As construction crews began gutting the Denny’s building in Kenmore this week to prepare for a massive remodel of the 31-year-old structure, thousands of passing motorists and local residents remained completely oblivious to the project.
Located on a busy stretch of Bothell Way (Hwy 522) through Kenmore, the forgettable building was the subject of a widespread lack of interest in June after its sexier, more popular cousin in Ballard was demolished.
Not a single person could be found Wednesday that cared or even noticed the major demolition project at the site. No one noticed that the nondescript building had been stripped of its clay tile roof with rustic peeling green paint. Nobody cared that its classy painted white brick facades had been unceremoniously toppled.
Kenmore residents and area employees continued to express a deep and heartfelt apathy regarding the fate of the structure as its interior and exterior walls were ripped completely out this week.
“Oh, they’re tearing up the Denny’s? I hadn’t even really noticed,” said Clyde Larson, an employee at Parker Paint, located directly next door to the site.
Nigel Jones | The Naked LoonThe bustling Ostrom’s Drugs enjoys swift business in its current high-traffic location.
City officials were equally indifferent.
“Huh,” responded Kenmore Mayor David Baker, when told the news. “Will this get my name in the paper?”
Extensive research revealed that in late 2007 the Kenmore Denny’s did appear on a list of prime examples of Ranch-style architecture, but it was later determined that the Philadelphia-based historian that compiled the list had mistakenly confused Kenmore, Washington with the Kenmore ward in Akron, Ohio.
The gutting of the unremarkable four-thousand square-foot structure is the first step toward a major remodeling project that will make way for the impending move of Ostrom’s Drugs.
The cherished institution is being shuffled out of its 45-year home in the heart of Kenmore and moved to the long-neglected Denny’s site.
Once Ostrom’s has been cast to the Kenmore hinterlands, the city will finally be able to break ground on building its younger, flashier downtown, a project that has been in the planning stages since the city incorporated nearly ten years ago with an endearing but futile vision of becoming the next Kirkland.
Indifference toward the vicious molestation of the Kenmore Denny’s is expected to continue well into 2009, when the perpetually-ignored building will allegedly re-open with 2,600 extra square feet and a new tenant.
Wow, that Denny’s was the best. I used to work there about 14 years ago. It was my first job–as a dishwasher! What glorious work they had me do. I have so many great memories of washing dishes, taking out trash, mopping floors, washing dishes, taking out trash, mopping floors, and, oh, washing dishes. Apart from the accolades and benefits of smelling half eaten Denny’s food for an extended amount of time I still can’t walk into a Denny’s without having dry heaves, and yet–it still makes me sad to see it go. Well, now that I think about it, not really. I suppose it doesn’t matter because that whole “Grand Slam” Denny’s Breakfast was never really that good of a deal. Plus, the “Moons Over My Hammy” sandwhich is totally overrated.
Had a lot of good meals there after the bars closed. Well, they seemed like good meals after 2:00 AM, somehow they just weren’t the same during the day time.
Huh, David Baker, who’s that?
When you pass a demolition site and you can’t even remember what was there before, that’s a sure sign that whatever was there was not worth saving.
Was there ever a Sears in this town? Is this how it got it’s name, from a washing machine?
Kenmore provides wonderful houses for the homeless. The refrigerator boxes are particularly grand.