demolition work began April 22.
State of play: Crews are removing catwalks and ladders from the lower parts of the gasification towers, along with some piping that extends outside a perimeter fence.
- Some of the catwalks higher up on the towers will stay, according to the demolition plans.
- The towers themselves are to remain intact.
"We recognize that Gas Works Park is not only a popular public space but also a designated landmark," Bryan Stevens, a spokesperson for the Department of Construction and Inspections, told Axios. "In situations like this, safety and historic preservation must both be considered."
Between the lines: People have continued to trespass and climb the towers even after the city set up fencing, signs and additional monitoring to try to prevent it, parks department spokesperson Christina Hirsch wrote in an email to Axios.
- An independent analysis found many of the catwalks, ladders and access points "lack structural integrity," making them "a danger to trespassers and parks maintenance staff."
Context: The group Historic Seattle opposed the removal plans.
- In a January blog post, the group described the catwalks, ladders and platforms as "character defining elements" which "help to convey the history of the gas works."
2. Morning Buzz: ⛴️ Broadcasting from the ferry
📺 ABC's "Good Morning America" will broadcast live from a Washington State Ferries boat on Thursday. It's part of a series highlighting each of the 50 states. (Seattle Times)
💸 King County Council members ordered a review of the Regional Homelessness Authority's finances and operations yesterday, after a recent audit found the agency couldn't account for $13 million in public funds.
- The review will outline fixes and set the stage for decisions on whether to continue, change or end the county's participation in the agency. (KING 5)
⚖️ A judge ordered King County Assessor John Wilson to wear a GPS monitor again after he was briefly allowed to go without one for medical reasons.
- The judge said she'd lost confidence Wilson would follow a no-contact order involving his former fiancée, who he is accused of contacting in violation of the order. (PubliCola)
🚧 Southbound Interstate 405 will close late Friday evening through early Monday morning, causing major traffic disruptions around Bellevue and Renton. (Renton Reporter)
🤖 Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson will allow city employees to use Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant for daily work tasks, lifting a pause she imposed earlier this year. City systems will continue to block publicly available AI tools like ChatGPT. (Seattle Times)
3. 🌊 City beach retreat

Whenever I walk along the new Seattle waterfront, I try to take a moment to stop at Pioneer Square Habitat Beach.
It's a perfectly peaceful spot — a bit of nature tucked between the docks, where you can sit on a log and contemplate life as you watch foot ferries come and go.
- Native plants dot the 200 feet of beach, creating a shoreline designed to attract and nurture salmon.
Turns out, it's a great spot for humans to hang, too.
🍦 Melissa is obsessed with making protein ice cream in her new Ninja Creami machine.
☕️ Clarridge is still in the U.K., and won't return until she's had her fill of tea and scones.
This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.
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